3/10/2010

By BOB DAVIDSON

Salina Journal

Karly Buer readily admits there will be pressure when she and her Concordia teammates take the court in their first game of the Class 4A girls state tournament at the Bicentennial Center.

Buer, though, welcomes the pressure and expectations that accompany being the top-ranked team and defending tournament champions.

"There's always some pressure, but I consider pressure a good thing," said Buer, Concordia's starting point guard and the lone returning starter from last year's team. "Coaches always say that it's better to be on top and have people trying to knock you off than not being on top at all."

Despite four new starters, the Panthers haven't skipped a beat. They enter tonight's 6:15 contest against Basehor-Linwood with a 23-0 record after going 26-0 last season.

Buer, a senior, has played a pivotal role in keeping Concordia on top. She's averaging 19.8 points, 6.2 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 3.9 steals, and is Concordia's career leader in scoring, assists and steals.

Next season, she'll play at the NCAA Division I level for Missouri State after signing with the Bears in the fall.

"She loves the game of basketball, and she has a great attitude," Concordia coach Derek Holmes said. "She'll do whatever it takes to help our team win. She's a very humble person and a great kid on and off the court. She's the type of kid every coach wants to coach."

Buer has been on the floor during Concordia's 49-game winning streak.

"She can shoot the 3, and she can go right and left and shoot the pull-up mid-range jumper," Holmes said. "She's a very smart basketball player."

Buer points to long hours of hard work during the offseason as the reason the Panthers have remained on top.

"It's our hard work and determination. All summer all of our teammates were in the gym working and were really dedicated and worked really hard," she said.

Junior forward Paige Champlin and junior guard Chelsie Monzon were reserves last season and saw considerable duty. Now starters, Champlin averages 13.2 points and 9.5 rebounds and Monzon averages six points and 3.4 assists.

Skyler Muff, a 6-foot sophomore, and Melissa Hartsel, a 6-2 junior, round out the starting lineup. Muff averages 7.5 points and 4.5 rebounds, and Hartsel 12.8 points and 8.4 rebounds while shooting 67 percent from the field.

Buer was the immediate and obvious choice to lead this year's team, but it required some adjustments on her part.

"I was a captain last year, but my leadership role was more by example," she said. "I wasn't as vocal as some of the seniors last year.

"This year, coach Holmes asked me to be more vocal before the season started. I took that into consideration and feel I'm being more vocal, and I think it has helped get the team more motivated."

While Buer, Champlin and Monzon played in last year's state tournament, Buer says other girls on this year's team were there as well and benefitted from the experience.

"Experience is always an advantage, no matter how much experience it is," she said. "We had a lot of girls that went to state last year and just watched. But just being in the atmosphere and getting the feel of the floor and the gym really helps out a lot."

Personally speaking, Buer said having played in the BiCenter helps, especially when it comes to shooting.

"It certainly does take some getting used to. There's nothing behind the goals to concentrate on. You have to concentrate on the rim and not let it bother you," she said.

Playing before a large and loud red-clad crowd also helps. Concordia fans swarmed to the Bicentennial Center a year ago to support the Panthers and will likely do it again this year.

"Last year, looking up in the stands it was like a sea of red," Buer said. "It was really amazing to have that many fans come watch us."

That said, Buer says the Panthers will have to stay grounded.

"We have to stay focused, we can't let any of the excitement get to us or be over-nervous," she said. "We have to go in confident and play like we know how to play."

Concordia survived its toughest test of the season in its sub-state championship game Saturday night in Topeka. The Panthers outlasted Silver Lake 50-48 in a see-saw battle that was their closest game of the season.

"We hadn't had a close game all season, and you know in the state tournament there's going to be close games," Buer said. "I think that was an eye-opener for us and it builds some confidence knowing we could win those tough games."

Buer said she's glad the decision to attend Missouri State is behind her. She was a popular player with collegiate recruiters last season, drawing attention from Kansas, Kansas State, Wichita State, Creighton, South Dakota State along with a host of other schools, making for some hectic nights.

"Last year, I was always nervous wanting to know which scouts were in the gym. There were some stressful nights," she said. "This year, I already had that taken care of and can just go out and play and have fun."

Buer says Missouri State was the perfect fit for her.

"First off, the coaches and players at Missouri State are all phenomenal, and I got along with all of them really well," she said. "In Springfield (Mo.) the fan base for the Missouri State Bears is amazing. It's like a family atmosphere down there."

For Buer, the 2009-2010 season has been what she terms "different."

"It's almost like it's a completely different team because we lost four starters," she said. "I don't know if it's necessarily more fun or less fun, but it's just different."

Of course, Buer and her teammates hope the outcome of this year's state tournament won't be different and ends with Concordia winning its fourth state title.

"That would be awesome," she said.

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