It was not a winning season for the Lindbergh girls basketball team. Despite several close games, the Eagles sputtered to a 2-14 record.

Amongst that sophomore Emily Graver excelled.

Graver led the Eagles in points (17.3 per game), rebounds (8.2), assists (2.0), steals (3.3) and blocks (0.4). She took almost 100 more free throws than any teammate. She brought the ball up the court and played in the post.

“I felt like I had to carry the team because of its experience and mine,” Graver said. “It was hard at first; but as the end of the season came, I got used to it.”

Lindbergh coach Allen Dodson doesn’t have any qualms about the burden he put on Graver.

“I put tremendous pressure on her,” he said. “As a sophomore at her age, I have a lot of respect for her to handle that pressure.”

Opposing teams also pressured Graver… the second time around.

“The first time we played teams they didn’t worry about me,” Graver said. “The second time, the coaches were yelling, ‘Get No. 44!’”

The extra defensive attention wasn’t enough. Graver scored in double digits every game this season and had nine double-doubles.

Dodson knew right away his team would struggle to win this year. The rest of the Lindbergh team wasn’t bad, there was just too much inexperience to win many games.

“We had to make the youth movement,” he said. “We knew we were going to take our bruises. It was just a growing season for us.”

Despite her play, Graver was oddly left off the Seamount all-league first and second teams. She did snag an honorable mention.

She was second in the league scoring (13th in the state) and fifth in rebounding.

“The stats should speak for themselves,” Dodson said. “If you say you don’t know who Emily Graver is, something’s wrong because that’s who was on the floor for the Eagles.”