Libertyville guard Jenna Stowe tempered her expectations for her sophomore season.
Stowe, who also plays soccer, knew the varsity team was a possibility but tried not to get her hopes up.
“I prepared myself for either outcome,” she said. “I came into tryouts with an open mind.”
But Stowe proceeded to open people’s eyes. After making the varsity team, she scored 14 points on 4-of-5 3-point shooting during the Wildcats’ season-opening win over Barrington.
“I was definitely excited but also nervous about not making any mistakes,” Stowe said. “When I made my first 3-pointer, it gave me confidence, and my teammates kept encouraging me to shoot. After the second one went in, I really tried to stay calm and let the game come to me.
“After the game, it was a really special feeling to have my first varsity game go that way. But I knew that was only the start and there was more to come.”
Indeed, the 5-foot-4 Stowe has helped the Wildcats (23-5, 12-1) overcome a series of injuries to remain in the hunt for the North Suburban Conference title and earn the top seed in the Class 4A Rockford Guilford Sectional.
Stowe is averaging 5.0 points, 1.7 assists and 1.6 steals, is shooting 34% from beyond the arc and also takes some of the ball-handling pressure off star junior point guard Lily Fisher.
“Jenna can play point guard and give Lily a break,” Libertyville coach Greg Pedersen said. “She doesn’t turn the ball over and finds people in space and can run the offense. On a team without Lily, her numbers would be staggering.
“She has long arms and is really disciplined and also reads the floor well and is able to get steals, tips.”
With Fisher sidelined for the Wildcats’ conference game against Lake Forest on Feb. 5, Stowe handled the majority of the duties at point guard. She finished with seven points and five steals in Libertyville’s 43-34 win.
“My main goal was to take care of the ball and create opportunities to find my teammates,” Stowe said. “It was a must-win game for the team. … That was a great team win on the road.”
Fisher, whose older sister Emily is a junior guard at Nebraska, said Stowe has been essential in the Wildcats’ pursuit of a second straight conference title.
“Jenna brings a lot to our team on the court,” Fisher said. “One of her biggest strengths is her basketball IQ. She makes smart decisions, sees the floor well and knows how to get all her teammates involved. She’s also really consistent and dependable, which makes a huge difference for us.”
Stowe has impressed senior shooting guard Ella Pawelczyk too.
“Jenna has become a crucial part of our team, especially our offense,” Pawelczyk said. “As a point guard, Jenna brings a sense of calm to the court. She plays one of the hardest positions and handles it so well. She sees the court so well and is always able to find the open player.
“You can really tell her confidence has increased, and that’s going to be super important going into the postseason.”
The playoffs are right around the corner. On Feb. 17, the Wildcats will play eighth-seeded Zion-Benton in the 4A Mundelein Regional semifinals.
“I cannot wait for the postseason,” Stowe said. “It’s really exciting to be a part of a team that has high goals. We’ve had a lot of success so far, and we’re focused on continuing to improve and hopefully making a deep postseason run.”
This is only the beginning for Stowe.
“I’m happy with my season,” she said. “But I still have so much to improve and to keep working on.”
Bobby Narang is a freelance reporter.
