WHITEHOUSE, Ohio — Two of the best basketball players in the state of Ohio committed to continue their academic and athletic careers at Villanova.
Anthony Wayne's Elise and Brooke Bender announced their decision on Tuesday, choosing the Wildcats over offers from the University of Toledo, Bowling Green State University and Ohio University.
"The recruiting process is a long journey," Brooke said. "It can be stressful at some points. Once you decide what school you want to go to, it's nice because you only have to focus on one school. I can focus on Anthony Wayne."
The two made an immediate impact on the Generals program, helping lead the team to their first regional championship in 2022.
"That drive we had at a young age really helped us as we got older," Elsie said. "The older we got, the more we realized we could play D1."
Elise led the team, averaging 23.1 points per game while Brooke contributed 13.4 points per game last season.
Early on in the recruitment process, Elise and Brooke had offers from different schools, but the two told schools they were a package deal.
"We decided that we wanted to go together, and if those schools weren't going to offer both of us, then that wouldn't be in the picture for us," Brooke said. "But the further we went, we got the same offers and we decided that, based on where we were at, Villanova was a good school for us."
The two have been coached by Jami Carter, who took over the reins of the Anthony Wayne program in 2018. Carter says the pair's talent has made the rest of the team better.
"We are extremely excited to see Brooke and Elise’s hard work and perseverance pay off," head coach Jami Carter said. "They both committed to becoming major D1 basketball players early on and have worked towards that goal day in and day out."
"In turn, their drive has impacted our other players and their drive to be the best that they can be," she added. "The Wildcats are getting two amazing young ladies."
The Generals are looking to get back to the state semifinals after falling to Fremont Ross in the 2023 district final and Massillon Jackson in the 2024 regional semifinal, respectively.
"I'm really looking forward to a long tournament run," Elise said. "We haven't been back to the final four since our freshman year, so being able to have that opportunity one last time, we're really looking forward to that, and our end goal is being state champs.