HUNTINGTON, Texas — If you didn't know the name Kyra Anderson prior to the UIL Girls Basketball State Tournament, it's almost assured that you do now.
The star senior forward put together a purely dominant performance when the lights were the brightest to lead the Huntington Devilettes to a runner up finish at the tournament. Anderson guided the Devilettes to its first trip to the UIL State tournament in school history.
"I think it was really fun to be on the court and have our fans come out," Anderson said. "It was a great atmosphere and it was fun to play the games against great competition."
Our Player of the Week, Huntington senior Kyra Anderson, made the all-tournament team at State for her huge performance in both games.
In the semifinal against Columbus, she put together a prime Shaquille O'Neal-esque line of 28 points and 17 rebounds. In the championship game against Shallowater, she recorded another double-double despite the loss, with 17 points and 10 rebounds.
She also exhibited her senior leadership throughout the weekend, helping lift the team both on and off the court as they navigated the uncharted waters of the Alamodome together.
Head coach Shawn Jones has grown accustomed to performances on the court like we witnessed during the tournament. However, he also spoke volumes about the coachability and leadership that Anderson possesses.
"I can count on one hand, in over thirty years. She fits as one of the best, the most coachable, and the most wonderful players I've ever coached," Jones said. "If we corrected Kyra or the team in any way, she would respond and the team followed. There was no question they had confidence in her and she had confidence in us as coaches. We also had confidence in her as a leader. Everything just blended so beautifully."
Kyra's next journey will keep her right here in East Texas. She's committed to Tyler Junior College to be the newest Apache Lady. She'll play under the legendary head coach Trenia Tillis Hoard as she looks to develop in the next era of her career.
It's not surprising to know that Anderson sees basketball as a big part of her future. She plans to play at the Division One level after TJC. But after that, she sees her career path taking her into coaching basketball, not playing it, giving her the opportunity to inspire the next generation of athletes within the sport she loves.
"I want to get my degree to coach basketball and then hopefully be a high school coach," Anderson said. "I like teaching other kids and seeing the smaller kids grow with excitement to get in the gym and play basketball. I think the ability to coach can give me something even greater."