Gazette-Times reporter

Oregon State women’s basketball coach LaVonda Wagner’s quest for tough inside players received a payoff last week with the oral commitment of Angela Misa, a 6-foot-3, 180-pounder who will play at J. Serra High School in San Juan Capistrano this season.

A native of Vista, Calif., she was an Avocado League all-star at Vista High in 2008 before transferring to J. Serra, a member of the Trinity League, one of the best in California. She averaged 15 points and 12 rebounds as a junior.

“Her work ethic is tremendous, she has a solid body and she can move people,” J. Serra coach Mary Rossignol said earlier this week. “She’ll knock you down, but then she’ll pick you up.

“She can post up well and is strong down there on the blocks. She’s got speed, she can get up and down the floor and is tenacious.

“She has that will to win and get after it, to do what it takes.”

Misa chose the Beavers over Arizona, her second choice, and New Mexico and Denver. The early signing period begins on Nov. 12; NCAA rules prohibit coaches from commenting on recruits until they have received a signed letter of intent.

Rossignol said Misa has a 3.0 grade-point average, has a “real coachable spirit” and has a tremendous upside.

“She is excited” to know a Pacific-10 Conference career is in the future, Rossignol said. “Like all of us, she has some things she needs to work on, but she has the right attitude and wants to be helped, athletically and academically,” to reach her full potential.

Misa is the fourth high school senior to announce her non-binding commitment to OSU.

She joins 5-10 point guard Kate Lanz of Central Catholic High in Portland, the Oregon 2008 Gatorade Player of the Year; Haiden Palmer, a 5-10 guard from Vista del Lago High in Moreno Valley, Calif., ranked No. 47 at her position by Hoop Gurlz evaluators, and Tayler Champion, a 6-1 forward from Inglewood High in the L.A. suburb of Inglewood, Hoop Gurlz’s No. 42-ranked forward.

The Beavers play host to Lewis & Clark at 3 p.m. Nov. 2 in their exhibition opener.

They face Concordia on Nov. 11 in another exhibition, and then open the regular season at home against Sacramento State on Nov. 16.