Louisville signee back in action as Danville Christian pursues another 12th Region title
Danville Christian’s Grace Mbugua became the most talked about player in Kentucky girls high school basketball last March when she scored 34 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in nearly leading the Warriors to what would have been a stunning upset of No. 2 Cooper in the Girls’ Sweet 16 at Rupp Arena.
The breakout game on the biggest stage of the 6-foot-5 junior foreign exchange student’s career kicked up a whirlwind of top-level college interest and prompted the Kenya native to decommit from Liberty, the school that first spotted her enormous potential as an eighth grader.
Louisiana State, Duke, Baylor, Kentucky and Louisville, to name a few, became Mbugua’s new suitors. And the state’s top rebounder each of the last three seasons looked poised to lead the Warriors on another historic campaign as a senior.
But a freak right knee ACL tear on a routine summer camp jump shot last June threatened to derail those plans. She had surgery in July. The conservative prognosis was eight months of rehab. Eight months would have put her senior season out of reach. She’d have to beat that.
‘She has worked her butt off’
“I wanted to come back because I know we can do something special this season,” Mbugua said Thursday after her third game back in uniform, a 78-50 home loss to No. 5 Assumption. “My therapy process was good. Getting back to playing in six months was a huge praise, and I’m glad to be back on the court for my senior year.”
Mbugua attacked physical therapy and got cleared to play for the defending 12th Region champions last week.
“I think it’s amazing,” DCA coach Billy Inmon said. “Six months — it was actually three days short of six months that she was cleared because she has worked her butt off.”
This week, Mbugua was one of four Kentucky players nominated for consideration for the McDonald’s All American Games along with Sacred Heart’s ZaKiyah Johnson, Bethlehem’s Leah Macy and George Rogers Clark’s Ciara Byars.
During her knee rehabilitation, Mbugua created a viral video moment online when she surprised Louisville coach Jeff Walz with her commitment to the Cardinals during her October visit.
“It was very sweet. It was a moment I’ll remember forever,” Mbugua said. “I was excited to finally let them know I want to join their family.”
Assumption pulled away in second half
The Rockets (11-1) represented DCA’s highest-ranked opponent so far this season and included junior Indiana commit Ashlinn James, who led Assumption with 26 points. Assumption could challenge No. 1 Sacred Heart’s yearslong dominance in the 7th Region and the state. The Rockets will find out how they stack up to the four-time defending state champions in a 6 p.m. tipoff at Sacred Heart on Sunday.
Mbugua scored 21 points and grabbed 14 rebounds against the Rockets. Senior point guard Alaya Quisenberry, a Danville transfer and the younger sister of Boyle County’s 2024 Mr. Football Montavin Quisenberry, added 12.
Inmon blamed his own poor game plan for the lopsided loss. DCA (10-5) trailed just 24-22 at halftime despite 15 turnovers. They committed nine more turnovers in the second half and seemed to fare worse against Assumption’s full-court press.
“We really should have run a different press-breaker,” Inmon said. “I felt like in a half court, we were actually scoring pretty good. It was turnovers in the press that got us.”
Fatigue set in as well.
“Baby is obviously still not in game shape,” Inmon said, using the nickname Mbugua has had since she arrived in Danville in seventh grade. “She wasn’t herself. But she shouldn’t be. The doctor said it’s going to take three or four weeks for her to get in game shape.”
All ‘A’ Classic on the schedule
Even “not herself,” Mbugua has averaged a double-double — 24.6 points and 14.0 rebounds — in the three games she’s played. The first two were routs of Burgin and Danville in the 12th Region All “A” Classic Tournament.
Mbugua acknowledged she and her teammates have a lot to work on in the weeks ahead. DCA developed three double-digit scorers in her absence — junior shooting guard Paisley Metz (18.8 points per game), Quisenberry (14.4) and sophomore forward Amauri Blackford (11.9).
Getting everyone to mesh is the next step.
“The team chemistry is not where it’s supposed to be,” Mbugua said. “I think we’re just learning to play with a new point guard and adding me to the rotations. We’re still growing as a team and it showed today.”
She believes the Warriors will figure it out.
“I think this game was a huge help to helping us get where we need to be,” Mbugua said. “I think in the next week or two, we should be good. The offense should be flowing way better.”
DCA visits Boyle County on Saturday before traveling to Owensboro for the All “A” Classic. The Warriors will play the still-to-be-determined 8th Region champion at 5 p.m. Wednesday.
This story was originally published January 17, 2025 at 9:18 AM.
