No. 1 Elizabethtown girls basketball being led by a player not yet in high school

ELIZABETHTOWN, Ky. (WDRB) -- It has not all been going smoothly this year for the Elizabethtown girls basketball team.

When they've been able to play games, things have gone pretty well: 21 straight victories without a loss and the No. 1 ranking in the state heading into the postseason.

"Scheduling has been a nightmare," head coach Donnie Swiney said. "And then we had the snow and we lost some games due to the weather."

Elizabethtown won the 5th Region a year ago then lost in the opening game of the Sweet 16 before things got shut down. That team said goodbye to seven seniors, including two Division I signees, making this year's accomplishments even more impressive.

"I'm really proud of these girls," Swiney said. "We lost 80% of our scoring, 80% of our rebounding from last year's team. Only one real starter back with varsity experience. They've just continued to work, continued to get better, and that's what I'm most proud of."

"I'm actually very surprised. I'm surprised at how well we've played together," senior guard Kayra Freeman added. "We don't get bullied around. I know some of us are small, but we're really tough."

The biggest standout is the team's biggest and youngest player: 6-foot-1-inch, 14-year-old eighth-grader Leah Macy leads the Panthers with 20 points and 13 rebounds a game. She does most of her scoring inside but has expanded her game with some ball-handling duties and the occasional three.

"She's as good as she wants to be," Swiney said. "She's just an animal on the glass. She's put up some mind boggling numbers for a senior, much less an eighth-grader.

"She's putting up Miss Basketball-type numbers."

For the record, Macy won't be eligible for Miss Basketball, given to the state's top senior, until 2025.

She has already heard from a number of colleges and has hopes of playing beyond that.

"I would love to play in the WNBA," Macy said. "Obviously, I have to get through high school and college, but I for sure want to play in college. And the WNBA, that would be awesome."

But first things first, maybe leading her high school team to a state title before she's even in high school. Elizabethtown tries to close out a perfect regular season when they visit Owensboro Catholic on Friday. District play begins next week.