Xavier’s Andersen has bounced back

CEDAR RAPIDS - Senior McKenna Andersen is in her final season as a member Xavier girls' basketball, a career that started with a bump in the road.

While playing defense in a preseason scrimmage her sophomore year, Andersen tore her ACL. When she found out she would have to take the entire season off, she was devastated.

'I missed the feeling of being able to contribute and help my team out on the floor,” she said. 'I missed being able to do simple things, like run up and down the floor and do a simple jump shot.”

Andersen said she missed every aspect of the game, including playing alongside her teammates.

'Any time you miss a teammate from an injury, it affects the team chemistry,” Coach Tom Lilly said.

Despite Andersen's obvious obstacles, she felt more motivated than ever to get back out and play the sport she loved.

The ACL is a ligament that helps give the knee its stability. A torn ACL is one of the most common types of knee injuries. The road to recovery is long and requires physical and mental strength.

When it came to healing her knee, Andersen hit the ground running.

'I worked out six days a week, both exercises to strengthen my knee and basketball exercises and drills,” she said. 'I attended physical therapy twice a week for the first four months and then I went down to once a week for the next few months.

'I had to face the fact that I was the only one that could heal my injury; people could guide me, but I had to put in the time and effort.”

Andersen said she no longer takes any games or practices for granted and feels much more appreciative of her ability to simply play the game. She is averaging 8.0 points and 4.7 rebounds. Both rank second on the team.

'I can't imagine coaching without her,” Lilly said.

The Saints are 4-5 overall.