GRAND FORKS, N.D. - The University of North Dakota women's basketball team added Makayla Wallace to its roster for the 2020-21 season. The point guard from St. Louis, Mo., will have two seasons of eligibility remaining after playing two years in the Missouri Valley Conference at Evansville.

Wallace, who dished 122 assists in 56 games with the Purple Aces, will fill the roster spot of graduating senior Alaina Jarnot, who transferred to North Dakota after spending two seasons at Monmouth. Jarnot tallied 203 assists in her two seasons with the Fighting Hawks, including 116 last season, to become the first UND player since 2014-15 to dish 100 helpers in a season.

"We knew Alaina's graduation left a big speed and quickness void on our team. Makayla's speed and quickness are elite and will help us play at a high tempo," said Interim Head Coach Mallory Bernhard. "I also love that she can defend 94 feet and take people off the dribble.

Tallying 45 steals and averaging nearly 5.0 points per game at Evansville last season, Wallace appeared in 26 games with four starts for the Purple Aces. She scored in double figures three times in MVC play, including 14 points versus Illinois State and a career-best 18 against Valparaiso, both of whom played North Dakota in 2019-20.

As a prep, Wallace won back-to-back Class 5 Missouri State Championships at Kirkwood High School in 2017 and 2018. Kirkwood also advanced to the semifinals during her sophomore season. She also played for one of the top AAU programs in the country in the Missouri Phenom.

While she cited her speed and her ability to play at a high tempo, Wallace's championship pedigree and mentality are what jumped out most to Coach Bernhard when she got the news of her commitment to North Dakota.

"She has a great basketball background with her Kirkwood championship teams and elite AAU experience with one of the nation's best programs, the Missouri Phenom," Bernhard added. "Best of all, she's a super person and plays with a lot of energy and emotion that should be contagious to her teammates and our fans. I'm thrilled Makayla chose UND."

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