Ambrosia Cole was excited to finally put pen to paper.
A month after pledging her allegiance to Krista Gerlich and the Texas Tech women’s basketball team, the Monterey star made it official Wednesday with a National Signing Day ceremony in the gym where she became a four-star recruit heavily coveted by the hometown Lady Raiders.
During her junior season, Cole, a 5-foot-5 guard, averaged 18.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.1 steals per game in helping lead Monterey to the Class 5A Division II state championship. A member of the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches’ all-state team, Cole chose Texas Tech over a host of offers from the likes of Kansas State, Oklahoma State and Arizona.
“It feels good, I’m officially a Raider now,” Cole said, “and it’s just a very surreal moment. … I’m just very excited and I’m glad I could officially say I’m a Lady Raider.”
Cole made an immediate impact in her varsity campaign with the Plainsmen. She was named the Avalanche-Journal’s newcomer of the year after averaging 13.4 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game as a freshman and followed it up by averaging over 18 points per game each of the past two years.
The ability to stay at home, Cole said, was one of the drawing factors to her decision to sign with the Lady Raiders.
“What inspired me was how many people stayed home in their hometown,” Cole said, “and had a great career and a great impact on the community.”
Texas Tech has nine seniors on its 12-player roster for the 2025-26 season. Cole said Gerlich already has a vision for the latest Monterey signee when she gets to campus.
“They want me to be their point guard,” Cole said. “They want me to be the floor general for them. That’s what they want me to go in and be, be the point guard, so that’s what I’m gonna go and do.”
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Why Monterey star Ambrosia Cole signed with hometown Texas Tech women’s basketball team
Reporting by Nathan Giese, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal / Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
