PITTSBURGH - Duquesne head women's basketball coach Dan Burt announced Helmi Tulonen, Amanda Kalin and Libby Bazelak will comprise the incoming 2017-18 freshman class.

Tulonen has a bevy of international experience, having played in FIBA tournaments each of the past three years.

This past July, Tulonen played on Finland's U18 team in the FIBA European Championship when she led the team to four victories and a third place finish in Group A. Her best game was a 23 point, nine rebound, five assist effort against Bosnia and Herzegovina. In the seven-game event, Tulonen averaged 12.3 points per game and scored in double figures in five.

Currently, Tulonen is playing for Hemi Basket in the Finnish League. Through the season's first seven games, she leads the team in points per game (13.0) and rebounds per game (7.6).

"Helmi is a legitimate 6-3 post player who can pick and pop beyond the 3-point line," said Burt. "She has a fantastic shooting stroke and a high basketball IQ. Helmi has been very well coached in Finland and is clearly the best player of her generation in her country. We expect Helmi to make an immediate impact."

Kalin comes to the Bluff from Pine-Richland High School. A 5-8 guard, Kalin is coming off a junior season where she averaged 20.2 points, 6.4 assists, 5.1 rebounds and 2.8 steals. Last season, in Pine-Richland's First Round WPIAL playoff victory against McKeesport, Kalin set a AAAA record by scoring 41 points in the Rams' 54-49 win. She led PR to a semifinal berth before falling to eventual champion Norwin. She has 1,350 career points heading in to her senior season.

A member of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Fab Five, Kalin was named the 2016 PG Female Athlete of Year. Kalin is a two-time PIAA All-State performer, named Second-Team her sophomore season and First-Team her junior year.

"Amanda is a combo guard who we will ask to score more when she arrives on campus," said Burt. "We like Amanda's ability to score in transition, from behind the arc and in half court sets. She has solid athleticism and a very good work ethic. While being a great high school soccer player and being widely recruited for that sport also, we are excited about Amanda's growth potential when she begins to solely concentrate on basketball at the university level."

Bazelak, a 5-9 guard from Dayton, Ohio, is coming off leading Archbishop Alter to back-to-back state championships her sophomore and junior seasons. The Knights have an 87-3 record over the last three years.

Bazelak was named an Associated Press First-Team All-State selection after averaging 14.8 points, 7.6 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 3.9 steals per game and recording 25 double-figure scoring games her junior season. Additionally, she was First-Team All-Area and First-Team All-GCL.

"We are very excited about Libby and her future as a Duquesne Duke," said Burt. "Libby is a set the table point guard who can score from anywhere on the floor. She has outstanding vision, very strong fundamental skills and plays with great savvy. There is a very high ceiling for Libby and we expect her to be a contributor early in her career."

Bazelak's sister, Maddie, is a sophomore outside hitter on Duquesne's volleyball team.

The Dukes open their 2016-17 schedule on Friday afternoon at #7/T-6 Ohio State at 12:00 p.m.

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING

"The Western PA Bruins were thrilled when Amanda decided to join us for the 2016 travel season. Amanda is a wonderful young woman off the court and super competitive on it. She works relentlessly at being the best player she can be while also being an outstanding teammate. We congratulate Amanda on signing with Coach Burt and Duquesne University and wish her continued success both academically and athletically. "
- John Tate, Executive Director Western PA Bruins

"Libby is a special player because of her ability to contribute in so many ways that don't always show up on a stats sheet. She is an exceptional passer and a very good rebounder, along with being able to score in a variety of ways. What I admire most about Libby is that she is a student of the game. She LOVES basketball, and is always looking for ways to improve her game, which in turn, improves those around her. It's been an honor to work with her the last three years."
-Christina Hart, Head Basketball Coach Archbishop Alter High School