Lauren Hernandez lost a year of competition but she gained a lot of knowledge by watching from the bench. North Central (Ill.) athletics photo by Steve Woltmann

By Josh Smith

A common theme among Division III athletes, is a passion for the sport they play.

It’s hard to question the love of basketball that North Central’s Lauren Hernandez possesses considering the hardships she has endured to return to the court this season.

Since February 2014, Hernandez has overcome two ACL tears and rehabbed from three surgeries. Now after spending a season as a student assistant coach, she is back on the hardwood hoping to the lead the Cardinals back to the NCAA Tournament.

“She stayed positive and got after it. I mean, the kid has worked so hard for 18 months to get back on the court,” NCC coach Michelle Roof said.

Hernandez suffered her initial ACL injury near the end of the 2013-14 season while making a jump-stop.

“I wanted to score, so my upper body went one way and I felt like my leg just went the other way,” Hernandez recalled.

With a recovery time of six to eight months, she was optimistic about playing her senior season later that year. And she was surprised at how quickly she healed.

“It was unbelievable how fast I came back. I couldn’t believe it,” Hernandez said. “Everything felt fine.”

However, during an open gym – just days before the 2014-15 season was set to begin – while making a similar jump-stop, she felt a familiar pain.

“It didn’t feel as drastic as the first one,” Hernandez said, noting it was almost eight months to the day of her first injury. “When I went down, I just started bawling because ... I knew I had re-done it and it was my senior year and the season was supposed to start in a week. It was just terrible.”

“Our whole team was devastated,” Roof added.

Hernandez scheduled surgery for Nov. 4, 2014. But her ACL wasn’t repaired immediately. Instead, her doctor needed to perform a bone graft before the actual ACL surgery could take place.

“Basically, he wanted to put bone into the tunnel that was previously cut so then when he goes in, he can re-do and cut however he wants to do it.”

That surgery required nearly four months to allow the bone to heal, which meant the second ACL surgery needed to wait until March. During that time, Hernandez made the decision to return to the team – even if she would have to miss the early portion of the 2015-16 schedule.

“I knew right then and there that I was coming back,” Hernandez said. “I just didn’t know the timeline of when I was going to come back.”

Knowing her player’s personality, Roof said she was not surprised that Hernandez chose to keep playing.

“From the injury standpoint, I’m a little surprised that she’s coming back – again, after everything she’s been through,” Roof said. “But in terms of the heart, the enjoyment and the passion that she plays with it ... I couldn’t imagine her not (playing) if she had an opportunity.”

The second ACL surgery took place in March. And with a rigorous rehab routine, Hernandez was back with the team in time for the Cardinals’ season opener.

“I had three surgeries in about a year and a half,” Hernandez said. “Now I’m back, and it feels better than ever. I feel so much stronger. I feel way better than I did the first time.”

Her return to the court on Nov. 13 was an emotional one for her and her team.

“I felt like that was my first college basketball game,” Hernandez explained. “I had butterflies in my stomach.”

“When she got announced for starting lineups, I almost got a little teary-eyed. It was pretty emotional to see her run out there,” Roof said.

The point guard’s return this season has gone smoothly. Although she missed last season, she has a different perspective toward the game after serving as a student assistant.

“I’m definitely very grateful for that experience,” Hernandez said. “I got to see a lot of things you don’t see as a player. As you’re sitting there through every single game, you see what we’re doing wrong, what we’re doing well, what needs to be fixed. I think it’s really helped me as a player now.”

According to Roof, working as an assistant coach kept Hernandez preoccupied rather than focusing on her injury.

“We really wanted to come up with a way to keep her involved and give her a purpose,” Roof said. “She really grasped it. She worked a lot with our point guards.

“The way that she sees the floor now is just so much better than it was when she got injured. She understands the options. She understands the overall goals and philosophies that we’re trying to accomplish out there,” Roof continued. “The way that she sees the floor, finds shooters and creates scoring opportunities – for herself and for her teammates – is better than it ever was before.”

Thrilled to be on the court and determined not to take this season for granted, Hernandez would like to lead the Cardinals back to the NCAA Tournament.

“I think we’re set up for a really good year,” Hernandez said.

Roof is optimistic about North Central’s chances as well.

“I really like this team. I think we’re going to be a little better defensively than we’ve been in the past,” Roof said. “Our goal is to play at the top of the CCIW; give ourselves a chance to compete to win the conference; and we’d love to return to the NCAA Tournament. I think we’ve got the speed, we’ve got the athleticism, we’ve got the defense to do it.”

More than anything, Roof said Hernandez serves has inspiration for the team every day.

“The fact that she’s back and leading our team is motivation for everybody,” Roof said. “She’s brought a lot of passion and motivation to our team.”

“I hope that she’s smiling out there. I hope that she plays with confidence,” the coach added. “I’d like to see her make some shots, but really just have a great experience – enjoy and love her last opportunity to get out there and play.”

Central Region clippings

The Eureka women’s basketball team hosted Illinois College Nov. 13 at midnight, marking the first official NCAA women’s basketball contest across all divisions. The Lady Blues spoiled the debut of the renovated and renamed Christine Bonati Bollwinkle Arena and Convocation Center. Melissa Solorio scored 21 points and grabbed 12 points to lead Illinois College to a 74-69 victory. 

Millikin sophomore T.J. Sims made 23 straight free throws in a 115-113 win over Greenville Nov. 21. He finished the game 23-of-25 at the line, breaking the school record for made free throws in a game that was set in 1951. His 25 free throw attempts also broke a school record. Sims scored 43 points in the Big Blue’s win.

Caitlin Knueppel secured MVP honors at the Paul F. Knueppel Classic after scoring a career-high 25 points in Wisconsin Lutheran’s back-to-back wins over Finlandia and Calvin. The sophomore made 11-of-17 3-point attempts in the two games.

Mitchell Reinthaler recorded career-highs in points and rebounds, leading St. Norbert to a 68-62 win over UW-Oshkosh Nov. 16. He finished with a double-double, scoring 19 points to go with 10 rebounds.

1,000 points

Millikin’s T.J. Griffin scored his 1,000th career point during the Big Blue’s 115-113 win over host Greenville during the CCIW/SLIAC challenge Nov. 21. The senior now has 1,003 points at Millikin.

Check in

Do you have a story idea for the Around the Central column? Contact me about broken records, approaching milestones, breakout players or any other storylines from the Region. Or just drop me a note to let me know what you think of the column. All ideas and feedback are welcome. Email me at josh.smith@d3sports.com or follow me on Twitter @By_Josh_Smith.

Around the Central Region was written by Josh Smith during the 2015-16 season. Josh covers high school and Division III athletics for the Daily Jefferson County Union in Fort Atkinson, Wis. He has won multiple awards for reporting and photography and contributes to multiple publications in addition to his duties at the Daily Union, including D3sports.com beginning in 2012. He graduated from UW-Whitewater with a degree in print journalism.