Girls Basketball: Kierstyn Liming leading way in return to Hilliard Davidson Wildcats
Kierstyn Liming has fond memories of her sophomore season as a member of the Hilliard Davidson girls basketball team.
That is why Liming returned to Davidson for her senior season after playing last season at Canal Winchester.
“I really liked it here and I wanted to make it really special for my last year,” Liming said. “Davidson meant something to me. It means a lot to be back and this is my first year being a captain. I have more responsibilities.”
Liming was raised in the Teays Valley school district and played her freshman season for the Vikings before her family decided that Davidson would provide the best opportunity to enhance her future in the sport.
As a sophomore at Davidson, she averaged a team-high 10.3 points and 2.9 rebounds and was named first-team all-OCC-Central Division and honorable mention all-district.
Liming was again on the move following her sophomore year at Davidson as she transferred to Canal Winchester. There, she averaged 11.7 points and was first-team all-OCC-Capital and honorable mention all-district.
Liming said Davidson and her family worked with the OHSAA and was notified that her transfers were within the organization’s guidelines and she would not be penalized.
“She’s really a neat kid,” first-year Davidson coach Matt Biedenbach said. “Her family has told me they wish she would’ve stayed. She’s a leader for us. Besides being a good basketball player, the girls voted her captain for a reason. She stayed in touch with our kids while she was at Canal Winchester. We’re happy to have her.”
Liming got out to a strong start in her return to Davidson, helping the Wildcats win four of their first six games.
She scored a season-high 22 points in a 56-43 win over Dublin Jerome to open the season Nov. 23.
The left-handed shooting Liming injured her left shoulder in a 42-37 loss to Granville on Dec. 22, however, and reaggravated the injury the following game in a 57-17 win over Dayton Belmont on Dec. 29.
The injury forced her to miss the next five contests before returning to score a game-high 21 points in a 43-32 league victory over Olentangy Orange on Jan. 21.
“It was exciting to be back,” Liming said. “I was glad to play with my teammates. We know how big (Jan. 21) was, especially coming off a few losses. It was definitely important. It’s a good start.”
Liming shared the team lead in scoring with sophomore Gwen Jenkins at 15.1 points per game before a 66-55 win over Olentangy on Jan. 25. Davidson improved to 8-9 overall with the victory and was 3-4 in the OCC-Central before facing Hilliard Bradley on Jan. 28.
Liming also led in steals (3.3) and assists (2.7).
“I like playing with Gwen,” Liming said. “We’re starting to learn each other a little more and build a chemistry. Knowing that I have another player I can depend on is really good.”
Biedenbach has been impressed with his top two scorers.
“They play off of each other pretty well and they also help their teammates because they attract so much attention,” he said.
Liming plans on playing in college, but remains undecided on a school.
The Wildcats have been battling injuries for most of the winter, including losing junior guard Kiersten Cashell for the season after she suffered a knee injury in a 55-41 loss to Fairbanks on Dec. 6.
Sophomore guard Sydney White also has missed time with an ankle injury.
“We’re throwing a lot at the girls,” Biedenbach said. “It’s a new program, a new staff and we’re asking them to do some different things. Every few games, it seems like we lose somebody to an injury (or) COVID and after that happens, we have to relearn how to play with a different lineup.
“To the girls’ credit, we’re not perfect, we make a lot of mistakes, but they play so hard and they want to learn and they want to get better.”
fdirenna@thisweeknews.com
@ThisWeekFrank
This article originally appeared on ThisWeek: Girls Basketball: Liming leading way in return to Davidson
