Evora signed a Letter of Intent last week, pledging to play at St. Michael’s College.Indira Evora (center) and her parents, Ed and Isabel Bean.

GBL MVP to play basketball for St. Michael’s College
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Somerville High School senior Indira Evora took the next step in her illustrious basketball career at a signing ceremony on November 19 at Somerville High School, inking a National Letter of Intent during the early signing period to play for the St. Michael’s College Purple Knights next year.

The 5-7 point guard wraps up an impressive high school career with the Highlanders this year, entering her final season on the team as a 3-time Greater Boston League (GBL) All-Star. She earned GBL Most Valuable Player honors in 2012 after leading the Lady Highlanders in points (16.3), steals (4.8) and assists (4) during the 2011-12 season.  Evora enters the year with 813 total points and is on target to eclipse the 1,000-point mark.

“My goal has always been to play basketball in college,” stated Indira. “I’m very excited to be going to St. Michael’s, and feel St. Michael’s is a good academic fit for me.”

Aside from excelling on the basketball court, Evora has also been a standout student at Somerville High School. Nearly 60 colleges expressed interest in Indira as a basketball player. After narrowing her final choices to three, Indira chose St. Michael’s, a small liberal arts college located in the 250-year-old town of Colchester, Vermont in part for its academic excellence and small college family feel. She is an Honors student at SHS and is active as a Somerville Pride Volunteer and as a Youth Basketball Coach/Referee. She lists Law, Sports Medicine, Coaching and Counseling among her fields of interest.

Somerville Mayor Joe Curtatone recognized Indira’s leadership in the community as an exceptional role model during the signing ceremony. “I’ve seen Indira flourish into a dynamite young woman on and off the playing field,” he stated.  “I hope other people in this city will follow her lead.”

An NCAA Division II school and a member of the Northeast 10 Conference, St. Michael’s boasts the highest student-athlete graduation rate among NCAA Division II schools, recording a 99% student-athlete graduation rate during the NCAA’s most recent four-year assessment period.  St. Michael’s was featured among the top 310 colleges and universities in the U.S., Great Britain and Canada by the Fiske Guide to Colleges 2013.  St. Michael’s also made the Princeton Review’s Best 371 Colleges list, and was among the top 100 National Liberal Arts Colleges according to the U.S. News & World Report.

The Lady Anchors star point Guard Indira Evora will be heading to St. Michael’s College to pursue her athletic and academic goals.

“I congratulate Indira and her family for her leadership, academic and athletic success. In all three, Indira has been very noteworthy,” stated Superintendent Tony Pierantozzi.  “Thank you, Indira. St. Michael’s is lucky to have you and will be a better place because you are there.”

Described as an incredibly quick player and a prolific scorer who can play both ends of the court with equal skill and tenacity, SHS Headmaster John Oteri, who was Indira’s Housemaster for three years prior to taking on the Headmaster position at the school this year, also described Evora as a “…consummate student, outstanding teammate, and someone whom we recognize as a great role model in Somerville.”

“Indira goes beyond the statistics and numbers,” added SHS Girls Varsity Basketball Coach Paul O’Halloran. “Her love of the sport and the passion she shows on the court helps her bring an infectious type of atmosphere to the game. She is a two-way player who takes as much pride in her offense as she does in her defense.”

Indira highlighted an exceptional junior year with the Highlanders last season by leading her team to a win over perennial powerhouse and defending state champion Arlington Catholic with a 10-steal, 28-point, 5-rebound performance. She recorded season highs of 32 points, 11 steals, 6 assists and 9 rebounds last year. She is the daughter of Ed and Isabel Bean.

“We’re very proud to be part of this Somerville community. The type of national recognition that Somerville High School is receiving, such as the recent feature in the U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges guide, is a great testament to the vitality and excellence of our educators,” noted Mr. Bean. “I want to thank the Somerville Public Schools for providing our daughter with a firm foundation to help her succeed in college.  We feel very blessed and thankful to have so many resources in our community that support our youth.”

The Lady Highlanders kick off their 2012-2013 varsity basketball season with a 7 p.m. road game against Wachusett Regional High School on December 14. They host Fontbonne Academy, Needham, and Acton-Boxborough in tournament action on December 27 and 28 at the SHS Field House. Needham and Fontbonne tip off at 5:30 p.m. on December 27, followed by a 7:30 p.m. matchup between the Highlanders and Acton-Boxborough.