Westmoreland County Senior Spotlight: Greensburg Salem’s Blessing Gantt

By: Anthony DiFilippo
Monday, February 3, 2025 | 10:20 AM

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At the end of last season, the Greensburg Salem girls basketball graduated four key players, all of whom are playing college basketball.

That left the Golden Lions with big shoes to fill and just two seniors, Blessing Gantt and Regan Kerr, left to lead a young roster.

Despite the turnover, the team opened the season with a 10-7 overall record, including a 4-5 mark in section play.

Gantt believes progress is happening, even with a few bumps in the road.

“There were some kinks we had to work out that we’re still working on, but nothing that we can’t fix,” Gantt said. “I think we’re doing pretty well overall, keeping everybody positive, because a lot of them tend to get down on themselves just because they are younger.”

A key change this season was the Golden Lions’ return to Class 5A.

For Kerr and Gantt, who played 5A basketball as freshmen, their biggest priority became getting the rest of the team up to speed.

“None of us have really been put in that position besides me and Regan because we were 5A our freshman year,” Gantt said. “I would say it wasn’t really that much of a jump because I feel like we can compete with any team in our section as far as that goes.”

Before their final five games, three of which are in section play, Greensburg Salem held a one-game lead over Kiski for the final WPIAL playoff spot.

Gantt is concentrated on keeping the team focused.

“The mindset is just to push our hardest and try to win every game,” Gantt said. “So, in order to do that, we have to beat a couple more teams.”

An effective low-post player, Gantt has had six double-digit scoring games this season, including a season high of 19 points.

Consistency will be key if the Golden Lions hope to win another playoff game.

“A big goal of mine is to make the playoffs and win a playoff game again like we did last year,” Gantt said. “Just try to be more consistent and keep my head up in games because sometimes it’s hard.”

Gantt also aims to add more double-doubles to her stat line in the remaining games.

She credits her training routines for keeping her in shape for both basketball and volleyball, which she plays in the fall.

“For (basketball), we’ll do, maybe like an ab circuit or like a leg circuit, because we use our legs a lot in basketball, and our core is a big part,” Gantt said. “And for volleyball, I would say conditioning. We really just did it at the beginning of the season for school and my travel team. It was just like working on agility and being able to move.”

She plans to attend Pitt to study athletic training and complete the AT master’s program there as well.

Heading into the final stretch of the season, Gantt took some time for a Senior Spotlight Q&A:

How would you assess your play to this point in the season?

I would say pretty good. I just need to be more consistent. I try to get everybody to play their role because with our team, I feel like nobody in our section’s really as big as us or as long as us because we have a lot of size. So the goal of mostly every game is to just try to get it inside to me because I’m like a key post player, but if it works, it works. Some teams, they catch on, but I would say I’m pretty consistent. I try to be anyways. It just depends on how the game’s going.

Is there anything from one of your sports that helps with another?

I think just the mindset thing is the No. 1 thing because having to jump from sport to sport is just a little confusing, and it’s hard on me. Volleyball, it’s also a different team. Like I’m working with different people, and they have different goals. I think the mindset thing plays a big role and just like the conditioning part of it. Like we condition differently for volleyball than we do basketball and all that stuff. So just stay focused and work hard.

What went into your decision to go into athletic training?

My doctor because I’ve had multiple injuries over the years. My left knee, I’ve had three surgeries on, and my ankle I’ve had a surgery. So he was like, ‘Playing sports in college really isn’t the best idea.’ Working with physical therapists and my athletic trainers at my school all the time got me really interested in the field. I asked them more about it, and then they told me more about it, they showed me more about it, and it just sparked my interest.

What is one thing that people may not know about you?

I would say I do put on like a shell around me to make it seem like I’m not really like a people person or anything, but I actually really do enjoy, like, my little circle of friends. I enjoy making new friends, which is why I’m excited about college. I think I’m an outgoing person once people get to know me.

Tags: Greensburg Salem