COLUMBUS, Ohio — As high school girls' basketball plays out, Columbus Africentric is making headlines again. The team is trying to advance for a chance to win back-to-back state titles.

What You Need To Know

  • Columbus Africentric is trying to advance for a chance to win back-to-back state titles

  • Senior Kamryn Grant is a pivotal player on the team and has made a comeback this season after her knee injury

  • Africentric is taking on Keystone Thursday at 6 p.m. in the DIII semifinal on Spectrum

It would be the team’s 9th state championship, making it more than any girls’ team in the state. 

Senior Kamryn Grant is one of the pivotal players on the Nubians. It’s also her comeback season. 

“I’m feeling confident just being back with who I was, to begin with,” she said. 

Last season, she dealt with a knee injury. 

“We were still doing scrimmage games at this point,” Grant said. “I was going up for a layup, but unfortunately, I didn’t get to go up for the layup because my leg hyper-extended. I couldn’t walk, but then come to find out going to the doctor I actually tore my ACL, my meniscus.”

The injury took her out of action the year they won the state. Grant would watch her team on the sidelines, and that’s why she decided last season to take pictures on game days.

“I love photography,” she said. “I just thought that it would be nice to bring the photography to my team because they were always talking about how they like getting pictures and, you know, in-game pictures. So, I just wanted to help them out and still be a part of the team.”

But now it’s Grant’s comeback season. She’s back in action, as Africentric is hoping to win back-to-back DIII state titles.

“We want it as bad as anybody else could want it, if not ten times more,” said Grant.

It’s been a tough journey for Grant, but she believes she’s better for it. 

“Never take anything for granted,” she said, “because you never know when it could be taken away from you.”

Africentric is taking on Keystone Thursday night at 6 p.m. in a semifinal. If they advance, they’ll have a chance to win a state title two years in a row.