SPORTSINK.COM STAFF REPORT

PHOTO BY JIMMY DAVIS

Twinsburg senior Malina Howard (front row, third from left), with friends, family and school officials on hand, signed her letter of intent to play basketball for the University of Maryland.

Malina Howard made it official. She will play basketball for the University of Maryland.

The 6-foot-5 senior this week inked her letter of intent to play for the Terrapins in College Park, Md.

Howard is a 5-star recruit and is ranked No.7 in the nation by ESPN. She joins 4-star recruits 6-foot-2 forward Tierney Pfirman (South Williamsport, Pa.) and point guard Chloe Pavlech (Cincinnati Sycamore) in the Terrapins’ highly touted 2012 freshman class.

Howard, who last season led Twinsburg to its first state championship, contributed to Team USA’s FIBA Women’s U19 team this summer to win a gold medal at the World Championship in Puerto Montt, Chile.

Howard, who was named Miss Ohio Basketball for 2010-2011, averaged 19.6 points, 10.6 rebounds and two blocks per game as a junior and helped Twinsburg to a 27-0 record last season.