Throughout the night on Friday, a voice yelled, “Shoot the ball Korn!” each time the Lady Greenwaves lone senior Kornishia Smith touched the ball.
In her final home game of her high school career, Smith knocked down two deep three-pointers, both hitting nothing but the bottom of the net.
For most of her career, the Lady Greenwaves have experienced lean times and a lot of losses. Through it all, however, Smith provided a positive attitude, an encouraging smile and helped form the foundation of the program going forward.
Because of all she has meant to the O’Bannon program throughout her career, Smith has been named the Planters Bank Player of the Week.
“I’ve really enjoyed the time that I spent playing for O’Bannon,” Smith said. “I’ve played since I was in seventh grade.”
“She is a team leader and when I got here this year, she and I sat down and discussed how many wins the team had the past three years,” said Lady Greenwaves head coach Isaiah Morris. “I think the team only had three or four wins from her freshman to junior year. We got her five wins in her last season.”
Smith still has the district tournament left before she closes out her career. She plans to attend Mississippi Delta Community College and study to become a physical therapist. Smith is a star student and virtuous leader for her younger teammates.
“She is going to go on to do whatever she attempts to do at a very high level,” Morris said. “She is a great student and in the top ten in her class. She is a vocal leader who is going to be successful.”
On senior night, amid family, friends and adoring teammates, number 25 lavished praise on her mother, Veronica Smith.
The O’Bannon senior will leave O’Bannon knowing that she has made a mark on the next generation of Lady Greenwaves as a leader, role model and student-athlete.
“I think they look up to me like an older sister,” Smith said. “I will always think back and remember the time that I spent with my teammates. It was a lot of fun.”
