Curry: Adversity has bonded E-Gals
Mar. 9—Amaya Curry is the floor leader of an Apollo High School girls' basketball team that has faced a ton of adversity this season — with two COVID-19 shutdowns and an early-season injury to one of their biggest stars.
But Curry, a 5-foot-4 junior point guard, says the E-Gals have held together well and that their best basketball might be ahead of them.
"We've been through a lot, for sure, but everything we've been through has made us closer — a lot closer," Curry said. "It's been tough in a lot of ways, especially for the seniors, but we've all tried to stay positive through it all.
"We pray all the time. Coach (Natalie Payne) has put all of this in God's hands, and she's done a great job of keeping us positive with texts, calls, things like that — I think we're in a good place right now."
Indeed, Apollo — with senior standout Amber Dunn back on the court after recovering from a badly sprained ankle — entered the week having won four of its last five games, including Saturday's 57-47 home conquest of defending 9th District and 3rd Region champion Owensboro Catholic.
"Our defense is what won it for us," Curry said, in reference to the win over the Lady Aces. "We just hung in there, played hard the whole way, and things worked out for us in that one — it's a big boost for our team moving forward."
Entering Monday's game at Muhlenberg County, Curry was averaging 13.4 points, 4 assists and 3.3 rebounds per game — shooting 40% from the field, including 43% from 3-point range (8-of-19), and 75% from the foul stripe.
"Amaya has matured in every facet of the game," Payne said. "She spent countless hours in the offseason working on ball security, scoring the ball, and getting stronger physically.
"Her energy is contagious, and I think what I'm most impressed with are her second and third efforts on the court — she has bought in to the 'next play' mentality.
"It's been fun watching her grow in the game."
Curry was a starter at Owensboro as a freshman, before transferring to Apollo.
Now, she's hoping to help lead the E-Gals to a place they haven't been since 1997, when Payne was a senior All-Stater and Willis McClure was the head coach — the KHSAA State Tournament.
"I really like the way our team has developed, even with all the stops and starts, and the injury to Amber, we're getting there," Curry said. "I've become stronger mentally over the past few years and I try to take that to the court every time I'm out there.
"For us to have success in the postseason we need to stay focused with no distractions, take no steps backwards, and believe that we can beat any team we face.
"It's been a hard season in a lot of ways but what we've been through has made us stronger. I believe that's going to pay off for us in the end."
