The Whitfield sophomore grabbed one rebound and missed the only shot she took in the Warriors' 65-45 loss to Edwardsville on Thursday.

Yet if there were a way to measure importance, the 5-foot-11-inch newcomer to the sport of basketball was the star of game.

Maybe the star of the Warriors' entire season.

Dahlhoff made the decision to join the shorthanded squad in order to keep the tradition-rich program temporarily afloat.

She had never competed in an organized basketball game on any level prior to Thursday's contest. A volleyball and soccer player, she was recruited by sophomore teammate Amali McBride in order to allow the team to resume its season.

"She's our hero," said McBride, who tallied a team-high 24 points in the loss.

Whitfield was forced to shut down the team Dec. 9 after the already thin squad of six players was reduced to four when two players left the program.

A few weeks later, Dahlhoff decided to step up and save the day.

"No doubt, we're playing again because of her," Whitfield coach Chris Ellis. "Without her, we wouldn't be here right now."

Dahlhoff looked like a newbie at times. She hustled up and down the court but went through six- and seven-minute stretches without touching the ball.

It didn't matter.

Her presence on the team actually made it a team.

"It was weird and exhausting," Dahlhoff said of her debut. "It was definitely a mess. But I felt OK."

Dahlhoff was on the school's soccer team that won the Class 1 state title last spring. She also was a regular on the junior varsity volleyball team in the fall.

The two-sport participant was approached by McBride, her good friend, about possibly rounding out the basketball roster so the group could move forward.

"I thought, 'Why not?' " Dahlhoff said. "I really wanted to help my friends."

Dahlhoff has done just that.

And her effort is greatly appreciated.

"When I heard the news I went to church and said, 'Thank God we've got a basketball team again,' " Ellis said.

The Warriors put forth a gutsy effort against Edwardsville (9-11), a traditional statewide toughie in Illinois.

Whitfield's lone senior, Tkiyah Nelson, added 16 points. Sophomore Kali Whitfield chipped in with five points to round out the scoring.

The fact that the Warriors got on the court after a 41-day hiatus was an accomplishment in itself.

Dahlhoff had to get in the required 14 practice sessions to become eligible.

So the team was relegated to several long, hard weeks of practice to prepare for Thursday's grand re-opening.

"Great to be out there again," McBride said.

Whitfield (3-3) is traditionally a statewide power.

The Warriors finished second in Class 5 last season losing to West Plains 50-37 in the title game. They have reached the final four five times over the last six seasons and won the Class 5 title in 2021.

Whitfield is 166-47 over the past seven-plus seasons.

The program's shutdown in early December took the basketball community by surprise. Most of the Warriors' opponents have been extremely sympathetic to their plight.

Edwardsville coach Caty Happe removed her starters just more than four minutes into the contest after the Tigers rolled out to a 9-2 lead. She also put in five more fresh bodies with 1:22 left in the period, using 15 players in the opening quarter.

"It breaks my heart," Happe said. "You look at these banners (in the gym) and see how good they were. It's sad. I hope they can continue to get kids to come out."

Whitfield trailed 14-2 after just over five minutes but managed to make a strong run later in the half to chop a 15-point deficit to 27-22 on a steal and layup by McBride. Nelson contributed a long-range jumper and a conventional 3-point play to a 14-4 run.

But Edwardsville simply wore down the host's five-player roster in the second half.

The Warriors walked away feeling like winners simply because they got the chance to get their season off and running again.

"I was so disappointed when we realized we wouldn't be able to play," McBride said. "But eventually, we got back here."

Ellis was overjoyed with the performance of his shorthanded team, which also included freshman Kayli McGee-Williams.

"I couldn't be prouder of them than if they won the state championship," Ellis said.