The Knights have responded in a big way, getting off to their best start since 2012.
“We’ve got our minds set on big things,” Henry said.
Greenon is 10-0 and 6-0 in the division, including a key OHC crossover win against 54-37 North division rival West Liberty-Salem on Monday night in Enon. It’s believed to be the first time the Knights have beaten the Tigers in coach Lonnie Robinson’s 15 years with the program, he said.
Greenon beat Dixie 65-43 on Tuesday on the second night of back-to-back games.
“We’re not trying to look ahead, we’re trying to take it one game at a time and get better every practice, every game and learn something,” Robinson said.
The Knights are led by Henry and junior teammate Abby West. Henry is leading the conference in scoring at 18.4 points per game, while West ranks third with 16.8 points per game. Henry is also leading the conference in steals at 5.4 per game and ranks third in assists at 3.7 per game. West also leads the conference in blocks at 2.1 per game.
“We’ve always played together, so we kind of just know how each other play and we play well with each other,” West said.
Credit: Name Test
Credit: Name Test
The key, Robinson said, has been their leadership skills. A year ago, the Knights had no seniors. Senior Morgan Paulus and junior Macy Young have also been key leaders this winter.
“They had to start developing that (last year) and it didn’t come real fast,” Robinson said. “Both (Henry and West) are pretty quiet. They’ve come out of their shell a little bit more as far as leading and taking on a little bit of that role. They’ve done a great job.”
The Knights won the OHC title in girls soccer this fall and advanced to a D-III district final match. They believe the success on the pitch will carry over to the hardwood.
“It just fueled our motivation for basketball season,” Henry said.
Half of the roster is made up of freshmen, including guard Sarah Riley, who ranks among the conference leaders in both assists (3.5 per game) and steals (5.3 pg).
“Practices have been so fun to watch,” Robinson said. “The competition has been really good. It’s just been really, really fun. It’s a great group of kids that love each other and are playing for each other and are playing the game in the right way.”
The Knights face a key game against defending OHC South champion Catholic Central on Monday. The Irish (5-3, 5-1 OHC South) earned a key crossover win on Tuesday night, beating OHC North Division leader Mechanicsburg 67-58 in overtime.
“We’re going to take everybody’s best for sure,” Robinson said. “Nothing is going to be easy and we don’t plan on it to be.”
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