Class 3A
Sophomore super sub pushes Cadets to win
Annalissa Kammeyer never questioned her role: Come off the bench to provide a spark and energy.
She rarely failed to execute that this season – and she did it on the biggest stage Saturday.
When Concordia senior Lauren Borchelt was called for her fourth foul less than two minutes into the third quarter, sophomore Kammeyer subbed in. She never subbed out.
How could coach Dave Miller pull the player who made every shot she took – free throw and from the field – and who didn’t stop playing gutsy defense to help the Cadets to their first state title?
“Just the little things that she does, that makes her really valuable,” Miller said after his team’s 59-48 victory over top-ranked Rushville. “She is able to guard probably four different positions on the floor. She leads us in taking charges this year. She’ll dive on the floor without any second thought. She’ll knock a ball away. She’ll get an offensive rebound that you thought there was no way you could get that.
“She’s like having another starter because we can insert her for just about anybody.”
Kammeyer said she bought into her role from the start, and she performed it to perfection Saturday. She had seven points, two rebounds, an assist and helped hold Rushville’s Kaleigh Andrews (11.9 points per game) to 4-of-12 shooting.
Her three-pointer gave Concordia a 33-30 lead with 4:50 left in the third quarter. Her assist on an Anna Goeglein basket – when Kammeyer easily could have taken the shot – made it 39-35.
She took her first charge with Concordia leading 48-37.
She scored four consecutive points – a jumper after a drive-and-kick by Andrea Newbauer and then two free throws – to extend the lead to 54-45.
Even when the championship was already sealed, she stepped in front of another Rushville player driving the lane for a charge. With 40.8 seconds left.
“Lauren’s a really great player, and I knew I had to come in and fill some pretty big shoes, so I just tried to step up and help the team the best I could,” Kammeyer said.
It wasn’t just this time that Kammeyer proved her worth.
She took two charges in practice on Thursday. Newbauer said Kammeyer routinely does that in practice, saying “that’s just her thing.”
It always has been.
“Hustle is always been a big deal for me,” Kammeyer said. “No matter what’s going on, if you can’t hit shots, your defense and your hustle should never change, and that’s one thing I’ve grown up learning.”
There’s no certainty that DeKalb’s dual-match winning streak will end this season. But if it does, the safe bet to beat the Barons, who enter the season with a 63-match winning streak, head-to-head will be East Noble.