WEST SUNBURY, Pa. (EYT/D9) — Kendall Sankey missed her entire freshman season on the basketball court at Moniteau with a torn ACL in her left knee.
While she couldn’t contribute or hone her game on the court for the Warriors, she found other ways to better herself.
And now, as a senior, that’s paying off in a big way for Sankey and Moniteau.
(Pictured above, Kendall Sankey/submitted photo)
“I got to learn a lot from just watching,” Sankey said. “I watched how shots were coming off the rim. If it hit the backboard here, it’s going to go there. If a shot come off the rim there, it’s going to go this way. I think that helped my rebounding skill and just getting back in the gym and doing that over and over again definitely helped. I’ve always liked rebounding. I’d much rather have a huge amount of rebounds than points if I’m being completely honest.”
Sankey has done just that this season.
Sankey, a 5-foot-10 forward, is averaging 12.6 rebounds per game for the 4-1 Warriors.
She’s coming off a 15-point, 15-rebound night on Wednesday in a 42-39 win over Clarion.
Sankey can trace her knack for getting boards all the way back to that lost freshman campaign.
“It really stunk that I missed out on my freshman season, but I feel like I learned so much and expanded my knowledge of the game so much,” she said. “I would try to look at it every day as a positive, that, yeah, it stinks that I’m hurt, but I’m still learning and improving even though I’m not playing and that positive things were coming down the road.”
That road has led her to this season, one in which Sankey and Moniteau hope will be a memorable campaign.
Sankey’s early success has been even more important this because of the loss of senior forward Davina Pry, who tore her ACL during a powderpuff football game shortly before the start of the season.
She had surgery last week.
Without Pry, another 5-foot-10 forward, a lot of the onus inside has fallen on Sankey’s shoulders.
And she has carried it well.
“I don’t think it’s been unexpected,” said Moniteau coach Dee Arblaster. “That was my expectation for her all long. She was our leading rebounder last season. In the past she kind of played a quiet role.”
Nothing quiet about her play this season.
“Oh, absolutely not,” Arblaster said.
(Kendall Sankey takes a free throw during a game against Grove City earlier this season/submitted photo)
When news of Pry’s injury spread throughout the team, it came as a shock.
Sankey was particularly saddened by Pry’s injury.
“I feel so awful for her because I’ve been through it,” Sankey said. “I told her when it happened that if she needed anything or just someone to talk to, I was there for her.”
Sankey was also nervous about how the team was going to compensate without Pry in the post.
Sankey said she knew a lot of that would ultimately fall upon her.
“Initially, I was kind of freaked out. I’m not gonna lie,” Sankey said, chuckling. “It was always me and Div underneath in the high post and low post. That’s obviously changed.
“We’re really adapting well,” she added. “I’ve been taking more opportunities to shoot outside or drive on someone and then drawing a foul. (Coach Arblaster) told me before the season that I need to start shooting more. I’ve just never really had the confidence to do it. I like being underneath. That’s my area. But my shot is getting better. I just have to have more confidence in it.”
That is building.
Along with Moniteau’s momentum.
The Warriors are an experienced bunch with seniors Abbey Jewart, Catherine Kelly and Allie Pry also starting alongside Sankey.
Kelly is averaging more than 20 points per game this season and went over 1,000 points in her career.
Junior Sophia Fleeger, she saw a lot of action off the bench last season, is the fifth starter and they have all already gelled.
“I think we are in a good place,” Sankey said. “I think the way we’ve played in the last couple of games and in each practice, I think we’re getting better playing with each other. It feels pretty good to start well, but we need to stay focused because we have some hard games coming up with North Clarion (on Friday), Karns City next week and then when we come back from Christmas break, Redbank Valley. But if we keep the momentum that we have and the energy, I think it will be all good.”
Sankey has been good in just about every area on the court.
Her rebounding numbers are healthy, but so too are her points and assists.
Sometimes Moniteau’s offense goes through the post and Sankey has been able to find open teammates who have finished.
Sankey is also averaging nearly five assists per game to go along with 10 points per night.
She’s doing it while absorbing a lot of contact in the paint — something she was prepared for this season.
“At practice we do more contact stuff, so it’s kind of helping me,” Sankey said. “I’m just telling myself I know I’m going to get hammered underneath. If they’re not calling it you have to accept that not every call is going to go your way. You just have to move on. If I miss a contested layup and they don’t call it, move on.”
Sankey plans on moving on to play in college.
But not the way most do.
Sankey will attend Edinboro University to become a math teacher. She plans on playing club basketball there.
She’s always wanted to go to Edinboro since she was and attended basketball camps at the university.
“Going into seventh grade, that summer I went there for a four-day camp,” she said. “You get to stay in the dorms and eat in the dining hall and it was just like the college experience. I fell in love with it the first year I went. I’m really looking forward to getting a chance to still play basketball for the club team there.”
As for right now, Sankey is focused on helping her current team achieve some of the lofty goals they have set for themselves.
No matter what it takes. Scoring. Assists. And certainly rebounding.
“We’re missing that one extra tall person in Davina, so I’m going to do whatever I need to do,” she said. “If I can help with rebounding and scoring and passing, that’s what I’m going to do.”
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