Silverdale Baptist Academy point guard Kinsley Owen stepped into her key role for the Lady Seahawks last season as a freshman on an experienced team that would win 29 games and advance to the TSSAA Division II-A quarterfinals.
Now one of the brightest stars in the state of Tennessee during the 204-25 season, in so many ways her prep basketball career is ahead of schedule. She reached 1,000 career points two weeks ago, and she already has scholarship offers from Middle Tennessee State University and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
More impressive than the fact that she got going so quickly, though, is the nature of her game: Once she steps onto the court, she doesn’t quit until the final horn has sounded.
And her impact shows up in all statistical measures as her per-game averages for points (21.1), rebounds (7.6), assists (6.4) and steals (5.9) all rank among the top five in DII-A this season. She also averages 0.7 block per game, shoots 58% from the field and makes 77% of her free throws. Her season highs in each category are impressive, too: 34 points, 15 rebounds, 15 assists and 13 steals, along with five games with at least two blocks.
“I always knew Kinsley had the star factor in her, and I think her playing this past offseason for the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League for the Tennessee Flight helped her realize how good she can be,” Silverdale Baptist coach Victor Underwood said.