While other college basketball coaches are out recruiting for future seasons, Sue Guevara recently secured her fourth recruit for next season.

Kyra Holiday, a 5-foot-6 guard from Cherry Hill East High School (N.J.), has joined the Central Michigan women’s basketball team for the 2010-11 season.

As a junior at Cherry Hill East, she averaged 14.2 points per game and was a two-time all-conference selection.

“Kyra’s just very fast, athletic, strong and gets to the basket,” said CMU head coach Sue Guevara. “She sees the floor very well and, with the type of system that we have, she’s going to fit in very nicely.”

But unlike most college players who have standout senior seasons in attempt to solidify their spot with a team, Holiday missed most of her senior season due to a broken fibula she suffered away from the court.

“I was really upset when I got hurt,” Holiday said. “Initially, when I was in the emergency room, they told me I’d be out 6-8 weeks so I thought I’d be able to come back. (Then) they told me I’d have to get surgery and all that and said I wouldn’t probably be back until April.”

She returned in February to play the last few games of the season, but by then interest from schools began to wane. Marshall, who she had been talking to, looked elsewhere.

“It was really rough dealing with it, but initially I knew that if I just kept positive and kept working hard, I would get back there eventually,” Holiday said. “I had a feeling that I would always play basketball – it was something that I was meant to do.”

Because of the injury, Holiday was forced to re-recruit herself and created highlight tapes of her play, hoping to garner some attention. Guevara said she was tipped off to the video by AAU coach Darren Neil.

“I watched it and made the call to have her come to the (CMU) Elite camp,” Guevara said. “I told her I couldn’t make a decision based on that, but I was intrigued. She came to Elite camp (and) did a really nice job.”

Holiday is the fourth recruit of Guevara’s 2010-11 class. Lauren Bellamy (6-foot forward, Davison High School), Nichole DiGuilio (5-8 guard, Mount Vernon (Ohio) H.S.) and Taylor Johnson (5-11 guard, Belding H.S.) committed during the early signing period in November.

Holiday replaces one of three open scholarships after off-season departures, from Lima, Ohio, twins Rachel and Stefanie Mauk and 6-2 forward Cheritee Green.

CMU suffered a second round exit from the Mid-American Conference tournament after losing 68-55 against Kent State in March. The Chippewas finished 12-18 overall and 8-8 in the MAC.

E-mail the author: Aaron McMann