Blissett taking pride in defense

MEQUON, Wis. – Sammi Blissett won't be the leading scorer for the Falcons and she is perfectly fine with that. Concordia University Wisconsin doesn't need her to be, because she is helping the team in other ways, especially on the defensive end of the court.

The sophomore point guard entered the season as an unknown to the coaching staff and her teammates. Not because they didn't know who she was, but 10 games and a total of 29 minutes during her rookie season last year just wasn't enough to gauge what she could do.

"I didn't expect to become a starter coming into the season," the Springfield, Ill., native said. "I thought I would get more minutes, but definitely not starting and playing as much as I do. I came into this year wanting to show coach that I improved and to help the team win."

Blissett knows she doesn't have to be the team's leading scorer, but does know her hard work and determination on the defensive end is what the Falcons need to put a check in the win column. Thus far, she has helped the Falcons to an 8-2 record, which is the second best start before the Christmas break in program history.

"Sammi isn't high maintenance, like an offensive-minded player is," head coach Stacey Brunner-Jones said. "In general, she is quiet and low maintenance like Anna Butler (former point guard). I don't have to worry about Sammi very much. I love working with her and tweaking her game to help her become a great point guard. Her consistency as a sophomore has really impressed me."

It obviously takes talent to be a good defensive player, but work ethic is an asset Blissett possesses to the fullest. She gives more effort than almost everyone on the floor and has the mindset to be the best defensive player, even when playing as many as 38 minutes.

Opponents around the conference don't know what they are going up against until it's too late. Last Saturday was impressive to say the least, because Aurora University's Bethany Dorrington entered the R. John Buuck Field House as 20 point per game scorer and an All-NACC First Team selection. It quickly became evident that Blissett had the upper hand in the first half. Dorrington missed her first five shots before making a layup and Blissett made her life difficult well into the second half. What is more exciting for CUW, is that Blissett frustrated her to the point that the Spartans offense was thrown off rhythm because Dorrington finished 2-of-15 from the field.

"I would rather shut down the best scorer on the other team, than scoring 30 points myself," Blissett said. "It is fun watching the top scorer on the team get frustrated and it gets me pumped up."

Even though she takes pride in being a lockdown defender, Blissett is still the Falcons point guard, which is a role she learning every day. Despite the learning curve, she is 10th in NACC play with a 3.1 assists per game average.

It wouldn't be hard in today's media driven society to compare Blissett to some of the great defensive point guards of the past and even some in today's professional game, but Falcons fans are reminded of a former defensive-minded point guard who recently played – Anna Butler.

The comparisons are eerie, as they both stand 5-foot-6 and talk about defense first, and will eventually get around to the scoring aspect of the game. Butler brought a defensive tenacity to the court when guarding the opponent's leading scorer, or irritated her teammates during practices, which will be remembered for quite some time. Blissett has some of the same qualities as Butler and is still learning how good she can be in her role as CUW's starting point guard.

"I am proud about that with our program that younger players come in and look at older players, and try and do what they do," Brunner-Jones said. "It was evident last year what a great defender and rebounder Anna was. Sammi isn't as strong at this point in her career as Anna was last year, but she is becoming her own player and has a bright future."

It doesn't appear as if Blissett will ease up anytime soon on defense, but one thing is for sure winning is the most important thing to her and, of course, locking down the opposition's best scorer.