Preview: Sophomore Kira Reynolds' paying off for semistate-bound South Bend Washington
SOUTH BEND — Kira Reynolds is still a point guard at heart.
The versatile Washington star though is in reality the team's rim protector extraordinaire and a true Windex woman on the glass.
Reynolds, a 6-3 do-it-all forward, looks to lead her top-ranked team to a third straight semistate title Saturday. The No. 1 Panthers, sporting a 27-0 mark, face No. 11 Lake Central (22-5) at 12 p.m. in the second semifinal game of the Class 4A Huntington North Semistate. No. 3 Fishers (24-2) meets No. 10 Fort Wayne Snider (21-4) in the 10 a.m. opener. The title game for a semistate crown and a berth in the 4A state title game Feb. 25 is set for 8 p.m.
Girls basketball pairings:No. 1 South Bend Washington girls draw No. 11 Lake Central in 4A Huntington North semistate
Reynolds burst on the scene as a freshman a season ago averaging 10.2 points, 10 rebounds and 4.7 blocked shots per game as the Panthers went 28-3 to win the Class 3A state title. Reynolds was at her best late in the season, culminating with a monster 17-point, 24-rebound performance in the 93-35 win over Silver Creek in the finale. The 24 rebounds is a State Finals record and one more than the entire Silver Creek team that night in Indianapolis.
Washington coach Steve Reynolds, also Kira's father, has seen her step up even bigger this season.
"When the lights have been the brightest on us this season, Kira has been a monster," coach Reynolds said. "She's really a point guard in a power forward's body. She thinks like a point guard. You can see it in her leadership.
"She is a competitor and her basketball IQ is underrated. She's extremely smart. Last year she was so up and down, like you expect any freshman to be at this level. But this season her consistency has been uncanny. She's improved in every statistical category. I'm very pleased with her progression."
"She knows her job for us is to own the paint, to score and defend it for us."
Kira is averaging 15.7 points to go with 12 rebounds and 5.9 blocked shots per game. She also averages almost three assists and 1.7 steals per game while shooting 60 percent from the field. She ranks second in the state in blocked shots and ninth in rebounding.
"Kira can do it all," said senior teammate and Miss Basketball candidate Rashunda Jones. "She's gained a lot of confidence this season. She's phenomenal with her points and boards and that takes a lot off me. It's so rare to have a big like her who can handle the ball like she can."
Jones, a Purdue recruit and the team's top scorer at 20.1 ppg., says the sky is the limit for Reynolds.
"There are good players, great players and special players," said Jones, who is third in program history with 1,778 career points. "And Kira has the potential to be a very special player."
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Kira, who played point guard up until AAU ball her eighth grade year, relishes her bigger role this season. She is now an even more important piece to the Panther puzzle with senior sister Amiyah sidelined for the postseason due to a foot injury. Point guard Amiyah, a Maryland recruit, was averaging 15.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 3.3 steals per game before being injured in the regular-season finale. Amiyah, who is eighth in program history with 1,122 career points and second with 564 assists, had foot surgery on Feb. 10.
Kira's oldest sister Mila also took her skills on to Maryland this season. The 2022 Indiana All-Star led the Panthers in scoring last season at 21.5 ppg. and finished her career with 2,099 points.
"My Dad talked to me about my role being bigger this season and now with Amiyah gone I've really needed to step up," said Kira following practice Monday night. "My confidence has went up this season and it had to."
Kira, the third oldest of Steve and assistant coach Marcy's seven children, admits she relishes her role of being a defensive stopper.
"I do enjoy being a big more now, especially on the defensive end," Kira said. "Blocking shots is my favorite part of the game. It stops the other team from possibly getting two points. It's my way of contributing."
Even with three triple doubles this season, Kira says she does not put much thought into her gaudy numbers across the board.
"I never really look at my stats," she said. "I just know now with Amiyah out (the team's second leading rebounder at 8.1 per game), I need to really rebound. I need to go for everything."
Kira scored a game-high 19 points Saturday as the Panthers rallied from an eight point halftime deficit to top No. 13 Valparaiso 60-41 to win the 4A LaPorte Regional. Washington outscored Valpo 36-9 in the second half for its third straight regional title.
"Kira is naturally introverted, but she did a great job in the regional pulling our players together," Steve Reynolds said. "Our kids responded to her. I saw there what she's learned from Amiyah and Mila. She's really a blend of both of them."
Kira agreed that she has become more vocal this season.
"I've gotten better this year with my vocal leadership," Kira said. "I'm talking a lot more on the court to my teammates. I was yelling so much at the regional that my voice was almost gone."
Kira, who is ranked the top player in Indiana in the Class of 2025 and No. 16 nationally, says she is not concerned with all the off the court stuff at the moment.
"I don't really pay attention to all that stuff," said Kira. "I just try to think about what I can work on to get better."
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Kira, on Thursday, was named as one of 24 players statewide selected for the inaugural Futures game. The contest, featuring the top freshmen, sophomores and juniors from Indiana, will be played June 10 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis prior to the Indiana vs. Kentucky All-Star games that evening. Kira was named as one of the 12 players to Team North for the game, which is not tied to the Junior All-Stars. The girls game will be played at noon with the boys at 2 p.m. June 10. The two contests will feature Team North versus Team South from the Hoosier state.
Coach Reynolds says the sky really is the limit for Kira, who already has 10 Division 1 offers in her ongoing recruitment process.
"Kira is still just 16 years old, every bit of that," said her dad. "But I think she has the potential to be the best girls basketball player ever to come out of Indiana."
Panthers facing familiar foe in Lake Central
Washington will meet a Lake Central team it knows well.
The Panthers topped the Indians 51-35 in the opening weekend of the season back on Nov. 5. The game was the second of the day for both squads in the Lake Central Classic. Amiyah Reynolds led Washington with nine points, eight rebounds and five assists in the win.
Washington won despite Kira Reynolds, Jones and sophomore star Monique Mitchell all nursing early-season injuries. Kira Reynolds totaled 35 points and 32 rebounds in wins over LC and Portage (80-27) that day.
"Lake Central plays tough man-to-man defense," coach Reynolds said. "We know that. They are physical and play the best man-to-man defense we have seen this season. It's no coincidence they are here."
The Panthers, ranked No. 7 nationally, will shoot to tie the program record for wins versus the Indians. Washington finished 28-3 a year ago and the 2006-07 team won its final 28 games to conclude at 28-1. Both teams won Class 3A state championships.
Lake Central allows just 34.9 ppg and are led by junior forward Aniyah Bishop at 9.9 ppg. and junior guard Riley Milausnic at 9.6 ppg. The Indians have six players who average five points or more per contest. The Panthers average a state best 77 ppg. and also lead the state in average margin of victory at 40 ppg.
Lake Central is coached by Joe Huppenthal, the former boys basketball coach at Clay. Huppenthal is 121-59 in his seventh season at Lake Central, which won the Duneland Athletic Conference title at 7-0.
Jones leads Washington at 20.1 ppg. Sophomore Monique Mitchell is at 13.5 ppg. with classmate and defensive ace Ryiah Wilson at 11.6 ppg. and a state leading 6.3 steals per game. The Panthers average 18.7 steals per game as a team and 7.5 blocked shots per outing.
"I feel good where we are at," said Reynolds, who is one of five finalists nationally for the Naismith Girls' High School Coach of the Year honor. "I like the resiliency I saw in the regional and with the exception of Amiyah being out, we are the healthiest we have been all season. We will be prepared."
Fishers heads into semistate play red hot. The Tigers have won their last 18 games since a 74-63 loss at Fort Wayne Snider Nov. 26. Fishers is led by twin sisters Hailey and Olivia Smith, both of whom are Ball State recruits. Fishers' other loss was 51-49 to Zionsville the game before their Snider loss in November.
Snider is led by junior guards Jordyn Poole (16.1) and Johnea Donahue (12.2). The Panthers started their season 2-3, including a 51-47 loss to Lake Central in the season opener, but have won 19 of their last 20 contests.
IHSAA NORTH SEMISTATE PAIRINGS
Saturday, Feb. 18, all times EST
CLASS 4A
At Huntington North
10 a.m.: Fort Wayne Snider (21-4) vs. No. 3 Fishers (24-2)
12 p.m.: No. 1 South Bend Washington (27-0) vs. No. 11 Lake Central (22-5)
8 p.m.: Championship
CLASS 3A
At LaPorte
11 a.m.: No. 1 Twin Lakes (27-0) vs. No. 11 Hamilton Heights (20-5)
1 p.m.: Tippecanoe Valley (22-3) vs. No. 7 Fairfield (25-2)
8:30 p.m.: Championship
CLASS 2A
At Logansport
10 a.m.: No. 4 Andrean (25-3) vs. Lapel (20-7)
12 p.m.: No. 3 Central Noble (25-2) vs. No. 5 Lafayette Central Catholic (20-6)
8 p.m.: Championship
CLASS 1A
At Frankfort
10 a.m.: No. 1 Tri (25-1) vs. Tri-Central (12-13)
12 p.m.: No. 7 Bethany Christian (22-3) vs. No. 6 Washington Township (20-6)
8 p.m.: Championship
IHSAA SOUTH SEMISTATE PAIRINGS
CLASS 4A
At Southport
10 a.m.: No. 7 Bedford North Lawrence (24-3) vs. No. 9 Center Grove (22-4)
Noon: Lawrence North (18-9) vs. Ben Davis (18-9)
8 p.m.: Championship
CLASS 3A
At Jasper
10:30 a.m.: Gibson Southern (21-4) vs. No. 6 Corydon Central (25-2)
12:30 p.m.: Indianapolis Bishop Chatard (12-13) vs. No. 5 Indian Creek (26-1)
8 p.m.: Championship
CLASS 2A
At Shelbyville
10 a.m.: No. 2 Forest Park (23-3) vs. Greencastle (23-4)
Noon: No. 1 North Knox (27-1) vs. No. 8 Eastern Hancock (23-3)
8 p.m.: Championship
CLASS 1A
At New Albany
10 a.m.: Bloomfield (14-14) vs. No. 14 Jac-Cen-Del (16-11)
Noon: No. 1 Lanesville (25-2) vs. No. 4 Trinity Lutheran (22-6)
8 p.m.: Championship
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: IHSAA girls baskerball 4A semistate Kira Reynolds is a versatile star
