Are we having fun yet? You couldn’t blame Cedar Valley Christian basketball player Shelby Hembera for asking.

The current Metro girls scoring leader, she’s an uncommonly good athlete playing her heart out for an undermanned team from a tiny high school – far from the bright lights of the Metro’s marquee teams and games.

After leading her team to four wins as a freshman last year during the Huskies’ first season in the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union, she grew an inch, added a bit of heft to her slender frame and returned for her sophomore season as an even more dominating presence on the court. Her average hovers around 20 points per game.

“She’s truly versatile,” says Huskies Coach Craig Foote. “She’s maybe our best outside shooter, she’s our best high and low post player, she can dribble, she’s got strength, quickness and ability to finish at the rim. She’s going to get shots off no matter what the defense.”

In Friday night’s game against Alburnett, Hembera slipped a silo of defenders over and over again to score a career-high 35 points – but it wasn’t enough as her team fell 60-52 to the Pirates, notching its sixth loss in seven contests.

As was true much of last season, the Huskies currently have only five players on their roster – three of them freshmen or sophomores. A sixth player, freshman Annie McElree, tore a muscle in her hip early in December and is out for another couple of weeks. Team manager Taylor Fields plays a reluctant substitute if someone fouls out or is injured.

“There are some things we can do and certain things we can’t do,” admits Foote. “We would love to press and trap, but with only five players we can’t do that. On the offensive end, we try to work it in to Shelby and create shots for certain players.”

Playing nearly every minute of every game, the Huskies’ furious five work relentlessly on their fitness, but can be forgiven for walking the court occasionally as the game wears on.

All told, it’s not a situation that predicts success for the team or suitable accolades for its star player. But you won’t hear any complaints from Hembera, who’s having plenty of fun and is confident the Huskies are getting better.

A Positive Presence

To understand Hembera’s buoyant attitude, there’s no need to look beyond the back row of the bleachers, where her parents, Jeff and Joann, are camped out at every game, usually joined by Shelby’s two grandmas and a grandpa. “They’re wonderful, kind people,” says Foote.

A fit-looking pair, Jeff and Joann Hembera take no credit for the athleticism of Shelby and younger daughter Molly, a seventh grader who is developing her basketball chops in driveway one-on-ones with her older sister.

Helping Shelby stay motivated in a losing campaign has never been an issue, says her father.

“She’s got a really good head on her shoulders. She’s just a really good person. She doesn’t rely on us to tell her a lot. We just try to encourage her and make sure she’s trying to be encouraging to her teammates as well – keeping them all positive, working hard, and looking forward to the next game.

“I stress to her that having fun is the most important thing, and if you’re not having fun you’re kind of wasting your time.”

The night before the Alburnett game, the Hemberas took the entire team to the Iowa women’s basketball game, where they saw the Hawkeyes beat their nemesis, Ohio State, in an overtime thriller. You don’t need a bus for this team – a van will do, Jeff jokes.

The outing gave the girls time to relax, away from their intense practices and games, and helped spark what proved to be one of their best efforts of the season.

“It is just so exciting to watch the whole team playing well together and it’s just so fun,” Joann says after watching the Huskies come close to pulling off the victory. “Honestly, I was thrilled with this game.”

There was a moment in the final period when Husky senior Izzy Hoffman found herself alone on the perimeter and tossed off an awkward, one-handed 3-pointer that hit paydirt – pulling the Huskies to within two points of the Pirates, 44-42. The wave of joy that coursed through the team and the always robust CVC cheering section was palpable.

These guys were having fun.

Making Strides

Foote saw plenty of reasons to congratulate his team after a losing effort that netted the Huskies their highest point total of the season.

“It was an excellent effort – something to build on, because we moved the ball fairly well and got people into positions where we could score and we got Shelby the ball in positions where she could score.

"They double and triple teamed her every time she was close to the paint, and she did a nice job of facing up using ball fake and drive, clearing space at the top and shooting over the top, and that takes patience. That’s a sign of maturity. She might be a sophomore age-wise, but mentally she’s beyond that.”

Senior Lindsey Cach grabbed 14 rebounds and dished out nine assists, and every member of the team was able to knock down at least one shot – an important confidence builder.

“I think we’re playing really well,” says Cach. “We’re improving every game and we’re definitely getting to our high point.”

Playing with the top scorer in the Metro “is pretty cool,” she adds with a laugh. “We’ve all got to help her out, because a triple-team is pretty tough – but she still gets it in there.”

Hembera, who believes the Huskies can yet surpass last year’s total and win five games, says her production is totally dependent on the team.

“I couldn’t do it without any of them, they do all the passes and assists, all the help they give me. There’s times when I just want to win so bad, but I think instead of winning it’s just about improving on all our skills.

"Tonight was one of those encouraging games that make us all look forward to the rest of the season.”

On the few occasions when she gets down, Hembera says, it’s not about the team.

“Sometimes I miss a basket and it’s frustrating and I feel off the rest of the game, but I try to just keep shooting, don’t worry about it, believe it will go in next time – just keep the average high, have a good time, have fun.”

Hembera opted to stay and play at CVC when some of her friends left for more-established, higher-profile programs at area high schools. She hasn’t regretted her choice, believing absolutely that – sooner or later – the CVC girls basketball program will achieve success.

And why not? She has two more years to demolish the defenses, reinforcement in the form of a sixth player is only weeks away, and there’s a row of younger sisters at every game eagerly awaiting their turn on the court.