CONTRIBUTED PHOTO • Accompanied by Marshalltown Community College head coach Steve Garber, Tiger sophomore Loralei Siliga signs her National Letter of Intent to play basketball at Mid-America Christian University in Oklahoma City.

Marshalltown Community College forward Loralei Siliga is heading closer to home after her time playing with the Tigers.

The Euless, Texas, native will be just a three-hour drive from her hometown next season as she has signed on to play at Mid-America Christian University (MACU) in Oklahoma City. Now that she will be heading south with her time playing in Marshalltown at an end, Siliga said she is very appreciative of the opportunities given to her by the Tiger program.

“I want to thank Coach [Steve] Garber and everyone here at MCC that have helped me get to this point,” Siliga said. “I wouldn’t be able to continue my playing career without their support these last two years.”

Siliga was an offensive force in each of her two years playing for the MCC women’s basketball team. During her freshman campaign she averaged 11.9 points per game on 45.6 percent shooting and in her sophomore season she upped that to 17.7 points per game.

She finished as the top scorer from the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference with 513 points this season and she finished third in rebounding at 7.1 boards per contest. Her point total is the most in a single season for a Tiger player since Jasmin Howe had 518 back in the 2014-15 campaign. Siliga was named the ICCAC Division I Player of the Week three times this season and she was a first-team all-region selection.

“Over the last two years, Loralei has developed significantly in her basketball skills to put her in the position she is now,” Garber said. “She has developed and is on to the next level, having obtained a full scholarship to play basketball all while earning a degree here at MCC. We are proud to have been a part of her development and wish Loralei continued success at MACU.”

Siliga is joining a squad that is used to success, as the Evangels just won the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) Championship with a 71-60 defeat of Concordia University last Saturday. That was the first NCCAA Division I title for Mid-American, but the second-straight final four appearance for the Evangels. Head coach Hannah Moeller was named the NCCAA National Coach of the Year in 2016 while at Free Will Baptist College, a team she won two national titles with before heading to MACU.

“I’m extremely excited to have the opportunity to play at Mid-America Christian University, where I believe I can excel on the court and earn my Bachelor’s Degree in psychology,” Siliga said. “I think Coach Moeller and her staff have a solid program and I hope to contribute to their success.”