By Zach Waltz
Sports Assignment Editor
Senior forward Chelsea Bowker is leading the women’s basketball team far past expectations this season, as they were predicted to finish towards the bottom of the Atlantic 10
The Bonnies are 19-7 on the season with an 8-3 record in conference play, putting them in second place behind the 8-1 Dayton Flyers. Before their recent 72-65 loss to St. Louis on Wednesday, the Bonnies were on a seven game win streak.
Bowker currently ranks third in three pointers in the A-10 with 67 made and fourth in three-point field-goal percentage with .404.
Bowker said while her forte is from behind the arc, she prefers to stay with the team’s offensive system and get the ball in the post to sophomore forwards Katie Healy and Hannah Little along with redshirt freshman forward Gabby Richmond.
“I would rather get a shot at the basket through our post than a three pointer,” Bowker said. “When I’m open, my teammates are always finding me. Honestly if I’m open, I’ll shoot it, but if my teammate is open under the hoop, it’s a better percentage shot, and I’d rather get them the ball. Our goal is to work through the post and kick it out if we need to.”
With senior forward Ashley Zahn sidelined for the entire season and fifth-year senior walk-on guard Jill Murphy spending most of her time on the bench, Bowker is the only upperclassman consistently on the court. She has been forced to step up and be a leader on and off the court for the entire team. Bowker said it’s easy to be a leader when her teammates are so easy to lead.
“Honestly, they’re a really good group of girls to work with,” Bowker said. “I know they’re young, but they listen and do what they’re told. They make my job really easy. I keep them in line when I’m supposed to, and they keep me in line also.”
Additionally, Bowker said that other people on the team like Healy and sophomore guard Emily Michael also serve as leaders in their own way.
“I’m not really the sole leader on the team,” Bowker said. “There’s many of us that lead in different ways.”
Head Coach Jim Crowley gives most of the credit to Bowker for the team’s success this season, saying that her leadership is what guides the younger players into playing as a team.
“We wouldn’t have the success we’re having without the leadership Chelsea is providing,” Crowley said. “It’s really underrated how much she has sacrificed. She’s had to become a player that not only has to worry about a couple teammates, she has to worry about them all. She has to worry about them on the floor. She has to worry about them off the floor.”
Crowley said Bowker has been crucial for the Bonnies to spread the floor and work their offense and added that she has improved her defensive game.
“She’s been really terrific in spreading the floor and knocking down threes,” Crowley said. “On the defensive side of things, she’s really stepped up when we needed her and made big plays. She’s relied on our system defensively. She’s as uniquely a competitive kid as I’ve ever coached.”
Bowker said the Bonnies have been able to overcome the expectation they wouldn’t play well this year by coming together as a unit and playing for each other.
“We knew coming into this season that we weren’t picked among the top,” Bowker said. “It didn’t really bother us. Being an underdog is always better than being on top. If someone expects you to win, it puts pressure on you. We just go out and play together and play for one another. No one on our team is looking to score many points. If someone’s open, we’re looking to dish it.”
The Bonnies have five more games left in the season. They will try to get their 20th win of the season against Duquesne tomorrow at 1 p.m. Duquesne is third in the A-10 with an 8-3 conference record and an overall record of 16-8. The game is this year’s Play 4 Kay game in honor of women’s basketball coaching legend Kay Yow, who coached at NC State and passed away in 2009 from breast cancer.
