Back on the court, three surgeries later

The first time it happened, St. Basil's Erin Fenningham had just stepped onto the basketball court for her first varsity practice as a freshman in 2008.

She was involved in a one-on-one drill when she went to take off after the ball was rolled to her. She immediately felt something strange in her right knee. She had torn her anterior cruciate ligament.

She got back in time to play her sophomore season, averaging seven points coming off the bench as the Bulldogs won the District 1 Class AAA championship. Fenningham, an outstanding defender, hit both ends of a one-and-one at the foul line to clinch the title victory.

When the season ended, Fenningham shifted her play to the Northeast Rockers, her AAU team. There were 10 seconds to go in a final playoff game when she tore her left ACL. That was in April 2010.

That November, she was cleared to play again, but 45 minutes into a workout session in New Jersey, she sprained the medial collateral ligament in her left knee. Shortly thereafter, she tore the ACL in the knee, and it was back to rehab.

She's finally back on the court, and no one is more delighted than St. Basil coach Terry Mancini.

"It's just great to see her playing again," said Mancini, the Panthers coach for the last three seasons. "Erin's a remarkable story. She's the best defensive player I've ever coached. She smiles all the time despite all she's been through. And now she's getting her full game back."

That's obvious. Since the 5-foot-7 senior point guard came back, St. Basil has gone from an 0-2 start (without her) to 5-3 in the Athletic Association of Catholic Academies. The Panthers are 7-5 overall.

Fenningham underwent three arthroscopic surgeries. Although she went through considerable pain each time, she said the worst part of each incident was the time she spent rehabbing to be declared ready to play again by her doctor.

"It's the worst pain I've ever experienced, but it was so frustrating when I would go to see him and he would say, 'I don't think we're there yet. Maybe a few more weeks,' " Fenningham said. "I just wanted to play."

When she was finally cleared, Mancini said, "we had to work her in slowly, but she's getting her legs and strength now."

In her last five games, Fenningham has scored 84 points, including 17 in a big 46-44 victory over Villa Maria Academy on Jan. 10. She had 24 points each in league wins over Gwynedd-Mercy and Merion Mercy. Against Villa, she also had six rebounds and five assists.

"It definitely feels good to be back on the court," said Fenningham, a big smile breaking across her face.

In the Panthers' 50-43, payback win over Nazareth on Monday night, Fenningham had 14 points. She had not played when St. Basil lost to the Pandas in their first meeting this season.

"I know all of this has made me not only stronger physically but stronger as a person," said Fenningham, who hopes to play college basketball, in Division II or III.

"She is getting some looks, and she deserves them," Mancini said.

"Whoever gets her gets a steal."