Hauser’s Kenze Bostic (20) and Columbus Christian’s Mariah Holt battle for a rebound Nov. 28, 2022 at Hauser High School.
The Republic file photo
Despite a lack of height, Hauser has been enjoying its best girls basketball season in six years.
If the Jets are to continue their winning ways, they’ll have to do it with even less size than they had to begin with after junior center Kenze Bostic had season-ending foot surgery.
“It’s definitely hard because I enjoy playing with my team so much,” Bostic said. “I have to play my role now as a motivator and an encouraging presence to my teammates.”
The 5-foot-11 Bostic is a three-sport athlete. She began experiencing a bone spur in her left heel during last softball season, when Hauser made the final four in Class A, then played through it while leading the Jets to a sectional volleyball title in the fall.
“It has been going on since last spring,” Bostic said. “You learn how to adapt. Some days are better than others with the pain. I didn’t want to end my season with volleyball or basketball, but the time came where we had to do something about it.”
Kenze Bostic
Bostic sat out the first four games of this basketball season.
“We were trying pain management and they to bring her back,” Hauser coach Kyle Shipp said. “When she came back, she had more pain and doctors visits, so we decided surgery was what she needed.”
The last game Bostic played, she had 16 rebounds in a 54-51 overtime loss at New Washington on Dec. 29. She had surgery the next day.
In nine games, Bostic averaged 4.6 points and leads the Jets with 9.1 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game.
“She’s been real good,” Shipp said. “She was our major rim protector. She manned the middle for us and did a lot of things on the offensive end and defensive end. She’s a great passer, a great rebounder. She does a lot of great things on the court for us.”
Hauser is 9-5 with wins in five of ther past six going into Tuesday’s game at Oldenburg Academy. The Jets are 4-0 in the Mid-Hoosier Conference.
“I think that we were having a really good season,” Bostic said. “Our new coach has been teaching us all these great things, and we were learning something new every day. I thought I was improving every day at practice, and everything was going great.”
With Bostic out, Hauser now essentially plays with five guards, the tallest standing 5-8.
“One of the things we’re going to have to do is more team rebounding,” Shipp said. “It’s going to take all five players on the court to replace her. Then on the offensive end, we’re just going to have to do a better job taking care of the ball and use our quickness a little bit more to create driving lanes.”
Bostic is hoping to play volleyball in college. She has visited Indiana Tech and met with its coaches, and is planning a few more visits to schools. She wants to study psychology or radiology.
With her junior sports seasons likely finished, Bostic is looking ahead to her senior year.
“I don’t think I will make it back for softball,” Bostic said. “I have a three-month recovery time, but once I am out of my boot and can do physical therapy, I will be getting ready for volleyball season and trying to progress in that area.”
