McCray-Penson Announces Addition Of Hayes Sisters

STARKVILLE – Mississippi State women's basketball added three more members to the 2021-22 roster Monday, as head coach Nikki McCray-Penson announced the signing of sisters Anastasia Hayes, Aislynn Hayes and Alasia Hayes.

"I am really excited to have Anastasia, Aislynn and Alasia on the team because they can bring a lot to the program, and they have won everywhere they've been," said McCray-Penson. "They won three state championships at their high school, and Anastasia and Aislynn won two conference titles this season. Everywhere they have gone, they have impacted the team. Anastasia is a veteran leader and an elite scorer that has proven she can compete in this league. We are looking for her to come in and make an immediate difference on our team with her experience. Aislynn is a really good, well-rounded player, and she's always played with a chip on her shoulder. Alasia can knock down shots and is very deceptive. She was highly recruited, and we are really excited to help her grow and get her confidence back. They are all very fast, and I am excited about their potential."

Anastasia and Aislynn (pronounced Ace-Lynn) spent last season at Middle Tennessee, where they led the Blue Raiders to a 17-8 record, a pair of C-USA titles and a berth in the NCAA Tournament. Alasia (pronounced uh-LAY-juh) saw limited action in 13 games during her freshman campaign at Notre Dame this year. All three sisters competed at Riverdale High School in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, where their 2016-17 squad was named the MaxPreps National Champions after a perfect 34-0 record. Anastasia was a senior on that team, while Aislynn was a sophomore and Alasia a freshman.

Anastasia Hayes – Guard | 5-7 | Redshirt Senior | Middle Tennessee

An elite scorer and one of the versatile players in the country, Anastasia Hayes brings a wealth of experience to Mississippi State after stints at Middle Tennessee and Tennessee. For her career, she owns 31 games with at least 20 points, including eight 30-point efforts and one 40-point performance. She's scored 1,512 career points, grabbed 393 rebounds and dished out 369 assists.

The 2021 C-USA Player of the Year ranked second nationally in scoring (26.5 ppg) and finished 13th in steals (69) and 19th in assists (128) last season. She led Division I in free throw attempts this year with 265 and ranked fourth in free throws made with 169. For the year, she averaged 26.5 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 2.8 steals per game en route to also earning First Team All C-USA honors.

Anastasia eclipsed the 30-point margin six times in 2020-21, including a career-best 42 points against UAB on Jan. 30. She also notched a pair of double-doubles and finished with two performances with at least 30 points, five rebounds and five assists.

As a redshirt sophomore in 2019-20, Hayes was named the C-USA Newcomer of the Year and earned First Team All C-USA recognition after averaging 18.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.9 steals per game. Her 18.7 points per game ranked 34th nationally, and she ranked fifth in Division I in free throw attempts (221) and 28th in free throws made (138).

Hayes notched 10 performances of 20-plus points, including a pair of 30-point efforts, during the campaign. She posted three double-doubles and recorded a triple-double against Marshall, finishing with 17 points, 11 boards and 10 assists.

Prior to joining the Blue Raiders, Hayes played her freshman season at Tennessee, where she was named the 2018 SEC Sixth Woman of the Year after averaging 9.3 points and 3.5 assists per game for the Lady Vols. She ranked second on the squad in assists (114) and steals (44) during the campaign.

Out of high school, Hayes was one of the top players in the 2017 recruiting class, being tabbed the No. 7 overall recruit and the No. 3 point guard in the country by espnW. She was named a McDonald's All-American and earned All-American status from the WBCA, Naismith and MaxPreps. She was tabbed the Gatorade Tennessee Player of the Year in 2017 after averaging 22.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 3.1 steals per game to leading the MaxPreps National Champions at Riverdale High School. She led her high school squad to a pair of state titles (2016, 2017).

Aislynn Hayes – Guard | 5-6 | Junior | Middle Tennessee

Averaging 14.1 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game during her first two years at Middle Tennessee, Aislynn Hayes has proved to be an all-around player and scoring threat. She's scored in double figures in 40 of her 51 career games, including 10 games with at least 20 points, and has recorded three double-doubles. As a facilitator, she's dished out at least five assists in 14 games.

As a sophomore this year, Hayes was tabbed Second Team All-C-USA after posting 14.0 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.2 steals per game while starting all 21 games for the Blue Raiders. She ranked second in the country in minutes played per game (39.02 mpg). She scored double digits 17 times for the season and eclipsed the 20-point margin twice. She's a decent shooter from deep, knocking down 45 3-pointers at a .302 clip and recording three or more treys in 10 games this year.

During her freshman campaign, Hayes earned C-USA Freshman of the Year honors after being named conference freshman of the week seven times. Averaging 14.1 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.3 steals per game, she became the first player ever to be recognized as the USBWA National Freshman of the Week three times. She recorded double figures in points 23 times throughout the year, including eight performances with at least 20 points.

In high school, she was a two-time All-State performer and District MVP at Riverdale High School. She led her squad to three straight state titles and earned MVP honors of the 2018 tournament. She averaged 14.4 points and 3.9 assists per game as a senior.

Alasia Hayes – Guard | 5-7 | Sophomore | Notre Dame

During her first season in college basketball, Alasia Hayes saw limited action while at Notre Dame, averaging eight minutes per game while posting 26 points, 16 rebounds, 12 assists and four steals in 13 games.

Coming out of high school, Hayes was ranked as the No. 44 overall player and No. 14 point guard in the class of 2020. The former five-star recruit averaged 23.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 2.9 steals per game and was named the 2020 Tennessean Girls Basketball Player of the Year as a senior at Riverdale High School. She earned All-State recognition as a junior and senior and helped lead her squad to a pair of state titles during her career.

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Mississippi State University Athletics

McCray-Penson Announces Addition Of Hayes Sisters

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