May 14, 2009

Three Lady Tiger basketball players sign with four-year schools

Thanks to their hard work and commitment to the Cowley College women’s basketball program, Elena Yankova, Shirolacille (Bebe) Holloway, and Noelle Jackson recently signed letters of intent to play basketball at four-year schools.

Yankova signed with Creighton University out of the Missouri Valley Conference, Holloway signed with NCAA Division I Houston Baptist University, and Jackson chose to play for NAIA school St. Gregory’s University in Oklahoma.

Yankova had a stellar two years at Cowley and leaves as the school’s third all-time leading scorer with 997 points. She was named the Jayhawk East Freshman of the Year during the 2007-08 season and was a two-time first-team all-conference selection. Yankova averaged 16.8 points and 3.8 rebounds this past season.

Holloway finished her career at Cowley as one of the school’s all-time steals leaders and ranks 20h all-time on its career scoring list with 672 points. She averaged 14.3 points, 9.3 rebounds and 4.3 steals per game as a sophomore as she earned second-team all-conference honors.

“Coach (Todd) Clark made me a much better player,” Holloway said. “The people at Cowley made it a very comfortable experience for me. I feel I have got another family in Kansas as well as my family in Houston.”
The duo helped Cowley win 45 games over the past two seasons.

“Both of them were invaluable to us, I am glad I had an opportunity to coach them,” Cowley head coach Todd Clark said. “We still think their best basketball is ahead of them.”

Holloway will be only 30 minutes from home when she begins her playing career at Houston Baptist.
“I think it’s a good fit because my family can come to my games,” Holloway said. “They also have a good group of girls coming back plus some good players they recruited.”

After averaging 3.3 points and finishing second on the team in three-point baskets as a freshman, Jackson redshirted this past season. In what would be her final game playing for the Lady Tigers, Jackson scored 12 points in a Region VI semifinal loss to Seward County during the 2007-08 season.

“This is a good opportunity for her to continue to play,” Clark said. “We are always pleased when one of our players has an opportunity to move on and continue playing.”

Pictured, front row from left, Shirolacille (Bebe) Holloway, Elena Yankova, Noelle Jackson. Back row, Cowley College assistant coach Katrina Colwell and head coach Todd Clark.