Brent Pulls an Inside Job for H-F Girls Basketball

Amena Brent wasn’t her normal dominant self in the second half of Homewood-Flossmoor’s 70-55 girls basketball victory over Joliet Central.

She was charged with her fourth foul with 3:16 remaining in the third quarter of Thursday night’s game in Joliet. She took a seat on the H-F bench. And, even when she did return in the fourth quarter, she was limited in what she could do under the basket.

She scored all eight of her points in the first half and grabbed eight of her 11 rebounds in the first two quarters.

“I got some petty fouls in the second half,” Brent said. “I couldn’t play the way I usually do—or how physical I am. So, it really limited me in scoring and rebounding.”

H-F has come to rely on the 6-foot-1 Brent to provide the power in its offense to go with its quickness on the perimeter. She also is the Vikings’ most consistent rebounder and one of their most reliable interior passers.

She is averaging about 8 points and 9 rebounds as Homewood-Flossmoor (20-7) prepares to begin play in the Class 4A playoffs. The Vikings will face Thornton Fractional South or Eisenhower at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 14, at the Stagg Regional.

“Amena’s done a great job for us this year, really stepped it up,” H-F coach Dana Noble said. “She plays the post well, leads the team in rebounds. Her offense has been improving throughout the season.

“And she’s really stepped up to be a leader for our team. The girls look up to her. She comes to practice. She practices hard. She’s on the floor almost the entire game.

“My expectation was that she was going to have a better season than her junior season with us. She’s done that. I think she’s exceeded my expectations. She’s done a great job. She’s gone from being a member of the team as a junior to being a leader on the team as a senior. And that’s important.”

Brent also has made the transformation from a player with potential to a Division I recruit. She will play next season at Stetson in Deland, Fla.

“I knew since we lost five major starters last year that I had to step up this year,” she said. “We didn’t have that many people to score and rebound. So, I knew I had to step up as a senior. And, because I’m going to college next year, I had to do it so I could get the experience as a leader.”

Brent worked hard in the offseason.

“Over the summer, I tried to square up to the basket more and get more rebounds,” she said. “Last year, I didn’t really focus on getting rebounds. I just tried to score. But, this year, I’ve focused on rebounding because rebounding leads to most of my scoring.”

Noble pictures Brent continuing with her development on the next level.

“She’s got a lot of potential,” Noble said. “Her fundamental skills are very good. You look at how she catches the basketball, how she squares up to the basket, how she shoots the ball—she has a lot of good skills.

“She’s going to have to continue to work on her speed and agility—something that we work on at all times. But she has the capability. I think we’ve seen some of that come out this year. And I think it’s going to continue to grow at the next level.”

At Stetson, Brent plans to study chemistry and pursue a career in the pharmaceutical industry or perhaps go into sports management. For now, she’ll concentrate on managing the magic of postseason play.

She is determined to do her part to help H-F finish with a flurry.