Pikeville Athletics graphic
What do you do with the trophy after you are named Kentucky’s Miss Basketball?
“I slept with the trophy. It is still sitting here,” said Pikeville senior Trinity Rowe, who joined Ida Bowen (1991) and Geri Grigsby (1977) as the only 15th Region players to receive this honor.
Rowe scored 2,463 points at Pikeville and had over 1,000 assists — something only four other girls had ever done in Kentucky. She averaged 17.1 points, 7.1 assists, 2.7 rebounds and 1.75 steals per game this season and shot 49.9 percent overall from the field and 89.4 percent at the foul line to help Pikeville again win the regional title.
Rowe understands there were other deserving candidates and how special being named Miss Basketball is.
“It means more than I can put into words. It’s hard not to think about winning Miss Basketball but I will also remember all the good times I had with my girls from fifth grade on during high school trips with them especially as a little kid,” the Southern Mississippi signee said. “The games were fun but I have more of them ahead but not more time with my friends. I will just remember the good times I had with them.”
Rowe was “extremely surprised” when she was named the award winner Sunday night.
“I had confidence in myself going into it because I knew what I did and felt like I had played the game the right way and I hoped people saw that,” Rowe said. “My heart was racing and I was so happy when my name was called. I looked at my mom and dad and they were so proud.”
Pikeville coach Kristy Orem noted emotionally after Pikeville’s loss to Bethlehem in the state tourney last week that Rowe should be Miss Basketball. Rowe expected her coach to be emotional at the ceremony and was told her coach cried when she was named Miss Basketball.
“I could not bring myself to cry. I had so many emotions but I thought, ‘No way are the tears going to fall when I am standing next to (Mr. Basketball) Travis Perry (of Lyon County),” Rowe said. “I wasn’t even sure I was going to make it to the stage because I was so excited. I’ve dreamed of this and to have my high school career end and then be Miss Basketball in 72 hours was kind of crazy.”
That included not only hearing from friends, school officials and both current and former coaches, but also from numerous college coaches.
“Some of the college coaches who recruited me reached out and that means a lot to me to know I built a good relationship to where those coaches still reached out to me, especially knowing I want to coach in college,” Rowe said.
Rowe was back in school Monday — “I wanted to sleep in but had a college prep class” — trying to still adjust to being Kentucky’s newest Miss Basketball.
“I got to be around friends and celebrate. It’s probably good to get all that over with and get back to a normal week,” she said. “There will be some celebration stuff later this week and then back to normal.”
Actually, Rowe was already back to “normal” Monday night when she was back in the weight room working with a trainer.
“I am going to let my body heal. I had some lingering injuries with my knee, ankle,” she said. “I am excited to get in the gym with a basketball or just work out. I need to be active. I’ll start running some but I definitely need just a little break.”
