Aubrey Lamberti held modest expectations for herself when she first arrived with the Oswego East basketball program four years ago.

Modesty.

That is still a trait that fits Lamberti, now a senior. The 5-foot-9 forward will leave Oswego East as that program’s all-time leading scorer. She is second in career rebounds, with accolades that come with that statistical greatness.

And yet Lamberti never carries the airs of a star.

“I definitely did not think I would accomplish all that I did,” Lamberti said. “Freshman year I was on the team, one of the younger girls and we still had other leaders and great players on the team. I was just trying to do whatever I could to be somewhat of an asset to the team.”

Lamberti became a mainstay, and pillar of the Wolves’ success along with fellow senior Desiree Merritt for four years.

Lamberti this season averaged 16.7 points per game, 17.2 in conference games, along with 7.5 rebounds, 3 assists and 2.5 steals. In January she passed Christine Corpuz as Oswego East’s all-time leading scorer with her 1,305th point. She finished with 1,483.

This year she led the Wolves to 18 wins, and a regional final.

And Aubrey Lamberti, for the second consecutive season, is the Record Newspapers Player of the Year.

It is probably hard for Oswego East coach Abe Carretto to envision a lineup without Lamberti, and with good reason. In four seasons she never missed a game.

That consistency carried over to Lamberti’s demeanor.

She never got too high, even the night she set the career scoring record, or the night she went coast-to-coast for a buzzer-beater in a regional semifinal. Likewise, Lamberti rarely got too low.

“She works extremely hard every day in practice and her demeanor is pretty much the same for the most part,” Carretto said. “She doesn’t have these highs and lows; she is pretty calm overall. She just wants to play the game of basketball and she is not worried about these other things. She is focused on the team and winning. Her teammates celebrate her achievements. She doesn’t talk about it much.”

“I try not to let things get to me,” Lamberti said. “After a game that doesn’t go my way I reflect on it, but don’t take it too hard. The accomplishments are exciting but I try to stay humble and not over do it. We celebrate as a team.”

That respect for the game and her peers comes from a young lady who’s been taught the game at a young age.

Her grandfather, Tom, played collegiately at Beloit and coached at Bartlett. Lamberti’s dad, Steve, played at Augustana and has coached at Plainfield Central.

“It’s helped me tremendously being surrounded by basketball,” Lamberti said. “They know the game, the right things to do, the right thing to do in certain situations, going back after games to discuss what I could do better. It’s been so helpful to me throughout my basketball career.”

Lamberti at Oswego East amassed record-breaking scoring numbers despite being a player one wouldn’t necessarily identify as a scorer.

An athletic player for her height, Lamberti was very good scoring in transition, and off rebounds. She developed into an accurate shooter.

And, for a player foremost on opponents’ scouting reporter, Lamberti was quite efficient.

Her shooting percentage the last three years was close to 55% on two-point field goals, around 38% from the three-point line and 80% on free throws.

“I never tried to force it, never went into a game trying to just score,” Lamberti said. “It was always just doing whatever I could to help my team win. When it happens, I’m open, I’d shoot. Doing the other things, the rebounding, all that other stuff helps as well.”

Lamberti plans to do it next at Division III Illinois Wesleyan. She made her commitment in February. She plans to study biology there on the optometry track.

Looking back on her four years at Oswego East, Lamberti reflected on an “amazing journey.”

“I’m just so honored and proud and honestly just so grateful that I have been able to have coaches and teammates to help me get to this point,” Lamberti said. “Being able to play with Desiree and Nicole [Warbinski] has been so much fun. They’re not only talented players but they are amazing teammates and amazing people. We have created such bonds. I wouldn’t be able to accomplish what I did without them.”