CHENEY, Wash. – Eastern Washington University women's basketball head coach Joddie Gleason has announced the first two members of her recruiting class in Jacinta Buckley and Jaleesa Lawrence.
 
Lawrence joins the Eagles as a true freshman from Meridian, Idaho where she prepped at Meridian High School. Buckley hails from Spokane, Wash., where she attended Lewis and Clark High School and has spent the last two seasons at UNLV.
 
Jacinta Buckley | Jr. | 6-1 | G | Spokane, Wash. | Lewis and Clark HS | UNLV
 
Jacinta Buckley joins the Eagles after two seasons at UNLV where she played in all 24 games for the Rebels as a sophomore, averaging 2.5 points and 11.3 minutes per game. Buckley tied her career-high eight points in a Dec. 21 win over Loyola Marymount where she went 2-of-3 from behind the arc. She also grabbed a career best eight boards at Air Force on Feb. 5.
 
As a freshman, Buckley played in 28 games and averaged seven minutes per contest, finishing her debut season with 47 points, 34 rebounds and six steals.
 
She played basketball all four years at Lewis and Clark High School in Spokane where she averaged a double-double of 16.1 points and 12.4 rebounds per game. She helped guide the Tigers to a second-place finish at the WIAA State Championships and was a three-time all-district first team selection. As a senior, she was named first team All-State was the 2018 Greater Spokane League MVP.
 
GLEASON ON BUCKLEY: "We are extremely excited to welcome Jacinta to the Eagle family. She brings experience, toughness, rebounding, and the ability to score inside and out. She has a winning personality that is contagious, and we expect her to make an immediate impact. Jacinta is a local product that excelled in the GSL during high school. We are thrilled to have her return home and know that she will be a positive addition to the campus community."
 
PERSONAL: Daughter of Patrick and Yvette Buckley… Has one sister, Terrah, and one brother, Noah.
 
Jaleesa Lawrence | Fr. | 5-10 | W | Meridian, Idaho | Meridian HS
 
Jaleesa Lawrence played basketball and competed on the track team at Meridian High School in the Southern Idaho Conference (SIC). The 2021 season saw her win the 5A SIC Player of the Year after she averaged 18.8 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. She shot 44.3 percent from the field and 37.6 percent from behind the arc.
 
She was also named first team All-State as a senior and a junior and was a 2020 SIC All-Conference first team selection as well after earning a 2019 honorable mention nod.
 
GLEASON ON LAWRENCE: "We are excited to have Jaleesa join the 2021 recruiting class at Eastern. She is a versatile athlete who has experience playing every position on the court.  She brings length to the guard position and has a high basketball IQ along with good court vision that will fit into our style of play. Her competitive nature and winning attitude will positively affect our team culture."
 
PERSONAL: Daughter of Kasha and Wendell Lawrence… Her father competed in the 1988 Olympics in the triple jump… Plans on majoring in marketing at Eastern Washington.
 
Buckley and Lawrence join nine returning Eagles from last year's roster, along with four incoming freshmen in Jaydia Martin, Alexis Pettis, Devynn Warns and Andie Zylak.