Girls basketball: Ajae Belliston’s return to starting lineup gives Ogden a boost heading into region play
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- Ogden’s Ajae Belliston (1) and Ben Lomond’s Taylor Hester (10) pursue a rebound Thursday, Jan. 20, 2022, at Ogden High School.
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- Ogden High girls basketball player Ajae Belliston guards the ball during a game against American Leadership Academy on Thursday, Jan. 5, 2023.
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- Ogden High girls basketball player Ajae Belliston dribbles down the court during a game against American Leadership Academy on Thursday, Jan. 5, 2023.
OGDEN — Ajae Belliston went up for a fast-break layup last Thursday against American Leadership Academy, got fouled moderately hard and missed the basket.
Belliston, an Ogden High senior guard whose first name is pronounced like “A.J.” and not “AH-jay,” was visibly irritated about missing the shot despite being bumped a couple of feet off her line.
Her reaction epitomized how she’s attacked basketball in the three games since returning to the starting lineup in December, just six months after a torn ACL in her left knee.
“I kind of wear the (knee) brace for my parents; they always get scared. I feel like it does help. It’s just kind of mentally at this point because I’m back fully — well, I feel like I’m back,” Belliston said.
Also during the ALA home game last Thursday, Belliston flew in for a handful of rebounds throughout the game and played tight defense out of the Tigers’ 1-2-2 trap that generated a ton of turnovers and paved the way to a 56-33 win.
In the scant amount of time she’s played this season, Belliston’s put up 3, 7 and 5 points, but overall has played like someone who didn’t have a serious knee injury six-plus months ago.
“I feel great. I just missed playing so much because all my best friends play and it was so hard watching them all have their moments, have fun, win and lose together, and I just wanted to be able to experience that with them and it feels great,” she said. “I don’t go in scared at all, in the back of my mind. It’s not even in my mind — it’s nowhere, except for my parents — so I feel great.”
The injury, suffered in June during a 9 p.m. summer basketball game at Roy High against a school from Idaho, torpedoed her senior soccer season.
After a typically tough regimen of physical therapy and watching the girls soccer season from the sidelines, she got back to game strength in a little under six months.
Nine months has been the baseline recovery timeline for a torn ACL for years, but more and more athletes have been returning to full contact sports in eight, seven and sometimes six months post-surgery.
“Soccer is my first. It’s always been my thing and I just didn’t get that (this year), and I planned my whole senior goals for everything,” Belliston said. “Then basketball, the surrounding and the team and everything, it’s just like my second family and so I just wanted to be there for them and get one last chance before I graduate.”
Underscoring how the coaches feel about her importance to the team, she returned to the team as a starter on Dec. 28 against Roy and has been starting ever since, albeit with a minutes restriction.
Her return to the lineup is fortuitous for the 7-5 Tigers, who will face three of the top teams in 3A (Morgan, Layton Christian and Grantsville) along with rejuvenated rival Ben Lomond in what’s expected to be a difficult slate of Region 13 games this year.
Connect with reporter Patrick Carr via email at pcarr@standard.net, Twitter @patrickcarr_ and Instagram @standardexaminersports.