Junior point guard Molly Knight can shoot the 3-pointer for Providence and isn’t afraid to attack a zone defense head on. Who did she learn that from? Family and friends.

And it also helps to have sisters.

Her oldest sister, Lauren, a 2020 Providence graduate, is now playing at Carthage. Kelly, a 2022 alum, is playing at Coe. You can count on them as being the biggest influences.

What did she learn from them?

“Keep moving the ball, and no matter what, don’t stop shooting, basically,” Knight said with the big smile of someone who likes to shoot the ball. “They always had that range.”

Knight felt at home from any range Wednesday night, sending the Celtics to a 39-29 victory over Lincoln-Way West in a WJOL Tournament second-round game at Joliet Junior College.

The 5-foot-9 Knight led all scorers with 16 points and added four rebounds, four assists and four steals for Providence (2-0). She hit three 3-pointers in the second quarter and another at the end of the third that allowed the Celtics to take a 25-23 lead that stuck.

Her last 3-pointer was near NBA range and hit nothing but net.

All of that was much to the delight of Providence’s Eileen Copenhaver. What does she see in the latest good Knight that reminds the veteran coach of those terrific older sisters?

“They all can shoot the three,” Copenhaver said. “They all play hard. They all want to win. They are very competitive.”

Lincoln-Way West (0-2) received a competitive effort from junior forward Caroline Smith, who finished with eight points, six rebounds and four blocked shots despite fouling out late. Senior guard Peyton Madl chipped in 10 points.

Knight, though, wouldn’t be denied, even as the Warriors played a suffocating zone throughout. Providence used crisp passes on the perimeter until someone — usually Knight — would get open. And if not, she would drive the lane for a shot or kick the ball out.

As a point guard, leadership is becoming a big part of what Knight does and, really, who she is. She learned a lot about that component from 2023 graduate Annalise Pietrzyk, who averaged 19 points and 5.7 rebounds as a senior and is now playing at Hillsdale.

“Try to keep everyone up when they miss a shot,” Knight said of her leadership approach. “Because I know I get down on myself sometimes.”

It’s rubbing off on players like sophomore shooting guard Eilish Raines, who put the game away with a 3-pointer with 4:06 remaining.

“Last year was her first year on varsity, so she was learning from Annalise,” Raines said of Knight. “Now that she’s our leader, you learn a lot from her through communication.

“She tries to pick everyone up. Even when things don’t go her way, she stays calm.”

Copenhaver said when it comes to leadership, Knight is maturing.

“Where things might have bothered her last year, like a missed call or a missed shot, she’s really grown up in my eyes,” she said. “She’s playing through things better.

“She’s becoming more valuable as she does that — a big growth thing for a young kid.”

Knight started playing travel basketball in second grade with her sisters. Her dad, Matt, was the coach.

Fast forward to high school, and Molly never did get the chance to play with her sisters. Lauren had graduated and Molly was on JV when Kelly was a senior.

In other words, as a varsity player, she’s handled everything by herself. And yet, she hasn’t, learning from her sisters. She’s likely to take her journey all the way to the next level.

Again, it helps to have sisters.

“I for sure want to play in college,” she said, still holding that winning smile.

Gregg Voss is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.

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