UTEP women’s basketball inks Penn State transfer Ivane Tensaie

EL PASO, Texas - UTEP women’s basketball announced the signing of Ivane Tensaie from Penn State on Friday.

Tensaie was named the 2021-22 NJCAA Freshman Player of the Year at North Dakota State College of Science.

A profile on Tensaie and a quote from Adams follows below.  

Ivane Tensaie

Penn State

North Dakota State College of Science

Roseville, Minn. (Concordia Academy)

5-7, Guard 

Junior 

Saw action in eight games with Penn State as a sophomore ... received multiple accolades her freshman season at NDSCS, including NJCAA Freshman Player of the Year, All-Region Player of the Year, First Team All-Conference, and First Team All-Region ...  started all 32 games, averaging 20.8 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game ... posted 26 steals and eight blocks ... shot 88.9 percent (80-90) from the free-throw line and 42.3 percent from the field (227-537) and 42.3 from three (131-310) ... scored in double figures in all but one contest, racking up 20 or more points in 17 games and 30 or more in four games ... tallied a career-best 34 points to go with seven rebounds and four assists against Dawson Community College (11/06/21) ... poured in 33 points, including going 9-of-13 from beyond the arc against Lake Region State College (11/15/21) ... dropped 31 points against Iowa Western Community College (12/11/21), with 14 made free throws ... scored 31 to go with five rebounds and five assists against Bryant and Stratton College (12/03/21) ...  posted three double-doubles against Dakota College at Bottineau (14 points and 10 rebounds, 11/05/21), Bismarck State College (23 points and career-high 12 rebounds, 11/07/21), and at United Tribes Technical College (24 points and 11 rebounds, 02/20/22).

“We are fired up about Ivane coming to UTEP. She’s a guard that plays with great composure. She can shoot the basketball, distribute the basketball, and brings leadership qualities. We will look for her to be a well-rounded player that does a lot of things for your team that sometimes go unnoticed but it’s especially important. She will be great at communicating on the floor with her teammates and doing the little things you need from your guard position.” - Coach Keitha Adams