‘Hasn't been another player at Northern like her': Fillipi cements legacy with Wolves
ABERDEEN, S.D. (KELO) — Basketball players are often looked at by how many points they score and while that's important, there are several other categories on the stat sheet. Northern State's Rianna Fillipi learned that lesson early, sparking one of the best careers in Wolves history.
'It's actually one of the greatest feelings ever, especially to have it at Northern State here,' Fillipi said. 'Everybody is just behind you.'
Rianna Fillipi was a standout at Lennox High School, where she averaged double figures in scoring and earned All-State honors in 2019.
'I'm a gut recruiter and when I see it, I know,' Northern State head coach Paula Krueger said. 'I can't really tell you what 'it' is, but I can feel 'it' and she had 'it'.'
Fillipi committed to play for Paula Krueger and Northern State. From the moment she walked on campus, a lot of trust was placed in the 5'8″ point guard.
'She's who I chose to build my program on,' Krueger said. 'I think every head coach when you come in and you're going through that process, you find that one person that you know you can trust with everything.'
Fillipi has scored in double figures her entire career, but her elite passing ability was showcased early.
Rianna has tallied 566 career assists, shattering the old program record of 400. She's also the NSIC leader in assists each of the last two seasons.
'My eyes just kind of light up, it's what I gravitate towards,' Fillipi said. 'If I can drive down the middle of the paint and find a three point shooter and I have Michaela or Alayna in the corner. I just know it's an automatic assist.'
Fillipi has left an everlasting mark on the Wolves program, becoming the first player to ever tally 1,500 points, 500 rebounds and 500 assists.
'Every single game is just special, to just take it game by game and enjoy it,' Fillipi said.
'There hasn't been another player at Northern like her, and I can say that with tremendous confidence,' Krueger said. 'I can say that because I played here, I was an assistant here, and I've coached here now as a head coach. What she means to the program I don't know that we'll truly feel, until she's not here anymore. I hope that that's still three or four weeks down the road.'
Northern State will face either USF or Minnesota Crookston in the NSIC Quarterfinals on Sunday.
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