PAVILION — One more kick at the can. For Pavilion dynamic senior duo Lauren Kingsley and Karlee Zinkiviech, their illustrious careers will be boiled down to one game on Saturday night.
The defending sectional champion and No. 2 Golden Gophers are set to meet No. 4 Dundee/Bradford in the Class C2 Final, with a loss serving as the end of Zinkievich and Kingsley’s run. With that said, a win would add another notch in the belt of each of Pavilion’s senior stars, who have guided the girls’ athletics program at Pavilion to great heights across numerous sports over the past half-decade.
On the hardwood, the names Kingsley and Zinkievich have carried a lot of weight throughout the GLOW region girls’ basketball landscape and beyond since the Golden Gophers’ Cinderella run to a sectional title during the 2019-20 season. During that run, No. 7 Pavilion knocked off No. 1 Fillmore in the Class D1 Final to take the crown. Since that moment, there have been many trials and a few tribulations as both of the Gophers’ fifth-year seniors have been the driving forces behind what has been, during that time, one of the premier programs in Section V Girls Basketball.
Now, with one game remaining on their Class C2 slate, Pavilion believes its ready for the task at hand. As Coach Ben Schwenebraten says, when you have two players as talented as Kingsley and Zinkievich, it makes everybody else’s job a lot easier.
“It’s really been a joy to coach these two over the past five years,” said Schwenebraten. “You’re really lucky if you have kids for four years and when you get them for five, it’s a really fortunate thing to have as a coach — to have two really good players for five years. And their leadership has guided us to the success that we’ve had over the past four years.”
Both Kingsley, a forward, and Zinkievich, a guard, have averaged upward of 18 points per game this season, but it hasn’t been their scoring output that has been most valuable to Coach Schwenebraten’s bunch. In the coach’s mind, it’s been the metality instilled by his team’s two leaders, and their willingness to help other players along that has allowed the Gophers to accomplish so much.
“They’re the reason that we’ve had the success that we’ve had,” added Schwenebraten.
While Schwenebraten deflects all credit for his team’s success, his players had something to say about that.
“He’s extremely important,” said Zinkievich. “He stays up late to our get our practice plans and prepares us very well.”
Schwenebraten, standing over 6-foot-5, remains in his chair for much of his time on the sideline, still, towering over many of his players from a seated position. He doesn’t scream, he doesn’t yell, but instead, his stoic presence is what his two senior leaders credit with having the greatest impact on their development over the years.
“In timeouts, he makes sure he is always calm,” said Kingsley of her head coach. “It’s just very helpful.”
Countering the efforts of the Gophers’ senior duo on Saturday will be a strong one-two punch on part of Dundee/Bradford, provided by Kendall Parker and Kailey Yeoman. Parker pours in an average of 20 points per contest, while Yeoman adds 11 points per game for the BraveScots.
“They’re well-coached and they’ve been in this situation before,” said Schwenebraten of Dundee/Bradford, which fell to York in the sectional final last season. “We know we re going to have to be ready.”
The challenge each team has faced this season has been receiving depth scoring, as no other player on either roster averages over six points per game. This game appears as if it will come down to which team can receive additional contributions from their rotational players to help supplement the efforts of their top players.
“The girls know that we need to step up and they’re going to try taking me and Lauren away,” said Zinkievich. “So far, they’ve stepped up and here we are.”
Due to changes made after Friday’s girls basketball slate was postponed, Saturday’s Class C2 Final is now scheduled for 4:15 p.m. at Rush-Henrietta High School. Despite the time change, don’t expect that to dampen the spirits of the Gophers, who are ready once again for their close up.
“Be ready, take in the moment, look to see everyone there — but once we tip-off, be ready,” said Kingsley on the advice she has delivered her team.
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