Ayla Guzzardo finished her recruiting class Thursday. (Kirk Meche/ Special to the American Press)

When she showed up at McNeese State, Ayla Guzzardo didn’t come alone.

The new Cowgirls women’s basketball coach brought most of her Southland Conference championship program with her from Southeastern. 

Still, she needed one big piece to finish her roster puzzle. Guzzardo believes she signed that piece on Thursday in 6-foot-4 center Brittney Burton. 

Guzzardo is familiar with Burton, having signed her previously to play for the Lady Lions out of Woosman High School in Monroe. However, Burton didn’t play for SELA last season.

Still, Guzzardo went after her when she realized she was missing one more inside player to finish off her roster.

“Brittney is somebody we know very well,” said Guzzardo. “We are excited to have her come to McNeese.”

Guzzardo believes that once Burton gets back into basketball playing shape after the year off, she can be one of the better big players in the Southland.

“She has great hands and great footwork,” said Guazzardo. “It is big that we got her here in the summer. I think she can be an all-conference player for us.”

Guzzardo has turned the McNeese roster over in her first few months in town, as only leading scorer Paris Guillory returns from last year’s Cowgirl team that finished 10-21, 5-15 in the SLC and missed the postseason tournament, which McNeese hosted.

Despite suffering through a knee injury, Guillory was the only Cowgirl to average in double figures at 13.8 points per game. The St. Louis Catholic standout was in her first season at McNeese after spending her freshman year at Louisiana Tech.

Guillory should help pick up the slack that Guzzardo must replace from her club a year ago, with the graduation of Alexius Horne, who led SELA at 14.3

“We will use a couple of people, probably to fill Alexius’ numbers,” said Guzzardo. “Paris will be a big part of that.”

When she originally signed with Guzzardo in Hammond, Burton said she liked how the program felt like a family to her. That is something the new coach has tried to bring to McNeese.

“We are a family,” Guzzardo said. “That’s a big part of our success.”

Guzzardo hopes that signing Burton will give her a second center and much-needed depth inside to make another run at a league title in her new home.