JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (April 19, 2024) – ETSU women's basketball head coach Brenda Mock Brown and her staff announced on Friday the signing of Gemma Gruettner Bacoul and Lucy Hood to the 2024-25 Buccaneer roster.
 
Gruettner Bacoul, is a 5-foot-10 guard, who played the last two seasons at McCook Community College, while Hood is a 5-foot-8 guard that played the last four seasons at Rabun County High School in Tiger, Ga.
 
In two years at McCook Community College, Gruettner Bacoul totaled 781 points, 312 rebounds, 140 assists and 116 steals in 62 games played (46 starts). This past 2023-24 season, Gruettner Bacoul averaged 18.2 points per game, while shooting 39 percent from beyond the arc and 77 percent at the free throw line. Overall, McCook ranked 19th nationally in scoring last season. The native of Berlin, Germany scored in double figures 28 times last season, including 10 games with 20 or more points and three 30-plus point scoring games. Gruettner Bacoul netted a career-high 36 points on 10-of-12 shooting (13-of-18 at the free throw line) against Dawson Community College on Nov. 10, while pouring in 34 points on six made threes against Central Community College-Columbus on Jan. 6. Following the 2023-24 season, Gruettner Bacoul was selected to the Region IX All-South Team, while also earning all-defensive team and all-tournament team honors. Gruettner Bacoul, who ranked second in the south division in three-point shooting and steals (2.5 per game) last season, led McCook to back-to-back conference championships and a spot in the Region IX Tournament where she netted 17 points in an opening round win over Lamar and added 19 points and nine rebounds against Casper College.
 
"Gemma is a dynamic scorer with a blue-collar approach to the game," said Mock. "This spring, we are looking for those players who love basketball and understand the work ethic and mindset that winning requires. She is a versatile perimeter player who can extend the defense and play off two feet in the paint. Gemma was an outstanding player for McCook Community College, as she shouldered a lot of the scoring responsibility but also knows how to create for her teammates and make everyone around her better on and off the court. She was commended for her defensive efforts at McCook, and if you follow us closely, you know defense is the foundation of our program. We are excited to welcome Gemma to Johnson City and look forward to coaching her next season!" 
 
Hood is also coming to ETSU with a winning pedigree as she played for head coach Dee Dee Dillard at Rabun County. Hood, who recorded 1,659 points, 553 assists, 464 rebounds and 307 steals over her career, led the Wildcats to 91 wins in her four seasons. Hood set program records in points and assists, while also breaking single-season records in made three-pointers (110) and assists (189) in her senior season. To go with the 91 wins, Hood led Rabun County to a state runner-up finish in 2021-22 and four straight Sweet 16 appearances, including a Final Four run in 2023-24. Hood was a McDonalds All-American nominee in 2023-24 and was also selected the "Best Passer" in Georgia Class A. The first team all-state selection earned Freshman of the Year honors in 2020-21 and was named Region Player of the Year a senior. Hood was a multi-sport athlete at Rabun County where she led the Wildcats to Region Championships in cross country and tennis – receiving first team all-region honors in both sports.
 
"We are very excited to welcome Lucy Hood into the Buccaneer family," said Mock. "Lucy was extremely successful at the high school level playing on a championship high school team and racking up several individual accomplishments.  She is a proven floor general who will bring an ability to share and score the basketball at a high level. Lucy is the consummate team player, and what really stood out in this recruiting process, was her passion for excellence, ETSU, and a selfless mentality to do whatever it takes to help us win the SoCon championship. Lucy will be the fifth freshmen in an incredible class of youngsters coming to Johnson City this fall."
 
For more information on Buccaneer women's basketball, visit ETSUBucs.com and click on the women's basketball tab.