Story Courtesy of Ashland Athletics Sports Information Department
Ashland, Ohio -- Recently-graduated Ashland University women's basketball player Sara Loomis will continue the recent tradition of former Eagles playing post-collegiately, as she recently signed with ZKK Radivoj Korac in Belgrade, Serbia.
"I got an agent right after the (2019-20) season was over. It was all on hold with the Coronavirus," Loomis said. "I was not sure what I was going to do the last month. This just came up out of nowhere. This is such a great opportunity. It's something I've always wanted to do."
Said Ashland head women's basketball coach Kari Pickens, who herself played a season in Australia after her Eagle playing career ended, "I'm really excited for her. I know she had to be really patient during this process. It was really hard to get contracts available. She was patient, and ended up, I think, getting a really good fit.
"She's in a top league over there, and I think she's going to have a great experience."
Loomis brings impressive credentials to the start of her pro career. She won an NCAA Division II national championship in 2016-17 as a freshman reserve, won three Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference regular-season championships and four GLIAC Tournament titles, her 1,476 career points are eighth-most in Ashland women's basketball annals, and she set the program record for highest single-season free-throw percentage at 90.1 as a junior.
Loomis also is in the top five in program history in career games played (134), 3-point field-goal percentage (44.1), free-throw percentage (84.6) and blocked shots (240).
"Personally, I'll just take away the memories that I made," Loomis said, "with my friends and my teammates and my coaches, and being able to grow as a person and in my faith. It's the best experience that I've had in my life."
On March 15, 2019 vs. Northern Michigan in an NCAA Division II postseason game, Loomis tied the program record, originally set by her head coach, for most points in an NCAA playoff game with 32.
Loomis' individual honors include third-team Division 2 Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) third-team All-American as a senior, two first-team All-GLIAC citations and two spots on the All-GLIAC Defensive Team.
As was the case with all collegiate sports from mid-March to the end of the 2019-20 school year, Loomis' senior season ended prematurely due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"When it first happened, I was really upset, almost shocked," she said. "We worked so hard, and we didn't get to finish what we started. But I was really thankful for the games we did get in at Ashland, and all the support. Ashland shaped me into what I am today. We ended 31-0, and we got those 31 games in, so I was happy about that."
Loomis joins Laina Snyder (Greece) as former Eagle women's basketball players who currently play professionally.
"Part of that is we recruit players who just love to play," Pickens said. "When you are able to have the success that our team has, it opens up doors to play overseas."
ZKK Radivoj Korac's season has begun, and the team is 3-0 and tied atop The First Women's Basketball League Of Serbia standings. Its next game is Saturday (Oct. 10) against Novi Sad ZKA (0-3).
"It's so amazing. It's crazy how it all worked out," said Loomis, who added that she was sitting in her car going to a workout, asking God for an answer about her pro career, then got a message from ZKK Radivoj Korac's head coach that night. "It's just how faithful God is. He answers prayers. Wherever I am, I can always hold true to my faith.
"I'm definitely going to have to learn the language and their culture. The coach was telling me they have good food. So I'm excited about that. I'm excited to get over there and see what it's all about."
