Quick question: Who is the assist leader in Division-II NJCAA girls basketball? Its our very own Kara Kistenfeger, point guard for your IVCC Lady Eagles. Now averaging 8.0 assists a game for her team, Kistenfeger is quietly becoming a passing phenom.

As a freshman, and full-time starter, Kistenfeger came into college as a pass-first point guard. Whats amazing about Kistenfeger’s run coming into a new team, was how quickly she picked up the faster, stronger pace of college basketball. She admits that was an issue early saying “Adapting to this new style of play was difficult, all these girls were fast and huge” said Kistenfeger. “But the first couple games helped me get used to it, and playing all summer really helped as well.”

I had the sheer pleasure of watching Kara play basketball at Ottawa High School for four years. It always seemed she was a bit overlooked, her starting lineup as a senior had three other college basketball players, including fellow IVCC Eagle Asya Williams. But now in the spotlight a little more, she is doing her thing, and that is making everyone around her instantly better when she steps on the court. “I couldn’t make any of this happen without my teammates making shots” she said. “They make the shots, and we win games, that is all that matters.”

Kistenfeger has had some big games this season shooting and passing the basketball, multiple double digit performance in the points and assists column have made her the unsung hero of this basketball team.

With the pace she is at, and the overall high quality of basketball the Lady Eagles are playing, it would be safe to say Kistenfeger would get wrapped up in the statistics and personal play. No way. “Nationals. Baby, thats the goal, to get to the National Tournament” she said. And that is exactly what IVCC wants to hear.