EDWARDSVILLE – SIUE women's basketball Head Coach Paula Buscher bolstered her roster for next season with the addition of Taylor Goss (Pekin, Illinois) and Sofie Lowis (Springfield, Illinois).
"Sofie and Taylor are two guards that have grown up around the game and have a toughness to them in their approach to how the game is played," said Buscher. "On and off the court they have shown great leadership and resiliency with all the unknowns of they have had to deal with the past year in high school."
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Goss is a 5-foot, 10-inch shooting guard from Pekin High School, and she played club basketball with Midwest Elite.
"Taylor is a perimeter player with good size and a deadly three-point shot," said Buscher. "Her ability to stretch the floor with her long range shot and the physicality of taking the ball to the hoop makes her an offensive threat. She has had to play every position in high school which has given her great perspective and ability to adapt to situations."
Goss enters her senior season needing just 89 points to become Pekin's latest 1,000-point career scorer. She averaged 12.0 points per game as a sophomore and 11.4 points as a junior. She recorded 122 rebounds in both her sophomore and junior seasons.
She is a second-generation standout. Her mom, Caryn Brune-Goss, played professional basketball after a Hall of Fame career at Illinois State.
"Her love for the game is unmatched," said Pekin Coach Brett McGinnis. "She has put in countless hours to improve her game in the gym and the weight room. She can play all five positions on the floor. As her high school coach, I have enjoyed watching her develop and I'm excited for what her future holds as a Cougar. Her character and academics, as well as her work ethic, are a testament to her upbringing. Taylor is the type of student-athlete that Pekin High School strives to educate."
Lowis is a 5-8 combo guard from Sacred Heart-Griffin High School, and she played club basketball with the IL Predators.
"Sofie is a tough combo-guard player who engages her teammates and makes everyone on the floor better," said Buscher. "Her ability to drain the deep three as well as create off the dribble makes her a tough offensive threat. What sets her apart is not only her ability to score at different levels but her ability to see the court and get her teammates involved."
Lowis averaged 17.2 points, 4.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game last season. With 1,136 career points heading into her senior season, she has steadily increased her offensive production in high school going from a 6.4 scoring average as a freshman to 10.1 as a sophomore to the team-leading 17.2 last season.
She recorded an impressive 112 three-pointers as a junior, the same number of three-pointers that SIUE's whole 2019-20 squad converted.
"Sofie is the best pure guards I've coached," said Sacred Heart-Griffin Coach Steve Klunick. "Her basketball IQ is off the charts; she doesn't just see one play ahead, she sees two. No moment in a game is too big for her. She will step up to the challenge. A leader both on and off the court ensures her success in whatever she chooses to do. Congratulations to Sofie and SIUE. The future is bright!"
She was an All-Metro Conference performer as a sophomore and a first team All-Central State Eight Conference player.
Lowis comes from an athletic family with a sister who plays basketball at Illinois Wesleyan and a brother who plays football at Washington University.
"We definitely got better with the addition of these two quality people and athletes," said Buscher. "We are excited to see what they will accomplish their senior year as well as their future as Cougars."
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