Junior guard aims to bring ‘glory, grace, grit’ to Eden Christian girls basketball lineup

By: Ray Fisher
Sunday, December 14, 2025 | 11:01 AM

Emmie Smith is a 5-foot-6 guard and one of three juniors on the Eden Christian Academy girls basketball team, along with the Wallace twins — 5-7 guard Hannah and 5-7 forward Leah.

There are no seniors among the eight players on this year’s squad, which includes four returning starters.

After finishing 5-16 last season, the Warriors started out 2-1 this year with nonsection wins against South Side, 29-24, and Beaver County Christian, 46-42.

“We want to compete every single night and give our all, no matter the matchup,” Smith said. “One of our biggest goals is staying disciplined and consistent throughout the entire game and not getting frazzled under pressure.

“Our team theme is GGG: Glory, Grace and Grit — playing for God’s glory, showing grace to each other and bringing grit in how we compete. We’re really working on showing that in both practices and games, especially learning how to shift from feeling that pressure or chaos back into playing with our theme in mind.”

Rounding out the 2025-26 team at Eden are sophomores Amara Agwuocha, a 5-9 forward, Annemiek Meyer, a 5-8 guard, and freshman Sara Shaw, a 5-9 forward.

“In our preseason practices, we focused a lot on communication, defensive intensity and getting more comfortable pushing the pace,” Smith said. “We also put in a lot of work on fundamentals, ball movement and making smart decisions with the ball.

“I think we’ve shown a lot of growth already. We’re playing more connected, our energy has been consistent, and we’re starting to settle into our roles. Having the same four starters as last year plus a new freshman (starter), Annalese Haring, has really made a great impact. There’s still room to improve, but I feel like we’re heading in a really positive direction as a team on and off the court.”

Smith is a talented, multisport athlete for the Warriors. She competed in soccer last year and as a freshman was a setter on the volleyball team.

“Outside of sports, I’m part of a pen pal program that our school does through Urban Impact,” Smith said. “We write letters to students in the city, get to visit them and build relationships and encourage them, which has been a really meaningful experience.”

Eden’s girls basketball team is a member of Section 1-A again this season, along with Aquinas Academy, Leechburg, Sewickley Academy, Springdale, St. Joseph, Union and Western Beaver.

Union won 25 games in a row in 2024-25, finishing first in section play with a 14-0 record and winning the WPIAL title with its 25th consecutive victory.

St. Joseph and Aquinas Academy tied for second in the section at 11-3, followed by Springdale, with an 8-6 record, Eden Christian and Sewickley Academy, both at 4-10, and Western Beaver and Leechburg, both at 2-12.

“This year is shaping up to be a great one, and I’m really excited for the basketball season,” Smith said. “Over the past years, I think as teammates we’ve learned to laugh and focus on the bright side every day — even through different challenges — and I really think that’s where our connection as a team has grown. I’m really proud of how my teammates have shown up, especially with only eight girls on the roster this year.”

“I also want to give a lot of credit to coaches (Clare) Johncour and (Jaimie) Smith. They’ve done an amazing job keeping our energy up and being intentional about connecting with us. Their support has been especially meaningful for the girls who are newer to basketball, helping them feel confident, supported and excited to come to practice.”

The Warriors tipped off their section schedule Dec. 11 against Sewickley Academy and will play in four section games by the end of the month.

“Overall, I’m very grateful for our coaches, the priorities we share as a team and the chemistry we have on and off the court,” Smith said. “We’re focused on glorifying God in everything we do and holding each other accountable as teammates, which makes every practice and game meaningful.”

Tags: Eden Christian