"She Thinks Like a Coach"

None were more important or stunning, though, than the one she delivered into the hands of Amani Kimball-McKavish in the waning seconds of this year’s League of Independent Schools tournament semifinal in the Sister Charlotte Lange Gymnasium at St. Gertrude.

 

The Cougars led the intensely played contest 40-39 when the Gators’ 6-3 center Kate Samson, stationed with her back to the basket at the low block on the right side, took an entry pass from Caroline Gill, pivoted, and hit a six-footer with 0:05 remaining despite the three defenders collapsing on her.

 

As the home team dropped back on defense, Chandler Eddleton quickly inbounded the ball to Abby, who was aligned to her left 10 feet or so from the top of the key.

 

After fielding Chandler’s pass on the run, Abby dribbled twice, and from a spot near the center circle shot a laser to Amani near the foul line extended on the left side. Moving at full sprint, Amani dribbled once, then in one fluid motion banked a left-handed layup off the glass and through the net at the split second the buzzer sounded.

 

“That moment was pretty stressful,” Abby said, reflecting on the Cougars’ 42-41 victory. “Coming down the floor, I thought we had the game in the bag because we were ahead with about 10 seconds left. After they scored, we didn’t have time to call time out or even really think.

 

“We had about four seconds to get up the floor. Amani was way ahead of me and ready for the pass. When her shot went in, I was so excited. I was so proud of Amani and so proud that we got to play in the championship game.”        

 

Alas, the Cougars fell to St. Anne’s-Belfield 68-50 in that title game. The next week in the VISAA tournament, they defeated St. Stephen’s-St. Agnes 60-41 in the first round, then lost 57-28 at Paul VI in the quarterfinals to finish 16-11 and bring to conclusion the careers of six seniors.

 

“I felt like this season went really well,” Abby said. “Chandler and I, the two captains, worked really hard on team bonding. It started in the summer when we all decided to commit to basketball and come to open gyms and really get to know each other. That made us work harder and work together as a team. That really helped when we got into the season.”

 

Abby, who last week committed to play for Bridgewater College, averaged 13 points, six rebounds, three assists, and two steals per game in her senior season. A 5-9 point guard who also saw action on the wing, she completed her career with 1,007 points (sixth on the all-time program list), 537 rebounds (seventh), and 250 assists (second). She was a two-time All-LIS performer and, as a junior, a second team All-VISAA honoree.

 

“Abby has been a leader on and off the court,” said Coach Rives Fleming. “She thinks like a coach. When she became our point guard two years ago, she never blinked. Our team has calmly handled pressure, largely because Abby was running the show.

 

“She’s also a great defender, playing people of different sizes and positions. She’s respected for her focus and intensity in practice and games. She set a high bar for our team. You know you’re in great shape when your best players are your hardest workers.”

 

In the month since her high school athletic career ended, Abby has reflected upon her four varsity basketball seasons.

 

She’s proud, of course, of becoming the sixth 1000-point scorer in the history of the girls program.

 

“I didn’t know I was that close,” she said. “The coaches let me know when I was about 50 points away with three or four games left if we kept winning. My first thought for the team was to keep winning games. Sometimes it (the 1000-point landmark) was on my mind. Eventually, I just kept playing basketball the way I usually do.”

 

Which is?

 

“I’m not fancy with it,” she said. “I just do the fundamentals and play straight-up basketball: making the right passes, shooting when I’m open, running the floor like I know I can. When I make a mistake, I try to have the mindset that I’m going to get the ball back, try harder, focus on what I can do better, and not make that mistake again.”

 

Abby is the only 1000 point/500 rebound player in program history who also has 250 assists.

 

“I don’t really focus on points,” she said. “I’d rather share the ball and make the good pass to get the easy basket. If I have low points, I usually have high assists. If I have a lot of points, I usually have minimal assists and a lot of rebounds. My statistics vary depending on how the game is going for other people.”

 

Abby’s next stop, Bridgewater, is a Division III Old Dominion Athletic Conference affiliate. Located a few miles southwest of Harrisonburg, it was one of several DI, DII, and DIII schools which she considered. This past winter, the Eagles, with only one senior on the roster, opened 0-6, later forged a 10-game winning streak, and finished 14-12.

 

“It took me a very long time to make my decision,” said Abby, who hopes to major in sports science and kinesiology. “I spent a whole day there, got to mingle with some of the players, and bonded with them and had a good time. I felt it would be a good place for the next four years.

 

“I’ve always loved sports. My teams were definitely a big deal to me. When I’m an alumni, I’ll definitely come back and see how the program’s progressing and keep an eye out for the younger girls I’ve been on the team with. I know I’ll always feel the connection to Collegiate.”

   ~ Weldon Bradshaw