'Talk of the town': Abingdon-Avon freshman phenom taking the state by storm
ABINGDON — Long before Kennedy Quinn even set foot on the Abingdon-Avon basketball court, the freshman had the reputation for being one of the state’s best up-and-coming players.
Ask anyone around the small town of 2,951 people located 50 miles west of Peoria or at Casey’s gas station just blocks away from the school. There’s a good chance the 5-foot-6 point guard would eventually come up in conversation.
“She is the talk of the town,” Abingdon-Avon coach Brent Dugan said.
Add Wednesday’s performance to Quinn’s growing resume of first-year feats. She scored 22 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and dished out eight assists as the Tornadoes knocked off Class 1A third-ranked Annawan, 66-62, in double overtime.
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Her two free throws with 28.8 seconds left cemented the victory as a celebration ensued just a half-minute later.
“This win helps us get our confidence back,” said Quinn, who saw her team lose to two state-ranked foes last week, “… but it was a good win. … It was nerve-wracking, but you got to keep your composure in big games like that.”
Hailey Redding was instrumental for the Tornadoes (22-7) in the final four minutes of OT. She scored all her game-high 24 points in the second half highlighted by nine in the final extra frame. Emma Gunther’s free throw to end regulation in a tie as well as a deep 3-pointer from Quinn at the end of the first overtime set up Redding’s heroics.
Annawan (22-6) led by nine at halftime, then again by the same margin midway through the third quarter. The Bravettes, though, were outscored 15-8 in the fourth, despite getting double-doubles from Zoey Vance (21 points, 10 rebounds) and Kaylee Celus (19 points, 12 rebounds).
“We told the girls, ‘Not much you can do,’” said Annawan coach Jason Burkiewicz, whose team will "definitely" shake off this loss and be ready to host a regional next week as a two seed. “We battled.”
The rise of a freshman
Quinn’s rise isn’t just hype either.
She has performed well above anyone making the transition from junior high to starting varsity girls basketball. Take the 41st annual Lady Tiger Classic at Beardstown as a prime example.
In leading A-Town to the tourney title, Quinn averaged 22.3 points in those four games, knocking off the top two seeds in the process. A 38-31 championship victory over No. 2 Illini Bluffs saw Quinn score 24 points.
“Extra work,” she said of what she credits her breakout play at Beardstown. “Extra nights in the gym. Early mornings. Whatever it takes to just to get better. Whatever for my team.”
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The efforts over those four games helped Quinn earn the honor of being the first freshman in the tournament’s over four-decade history to be named MVP.
“When you average (22 points) a game in that tournament alone against that competition,” Dugan said, noting that opponents threw box-and-1 and triangle-and 2 defenses against Quinn, “and she still adapted to it.”
This type of talent doesn’t come overnight. The gym is Quinn’s second home, where she works on her game constantly. Her daily routine includes ball-handling, shooting and taking it to the basket along with strength and agility drills.
Also being a track athlete helps hone Quinn’s incredible speed. She says the sport "keeps her in shape" as she runs the 100- and 200-meter dash to go with the long jump and shot put.
“She works seven days a week on drills,” Dugan said. “I don’t even think she’s opened her total suitcase to all the stuff she can do.”
What has been Quinn’s biggest on-the-court attribute outside being a leader. Sure, being a phenomenal ballhandler, creating plays for her teammates or stepping up to hit a big shot is important. But having that "coach on the floor" has been an invaluable asset to A-Town.
“That’s what we’re needing out of her more so than anything,” Dugan said.
The postseason awaits
Now, the focus turns to the postseason. Abingdon hosts Princeville at 3 p.m. Saturday in a 1A quarterfinal. Winning that game gets a semifinal meeting against eighth-ranked and top-seeded Biggsville West Central, which holds a pair of single-digit victories over the Tornadoes.
With Quinn and her freshman cousin Kaydin Quinn in the lineup along with juniors Redding, Gunther and Taylor Ford success is coming a little earlier than expected.
“I really thought we were probably a year away,” Dugan said with his program last winning a regional plaque in 2015. “We’re a little bit ahead of schedule, which is fine by me and fine by our fans by the way too.”
Adam Duvall is a Journal Star sports reporter. Email him at aduvall@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @AdamDuvall.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: IHSA girls basketball: Abingdon-Avon freshman Kennedy Quinn profile
