Jessica Sorensen inks with Westminster College, joins former BBCC teammate Alli Winters

MOSES LAKE - At the start of her sophomore season, Jessica Sorensen had no intention of playing basketball after her time at Big Bend Community College had finished.

A second team All-East Region recognition and an appearance in the NWAC Sophomore All-Star Game later, Sorensen had multiple teams clamoring for her services.

"Beginning of the year as we start to meet with them individually I just told her, 'Hey, you've improved enough over the summer that I think you've got the ability to continue playing,'" said Big Bend head women's basketball coach Preston Wilks. "Jessica's real hard on herself and at first she didn't really think that that was possible and so it was kind of a process of all year long to say, 'You're good enough, you're good enough,' after she'd get you 20 points and 15 rebounds in a game."

The constant encouragement paid off and Sorensen approached Wilks in January to express her interest in continuing to play past Big Bend.

The NAIA Division I Westminster College Griffins, located about two and a half hours away from Sorensen's hometown of Downey, Idaho, jumped out as a strong candidate.

Being near home had its appeal, but it also didn't hurt that the Griffins were one of the best teams in the nation throughout the 2013-14 season.

After an impressive workout in July, the Frontier Conference powerhouse offered her a roster spot and Westminster head coach Shelley Jarrard announced Tuesday that Sorensen had signed her letter of intent to play for the Griffins.

"They could see how athletic she was and so then right away they put together an offer for her and it was a great offer," Wilks said.

The Griffins finished last season 26-3 overall, losing to Wiley in the quarterfinals of the NAIA Division I Women's Basketball National Championship.

Listed at 5' 10", Sorensen spent a majority of her time playing the center position at Big Bend.

Her sophomore season she posted marks of 12.5 points per game and 9.1 rebounds per game. Sorensen's rebounding clip was good for 10th best in the Northwest Athletic Conference.

Wilks believes Sorensen will have the opportunity to slide down to either forward position and utilize her athleticism on both sides of the court for the Griffins.

"She's now going to be able to play kind of a power forward like a small forward/power forward type position down there and get out of the hole in the middle of the post position," he said. "I think that the other teams are going to have a hard time guarding her if she plays the four because she developed her jump shot out to 18 feet."

Sorensen will join former Big Bend teammate Alli Winters, who will be entering her senior season for the Griffins.

Winters, who starred for Soap Lake and Big Bend, led the nation in three-point percentage last season, shooting an unheard of 52.5 percent from deep. She was the only player to eclipse 50 percent for the season.

"Jessica understands the inside-outside game perhaps as good as any kid I've had play the post at Big Bend and Alli can find a way to get open," Wilks said. "I think playing together there will be opportunities for Jessica to fly in, get an offensive rebound and either finish it or find her former teammate."

Sorensen will be the fourth Viking coached by Wilks to play at Westminster College and the third to play under current head coach Jarrard.

Along with Winters and now Sorensen, Warden's Dana Bates played under Jarrard her senior season at Westminster.

"I feel like we've established a good relationship there," Wilks said. "She even mentioned in her last email to me that it's great to be able have this connection with Big Bend and we're pretty happy about that 'cause I've got some good kids that'll be sophomores next year and great freshmen coming in. I just hope to keep on sending kids down there."