Anyone who’s ever seen Payton King take a hard spill on the basketball court couldn’t help flashing back to last season Monday night at Beardsley Gymnasium.
The Evanston junior guard went down in the paint and appeared to be kicked in the head in the final minute of the third quarter and that sent a shiver through the spine of head coach Brittanny Johnson, considering that King suffered not one --- not two --- but THREE concussions last year.
But King shook off the blow and did everything possible on the basketball court --- except for a blocked shot or maybe even a dunk --- while leading the Wildkit girls past Lane Tech 70-54 in a non-conference contest.
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King poured in a game-high 27 points and added nine rebounds, four assists and four steals along with a shutdown defensive performance against Lane’s point guard as the hosts improved to 8-6 on the season. Charity Bryant registered 23 points and 10 rebounds while coming off the bench for the second game in a row, and Simone Hewitt chipped in with 10 points and 10 boards for the winners.
Lane Tech was led by Vega Ransom-Marks with 16 points --- most of them in the second half --- and Scarlett Harris with 13.
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Monday’s game fell into the category of “statement win” in more ways than one. The Kits were at their best in front of a crowd of about 75 Evanston feeder program young hopefuls who were recognized and participated in a halftime shooting contest and Evanston couldn’t have set a better on-court example.
Knocking off a team that is grouped with them in the Illinois High School Association Class 4A sectional also seems certain to secure at least one more vote for the Wildkits when the postseason seeding takes place next month.
“So many different people have poured so much into building basketball in Evanston, and omigod, I think the best moment for me tonight was seeing what we’ve been doing is working. It’s a process that started (post COVID 19) four years ago even though we had a feeder program in place before then,” Johnson said. “A lot of the girls we have right now have gone through that program. Now I think the future of the program is heading in the right direction.
“Last year, what were we, the No. 9 seed in the sectional? We never want to be that low again. It’s important for us to show every game that even though we have some of the same players, we’re a much different team this year. They all have the hunger to have a much better season this year.”
King’s tumble in the second half provided the only real drama after Lane Tech (10-11 overall) managed to hold ETHS to a 10-10 tie in the first quarter. The losers turned the ball over 26 times and had no real answer for the 1-2 punch of King and Bryant.
“The number of injuries Payton had last year? That was just crazy, and it was definitely a case of déjà vu for me,” Johnson admitted. “But when she got up she immediately told me she was OK, she was good, and that was a relief.
“We really played like a team today. They executed on offense and defense and when we went on that 14-0 run (in the second quarter) we executed really well in that pocket of the game. That was a gritty, tough win against a physical team and I thought we handled their physicality really well.”
King has gradually assumed the role of point guard after Johnson couldn’t find anyone else on the roster to take over at that crucial position in November or December. The change has helped King’s overall game blossom and that’s a good thing for a player who wants to get to the Division I collegiate level some day.
Monday, she focused at first on containing Lane point guard Ransom-Marks, hounding the sophomore until Ransom-Marks picked up a couple of personal fouls in the first quarter and spent most of the half on the bench.
Then it was time for King to shine on offense. She tallied 10 points in the second quarter as ETHS broke out to a 33-18 halftime advantage and never looked back.
“As Coach (Travis) Ransom would say, Payton is really hooping right now,” Johnson praised. “She’s making good decisions with the ball, she’s rebounding well and she was really efficient shooting (9-of-12 from the floor) tonight.
“We’ve thrown her into the fire as a point guard (with no prior experience running a varsity offense), and she’s starting to learn how to use her elite athleticism there. People can’t press us now because she’s out there. The last four or five games, she’s really been in a zone for us.
“The point isn’t her natural position. But she’s extremely unselfish and she’s adjusted to it really well. I’m trying my best to give her some tips (Johnson herself played the point at Fenwick and Boston College) to help her transition into it, and she’s getting better every day.
“Their point guard is a good player, but she was never able to settle in (on offense) --- and that’s on Payton,” added the ETHS coach. “It’s a big role for Payton, to always guard the other team’s best player and run the point too, and she’s turned into a real leader for us.”
