STEPHENVILLE – One of the top frontcourt scorers in the Texas junior college ranks will soon don Purple and White, as Tarleton head coach Misty Wilson announced the signing of Clarendon College all-conference forward Emilia Axelsson on Monday.
Axelsson, a 6-1 forward from Ragunda, Sweden, spent the 2020-21 season at Clarendon and received Western Junior College Athletic Conference (WJCAC) honorable mention recognition in April. She made the move to Texas after completing her freshman campaign at Eastern Wyoming College.
She averaged a double-double at Clarendon (13.5 ppg, 10 rpg) on 40.2 percent shooting from the field. Axelsson was also one of the most efficient 3-point shooters in the WJCAC, as she connected at a 43.2 percent clip from downtown.
“Emilia is a player that sets herself apart with her energy and effort,” Wilson said. “She has a tremendous motor that has contributed to her success as a basketball player. Emilia averaged a double-double in a tough JUCO conference, playing for a great coaching staff at Clarendon College, and has the desire to continue to improve. That desire is what we want to see in the players we recruit, and Emilia has demonstrated that consistently throughout her career.
“Additionally, Emilia excels off the court, as she is the outstanding graduate of her college at Clarendon,” Wilson continued. “We are looking forward to continued development and contribution from Emilia in the next three years here and are excited that she chose Tarleton.”
She ranked third in the WJCAC in 3-point field goal percentage and rebounding, was fourth in points per game and her field goal percentage was 10th-best among conference peers.
Axelsson appeared and started in all 22 games for Clarendon and helped the Bulldogs finish with an 11-11 record. She recorded 11 double-doubles, scored in double figures on 14 occasions and eclipsed the 20-point threshold three times. Her top scoring performance came in a 99-44 win over West Texas Select on Jan. 24 when she tallied 25 points on 9-15 shooting. Axelsson snagged a career-high 15 rebounds to stake Clarendon to a 67-61 victory against Howard College on March 25.
In her first season in the United States, Axelsson made 25 starts across 31 games for Eastern Wyoming. She averaged 9 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game.
She earned the opportunity to continue her career overseas after accumulating numerous prep accolades. Axelsson competed for a Swedish Club Championship and was named to the All-Star Five Team.
Axelsson is also a dedicated student. She was a Top Honor graduate and member of the Honors College while at Clarendon and intends to major in allied health at Tarleton.
Axelsson becomes the ninth member of the Texans’ 2021 recruiting class. She is the third frontcourt player Wilson has inked, joining fellow forward Nya Mitchels (UNCW) and center Hannah Matthews (Abilene Christian). The remainder of Tarleton’s 2021 class includes prep guards Mason Jones (Panhandle HS), Crystal Smith (Tompkins HS) and Nikki Petrakovitz (Oak Ridge HS) and Division I transfers Tyler Jackson (Louisiana Tech), Jurnee President (St. Bonaventure) and Jenna Dick (Eastern Washington).
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