Shakeela Fowler has made a big impression for the Redbirds this season. (Photo courtesy goRedbirds.com)
By Bryan Bloodworth
NORMAL – Shakeela Fowler was the lone Illinois State women’s basketball player to earn Missouri Valley Conference postseason honors when she was named to the all-freshman team Wednesday.
The 5-foot-3 Fowler has played in 26 of 29 games and has logged a team-leading 808 minutes. She is second on the team in scoring with an 11.2 average and first in assists with 73, which ranks ninth in the league. She also has 33 steals.
“I’m very excited for her,” said ISU coach Barb Smith of the Milwaukee, Wis., native. “I think she deserves it. I think she’s had to play a major role for us and has done a great job with that role. We’ve leaned heavily on her and it’s interesting because when she first came to campus we talked to her about having to take on a major role because we didn’t have a true point guard.
“That got her excited about coming here. I think she’s on her way to becoming a very, very good basketball player. I don’t even think she knows how good she can be yet. I’m really excited about her future.”
Fowler will lead her teammates into the league tournament at iWireless Center in Moline where they meet Evansville in the opening round at 7 p.m. Thursday. The Redbirds are the No. 7 seed with an 8-21 record, while the Aces are the No. 10 seed with a 2-27 mark.
“Seeding means nothing,” said Smith, whose team has defeated the Aces twice this season. “What you’ve done in the conference means nothing because everybody is 0-0 and everybody is playing their basketball and everybody wants to win. Tournament time is so different and so exciting.
“We’ve been talking all week that this is not the Evansville that we’ve played before. This is going to be a better team that we’re going to see. We’ve got to play consistently. We have to have an inside-out attack. We have to have all cylinders rolling. You have to play your basketball. There is no wiggle room at this time of year.”
Smith said the formula for success is simple for the Redbirds.
“Make shots. Hit shots. We need to hit shots,” added Smith. “We can’t rely on one or two people to do it. Everyone has to be ready. Everyone has to take the shots they know they’re supposed to take. We have to get those shots, which means we have to share the ball, move it around and get the shots we know we can hit.”
And on the defensive end?
“We have to play a five-person defense,” Smith continued. “It’s not going to be one person stopping one person on their team. It’s a collective unit. We have to be solid. Our rotations have to be solid. We have to be definitely a team on that end of the floor. I’m expecting a great defensive effort on their part. I’m expecting a battle.”
Bryan Bloodworth can be reached at [email protected]
