Smith Scores 25 As Quest Evens Abl Series At 2-2 Championship To Be Decided Tuesday In Columbus

In her life as a professional basketball player, Katie Smith has seen her role on the court change in a big way.

Instead of being the player with the ball in her hands, taking it fearlessly to the hole or making her own shot, she’s been largely an outside complement to inside forces Nikki McCray and 3-point sniper Tonya Edwards.

On Sunday, when the Quest faced losing the first American Basketball League championship, the old Katie emerged as Columbus evened the ABL championship series at 2-2 with a 95-84 win over Richmond.

Smith drove and drew fouls, came off screens to hit 3-pointers and played with general abandon, scoring 25 points. She made three 3-pointers and 8 of 8 free throws, helping the Quest earn the right to play for the title on their home floor.

The championship will be decided Tuesday at Battelle Hall in Columbus, Ohio, where the Quest is 21-2.

“It was kind of the way I played in college,” Smith said. “I’ve been more of a spot-up shooter, but my shots have not been falling, so I tried to be more aggressive, maybe get back to the way I usually play.”