Lady Tiger Basketball Coach Ginger Colvin has added a D-1 transfer to her 2010-11 roster. Courtney Clifton, a shooting guard who played her high school ball at Lexington Christian Academy, signed scholarship papers Thursday in the Powell Athletic Center.

The 5'11" sophomore-to-be was a spot player at Western Kentucky University as a freshman. She played in 19 games for the 21-11 Lady Hilltoppers, scoring 22 points in her first collegiate game - hitting 6 of nine 3-point shots. She averaged 13 minutes a game, averaging 4.1 points and 1.8 rebounds per game. Her field goal shooting suffered a little in college, hitting 23 percent of her field goals, 27 percent from the 3-point line, but 84 percent of her free throws.

"Her stats at Western are no indication of what she can do on the court. Freshman year is an adjustment for anyone," said Colvin. "We're so excited that she's decided to join an established group of kids. She can make an immediate impact and that kinda tells you how good she is."

"I wanted to leave Western for academic reasons," said Clifton. "I was missing a lot of labs."

Clifton is a biology major with an eye on cardiac medicine.

Clifton will join freshman-to-be Alex Martin of Unionville, Tenn. when the Lady Tigers report to campus in the fall.

"I just really got along with everyone during my visits," said Clifton. "Being here just feels right."

In high school, Clifton starred at LCA where she helped the Lady Eagles to a pair of KHSAA Sweet Sixteen appearances in 2007 and 2009, and the state championship in 2007. She averaged 21.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 2.5 steals per game as a season, while shooting 50.9 percent from the field, 43.4 percent from behind the three-point arc, and 75.5 percent at the free throw line.

She earned first-team all-state, all-region and all-district honors during her junior and senior seasons  at LCA and district MVP honors as a senior. Clifton was a McDonald's All-America nominee in 2009, and was named a third-team All-American by the National Christian School Athletic Association following her senior year. She averaged 15.6 points and 2.4 rebounds per game during her junior season and was named MVP of the 2008 Touchstone Energy All "A" State Tournament after helping lead LCA to the championship.
She was named to the All "A" Tournament team all four years  of high school. During the 2007 Sweet Sixteen she averaged 14.5 points and 3.6 rebounds per game and earned first-team academic all-state honors.

"She really fits our style," said Colvin. "She'll be such a plus, and she'll be a sophomore and we'll have her for three years."

She is the daughter of Jack and Sherry Morgan, Lexington.