Montclair Kimberley Academy captain Ayantu Flowers looks to shoot the ball.
By Steve Tober
Correspondent
WEST ORANGE, NJ — West Orange resident Ayantu Flowers is enjoying a fine senior season as tri-captain and top contributor for the Montclair Kimberley Academy girls basketball team.
The 5-foot-8 guard has been averaging 7.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1 block per game for the Cougars, who have put together a 6-2 record through January, including a 4-1 mark in the Super Essex Conference–Independence Division.
The 23rd-seeded Cougars, who defeated 26th-seeded Newark West Side, 68-23, in the Friday, Jan. 28, Essex County Tournament second preliminary round, are scheduled to travel to meet 10th-seeded Newark Central in the third and final ECT prelim round on Wednesday, Feb. 2.
Flowers scored 10 points and grabbed 5 rebounds in the ECT victory over West Side to help lead a balanced attack as MKA had four players finish in double figure scoring.
Flowers is also an outstanding field hockey player in the fall and lacrosse performer in the spring as a 3-sport standout at MKA.
“I love to play multiple sports and I enjoy each season,” she said. “We have a lot of good all-around athletes on our basketball team and that simply lends to our success.”
MKA is guided by ‘interim’ head coach Izzy Mendez. a former standout 3-sport athlete at MKA, who also played both field hockey and softball at Providence College.
“Ayantu combines with our other tri-captains Patricia Columbia-Walsh and Jessica Christian to provide great leadership for our team,” said Mendez. “I also coach Ayantu in field hockey where she is an exceptional all-around player and superb defender and she is simply a tremendous person to have on your team.”
Flowers, who indicated that she is still narrowing down her college possibilities, said she may try to play field hockey in college.
“I’m trying to enjoy the college process, but right now I’m concentrating on my senior basketball season with a fun group of girls to be around every day,” she said.
Photo Courtesy of Gene Nann
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