Miss Basketball candidate/Buffalo signee Timberlynn Yeast likely out for season with knee injury

screenshot-537

Timberlynn Yeast will have surgery Dec. 13 after tearing the ACL and MCL in her left knee. (John Herndon Photo)

Recent Buffalo signee Timberlynn Yeast came into this season as a Miss Basketball candidate.

The Mercer County star was a second-team all-state selection last year when she averaged 20.9 points and 8.4 rebounds per game for the Titans and shot 52 percent from the field. She had already scored over 2,000 points in her career and on pace to become the school’s all-time leading scorer. Yeast also needed just four rebounds to reach 1,000 in her career.

Now she is likely out for the season after tearing both the anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments in her left knee in a non-contact incident before the season opened earlier this week. She will have surgery Dec. 13.

Her father, Terry Yeast, admits the most “realistic expectation” would be that should would not be able to play this season as postseason play will start 2 1/2 months after her surgery.

“Rehab goes differently for everyone. It all depends on the athlete and I know she will do all she can do,” Terry Yeast said. “We have not even thought about setting any kind of timetable. We are excited about her future down the road and have to keep that in mind.”

Teammate Anna Drakeford tore knee ligaments at the end of the 2020-21 season. She missed 12 games last season but was back playing in January, about nine months after her surgery.

“That is four injuries like that in less than two years for our team. Just very bizarre,” Terry Yeast said.

Her father said Timberlynn was “absolutely devastated” when she first got the news about her injury before friends called to see if they could come by.

“They spent a couple of hours with her and really lifted her spirits,” Terry Yeast said. “The next morning she got up at 5 because the team had practice at 6. She got her (younger sister) Teigh up and they left for practice by 5:30. At 6:30 she was texting me to change the surgery from Dec. 20 to Dec. 13 to avoid a team conflict.”

Teigh, a freshman, was Mercer County’s second leading scorer last season and had 21 points in her team’s season-opening loss to Mercy earlier this season.

“Teigh was really worried about Timberlynn. She is excited to play basketball but she was even texting me when we were at the doctor with Timberlynn,” Terry Yeast said. “Basketball really brought them together and I am sure Timberlynn will be coaching her from the bench every game.”

The Mercer star’s father is even more appreciative of the opportunities she will have now playing for Becky Burke, a former Louisville star, at Buffalo.

“Things Becky Burke has said recently just confirms even more that we made the right decision,” Terry Yeast said. “I told Becky she might have to come get her now because she might drive us crazy not being able to play.”

Burke obviously was upset for her future player but said, “You better believe we are going to rally around here and support her every step of the way. She will be fine,” Burke said.

Timberlynn Yeast is also a state track champion and her father, Mercer’s track coach, said she was hoping to break state records in the 100-, 200- and 400-meter dashes this season.

“But the big thing is she is really enjoying her senior year socially. She will bounce back. She is ready for college and we’ll just see how this year finishes out now,” he said.

One Response

  1. Oh the risks involved. It’s so sad to read about this dedicated girl and family who have been and will continue to set high goals and work to accomplish them. I wish her the very best in
    her life of example aand leadership. What a blessing and positive example for everyone.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Posts

All articles loaded
No more articles to load
Loading...