Alaska Sports Hall of Fame

With only five players returning from last year’s playoff team, Peninsula College women’s basketball coach Ali Crumb needed impact players.

She found one in Savanna James of Wasilla.

The 6-foot-2 former Alaska high school all-star has transferred from NCAA D2 Black Hills State University to the NWAACC school in Port Angeles, Wash., where she is expected to contribute right away.

“Savanna is the type of player that is a game changer,” Crumb told the school’s website. “She is tall and aggressive, but can shoot as well. She went to Black Hills but has some Division I offers as well, so we are excited about the type of player that she is, and how she will help us this year.”

James, of Houston High fame, averaged 20 points, 12 rebounds, six steals and five blocks per game as a senior to finish runnerup for 2012 Class 3A player-of-the-year honors.

James will join another new face from Alaska in Gabrielle Fenumiai, of Juneau, who signed in the spring. Fenumiai is a 6-foot post who averaged 14 points as a senior at Juneau-Douglas and was a two-time pick for the Class 4A all-state team.

“Gabi is another great player out of Alaska who is going to help us,” Crumb said. “Not only is she a very talented post, wherein she had some 30-point games in her career, but also because she is just a great kid. She works hard, she cares about her teammates, she enjoys school and she will be a good person to be around.”