Loren earns a scholarship to top-class American university

Hemel Hempstead's Loren Christie has secured a full scholarship to Buffalo University in New York state, where she will play for their NCAA Division One basketball team.

The up-and-coming star, who is a Great Britian international, had been offered a number of scholarship offers at National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division One schools, with interest coming in from Columbia in New York, Duke in North Carolina and Ivy League school Harvard in Massachusetts.

There were also many other offers but after a long decision, the 18-year-old has committed to the University of Buffalo, in New York state.

The NCAA Division One school competes in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) and won its title last year to qualify for the US national championship tournament, where they reached the ‘Sweet 16’ round.

It is a full basketball scholarship, her proud mum Marina Christie explained to the Gazette. “She will be spending the next four years in the US studying for her economics degree there, while playing at the highest level in the US,” she added.

Loren, who plays for the Barking Abbey club at the highest levels in the UK, is the only player to represent Great Britain at all three junior age groups in international competition since the national teams were brought together in 2017.

She has also recently been nominated for governing body Basketball England’s Most Inspiring Female Athlete award.

She told the hoopsfix.com website: “I have a need to be the best at what I’m doing, whatever it is.”

Meanwhile, Loren has again been invited to the Great Britain squad trials for this year’s European Championships and she has recebntly been selection to take part in the inaugural under-19s women’s game at the 2019 Hoopsfix All-Star Classic, in Brixton, which reflects her rise as one of the brightest talents of her generation in the country.

Christie enjoyed a stellar year in the Women’s Elite Academy Basketball League with Barking Abbey, posting averages of 16.1 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game in making the All-First Team in the Southern Conference, as the team won the Championship title in 2017 and 2018.