WHITEHOUSE, Ohio — Anthony Wayne girls basketball is set to begin a quest toward the OHSAA state final four when they open up tournament play at home on Saturday against Waite.
The top-seeded Generals are seeking a second trip to Dayton in three seasons and have tallied the program's best record in school history (20-2) so far this year.
Leading the way for the three-time defending Northern Lakes League champions is junior forward Elise Bender. She is WTOL 11's Athlete of the Week sponsored by Dave's Running.
"Having the ability to shoot and drive has been hard to guard," Bender said. "So I've really tried to key in on that."
Elevating her game on the perimeter has resulted in Bender's ability to score from anywhere on the court. So much so that she has set multiple program records in 2023-24. They include the most career free throws and most points in a season (485) which surpassed Allison Pappenfus who had held the mark since the 2007-08 season.
Last month, Bender became the school's all-time leading scorer with 1,352 career points.
"We knew she'd hit her stride and this is where we saw her, finishing strong in the regular season," Anthony Wayne head coach Jami Carter said.
Before tipping off the postseason this week, Carter's leader earned District 7 and NLL Player of the Year honors.
"It's very exciting but I couldn't have done it without my team," Bender said. "They give me the ball, I give them the ball. I couldn't have done it without them."
Bender's competitive drive has assisted in her future as well, with 11 division one colleges offering scholarships.
Bowling Green, Toledo, Harvard, Villanova and most recently Ohio are among that list which most have extended to Bender's twin sister Brooke as well.
"It's been really fun, especially with Brooke and I getting them together," Bender said. "During this league season, it's cool to get offers while playing with my high school team."
Looking ahead may not always prove beneficial, but in Whitehouse it's become pivotal toward establishing a new era at Anthony Wayne.
"Whatever we need her to do is what she does," Carter said. "We challenged them when they came in as freshmen to build a legacy and environment that younger kids are going to want to be a part of."
So far, Bender has risen to that task in less than three years. Given her talent and the skillset surrounding the star forward, she remains optimistic about what could potentially come down the road.
"I just want to keep progressing as an individual and a team," Bender said. "We can only get better from here and I'm just excited for what's to come."
The Generals graduate one senior after this season and have put together a historic campaign.
Anthony Wayne not only finished fifth in the AP state poll for Division I, but broke multiple program records in the process:
Team records:
- Most wins in a regular season (20)
- Most points in a game (80) vs. Clay
- Most made three-point FG in a game (13)
- Most assists in a game (24) vs. Whitmer
- Most made three-point FG in a season (184)
- Most points in a season (1440)
Individual records:
- Elise Bender (Tied school record for points in a game with 34)
- Brooke Bender (Most made threes in a career with 115)
- Sophie Smith (Most assists in a game with nine, tied for most assists in a season with 96)