This Galesburg senior's confidence has grown on the court, and she's cleaning up Streaks' mistakes
GALESBURG — Galesburg High School senior Abby Davidson didn't have much faith in her basketball abilities coming into the 2021-22 season.
That's because the 6-foot-1 Davidson had only played in 18 games as a varsity player due in part to a major left knee injury and the fact the 2020-21 season was pushed back and condensed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Davidson, who dons No. 40 for the Silver Streaks, averaged 7.8 points and 4.1 rebounds as a junior. She was slated to start for Galesburg coach Evan Massey as a sophomore but Davidson ended up on the hardwood during a practice session before the annual "Meet the Streaks" event came up on the schedule.
"I tore my ACL and my meniscus," Davidson said after the Streaks fell to the Maple Leafs of Geneseo 51-46 in overtime last Thursday night at John Thiel Gym. "I think the hardest part was sitting on the bench but it made me want to play basketball more.
"Having that short season, it made it easier coming back because there wasn't as many people watching," Davidson added. "It was less pressure coming back."
Davidson, who is averaging 9.6 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game, is content the way things have gone for her this season. However, there's always things to improve.
"I feel pretty good. I think I could be making more shots but I've been focused on defense right now," Davidson said. "If I miss it, I'm just going to go back down and try to get a block or something.
"I think I could do better at getting rebounds and getting a little more touch on my shot because sometimes it's bouncing off pretty hard," added Davidson, who is shooting 51% from the field. "I just need to make shots to be honest."
Davidson's still doing great things for the Streaks. The 18-year-old has grown as she's worked her way back into action.
"Last year, it was so crazy. We were playing and then not playing. We were playing and then not playing, and I just don't think she ever built up her confidence at all," Massey said of Davidson. "This summer, she got to play regularly and she seemed a lot more confident in what she was doing and this year is the same thing.
"She does good things offensively for us but she cleans up so many mistakes of ours on defense," Massey added. "Abby is somebody who is a joy to have in the program because she's just such a good teammate to everybody."
Streaks sophomore Kiarra Kilgore agrees with Massey's assessment of Davidson.
"Abby is always the person that is positive and brings people up. If you're having a bad day she will make it better. She always has a smile on her face," Kilgore said. "Abby has helped me be more positive during games. When I make a mistake, she is always reassuring me that it’s OK and that there is still game left.
"Abby is a big asset to our team on and off the court," Kilgore added. "Even if she is not playing the best she tells everyone else on the team that we got this and to keep pushing through.
"Abby is really tall compared to everyone we play against so her height is a huge help down low."
Matthew Wheaton can be reached at (309) 315-6073 or at mwheaton@register-mail.com. Follow him on Twitter @matthewlwheaton
This article originally appeared on Galesburg Register-Mail: IHSA Basketball: From smiles to defense, Davidson a key asset for Streaks girls
