It wasn’t a fair match up, and Shalee Lehning knew it. Matt was nine years older than his sister, yet he insisted that Shalee find a way to compete with him during their childhood pick-up basketball games.
He was older, more athletic and consistently blocked her shot attempts and won most of the games. Yet, Matt challenged her to find a way around him and to the basket as if he knew his sister would eventually develop into a premier point guard.
“I think that instilled this fire and perseverance inside of me, because I had to find a way to do things a different way than I wanted to,” Lehning said.
That fire and perseverance eventually caught the eye of K-State head coach Deb Patterson in 2005.
Before the 2005 season, head coach Patterson knew she needed a leader who would fill the role of point guard on her team. She also knew she would hand over a large responsibility to that player to lead a young team in a tough Big 12 Conference.
But after the first week of practice that year, the young 5’8” freshman from Sublette, Kan., who found a way to score on her older brother, stepped up to take yet another challenge.
“We were hoping that she could handle the reins of being a young point guard playing major minutes,” Patterson said.
Beginning with her first season in 2005, Lehning became an integral aspect of Patterson’s team. She played in all 34 games averaged 7.0 points and 5.6 assists per game, and set a freshman single season record for assists with 189.
“She has always been a great leader, and very tough,” Patterson said. “She was up to all of the challenges that we put in front of her and she wanted to be challenged. She demonstrated all along a very unique ability to lead and to be tough.”
Her quick success and leadership during her freshman season was recognized as she was selected to the Dallas Morning News Big 12 All Newcomer Team.
“When I came in as a freshman I had no expectations other than I wanted to find a way to contribute to my team. Whatever that needed to be I wanted to do it,” Lehning said.
As her career progressed, Lehning developed a reputation as one of the premier ball distributors in the nation. She set single season assist records each year, and eventually set the record for career assists, passing Megan Mahoney (2002-2005) during the Nov. 25 game this season against University of Texas San Antonio with her 590th assist.
“Every great passer has innate instincts,” Patterson said. “They see things two and three seconds before most people do. They see things developing in the future, and her ability to do it with such speed and precision is what sets her apart.”
Last season, Lehning led the Wildcats to the program’s first outright Big 12 regular season championship. The Wildcats finished the season with a 22-10 regular season record. Averaging 11.3 points and accumulating 203 assists, Lehning was named First Team All Big 12.
Before this season, Lehning was nominated for the John Wooden player of the year award.
“I kind of got the goose bumps,” Lehning said. “To even be considered a candidate is very humbling. I’m grateful for the blessing that I’ve had here and the opportunity to play.”
In 2008 as a senior she guides the Wildcat offens with a prolific and deceiving ease. As an effective manager organizes their employees, Lehning has a keen awareness of her teammates on the court. The unselfish point guard has established herself throughout her distinguished career as a truly exceptional leader at the point.
“Great point guards are able to run your team many times without direction,” Patterson said. “They are able to take and to lead into the heat of battle, and that’s what she does so well.”
With Lehning as point guard, the Wildcats are off to their best start since the 1980-81 season. The season has been highlighted with her third career triple-double performance during the Nov. 25 game at Arkansas State. During the game she posted 11 points, 14 rebounds and 12 assists in route to a 69-58 win. With the performance, Lehning set a Big 12 record with three triple-doubles.
“It was one of those games where when things are going well for you, you can just tell,” she said. “It was actually one of the first times I knew where my numbers were at so I was going after it, but I have to give my teammates credit because they are the ones knocking down shots to get me the assists.” While Lehning has come a long way from getting shots blocked by her older brother, she still is determined to leave a legacy at K-State. She has been humbled by the individual awards gained along the way, yet has her sights set on team-oriented accomplishments.
“I just want people to know that our senior class and me individually gave it all I had every time I stepped foot on the floor,” Lehning said. “That I was more consumed with our team and representing the Kansas State jersey more than any individual accolade that I could get.”
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