Cara Hendrix
Women's Basketball
1988-89
Offense isn’t always the name of the game in basketball and such was the case with Cara Hendrix. Not known for being an threat on offense under legendary coach, Ed DiGregorio, this Hubbard High product was the top defender for the Penguins who played sound defense without fouling. In each of her four years at Youngstown State, she was one of the team’s top rebounders.
The 1988-89 Female Vindicator/YSU Student-Athlete of the Year only averaged 4.3 points per game in her time at YSU but her skills were utilized on the defensive end. In her four years as a member of the Women’s Basketball team, this 5’10 forward pulled down 474 rebounds and had 115 steals in her career. When asked about this Hall of Fame inductee awhile back, the legendary coach said “Cara, without a doubt, is our best defensive player…”
In her senior season of 1988-89, this gritty and invaluable player from Hubbard, Ohio led the team in rebounding with 176 rebounds, averaging eight per game. She had a career best 17 rebounds in one game in a win over Ohio University. To go along with rebounding, Hendrix finished third on the team in steals at 53. The tough-nosed Hendrix was also third on the team in minutes played per game with 25.6 as she started 20 of 22 games played. Her senior season was also her best offensively as she averaged 6.1 points per game, nearly two points more than her career average and had 41 assists.
During her junior year, Hendrix finished third on the team in rebounding with 129 and pulled down a game-best 12 rebounds in a YSU win over Detroit. In connection her defensive style of play, Cara Hendrix had 31 steals. Offensively, the former Hubbard Eagle scored 108 points during the season for an average of 4.0 a game. She also dished out 36 assists as well.
Hendrix’s sophomore season was a little less productive than her junior season but she stilled played in 25 games. In action, she pulled down 65 rebounds and also added 12 steals. Offensively, this 5’10 forward only scored 73 points for an average of 2.9 a game.
As a freshman, Cara Hendrix’s defensive style again earned her a lot of playing time. In her inaugural season as a Penguin, she saw action in 27 games while starting fifteen and totaled 550 minutes. She grabbed 104 rebounds and had a season-high of 10 rebounds in a game. Her first season was also her second best offensively as she scored 152 points and had a career-high of 21 in one game.
The gritty defensive standout is from Hubbard, Ohio and graduated from Hubbard High School.
