CARBONDALE – Quierra Love didn’t have a typical freshman season.
In fact, it was far from it for the 2020 Edwardsville High School graduate.
Love’s first year on the Southern Illinois University Carbondale women’s basketball team came with COVID restrictions that included a shortened season with limited travel.
The Salukis played just 25 games, including 18 inside the Missouri Valley Conference. They finished the year with a 9-16 record.
But this season, the COVID restrictions have been eased and Love is enjoying every bit of her college basketball life in Carbondale.
“It’s really fun,” Love said. “Last year, we weren’t able to travel much, we had masks on and had to have a certain number of seats between each other.
“It’s great now that we’re able to relax a bit and talk to each other without masks. It’s awesome.”
The Salukis are off to a 2-3 start this season, including a split that Compass Challenge on Friday and Saturday at Western Illinois University in Macomb.
The 5-4 point guard Love is averaging 6.0 points and has appeared in all five games. She leads the team with 29 assists and nine steals.
“I think I’ve been doing pretty good. I have amazing teammates that are there to back me up and support what I do. It helps me a lot,” Love said.
As a freshman, Love averaged 5.5 points, 2.0 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.0 steals in 25 games, including 13 starts. She scored a career-high 16 points in a win over Indiana State on March 11.
A three-time All-Southwestern Conference selection and All-State honoree at Edwardsville, where she scored over 1,000 points and holds the program record for career steals, Love said the switch from high school to the college game was a bit of an eye-opener.
“In my first game my freshman year, I was just shocked at how fast the pace was,” Love said. “As I’ve gotten in better shape and more acclimated with it, I’ve gotten better with it.”
At EHS, Love was one of the quickest players in the region. She was a state qualifier in track and field in the 200-meter dash as a sophomore.
Since that first game with the Salukis, Love said she has been able to make the adjustment to the speed.
“I have learned how to use my speed thanks to my coaches and trainers,” Love said.
While Love needed time to adjust to the speed, she didn’t to the physicality of the game despite being listed at just 5-4. No one else on the SIU roster is smaller than 5-8.
“I have never been worried about my size,” Love said. “I was taught to be fearless regardless of how short or tall you are as long as you play your game.”
Love said it is a mentality she has played with her whole life.
“It was something my parents taught me as a life lesson,” Love said.
With Love running the offense, the Salukis are averaging 65.4 points this season. They are shooting 43.3 percent from the field.
Along with Love, SIU features former Edwardsville Tiger Makenize Silvey, Litchfield native Abby Brockmeyer and St. Charles native Gabby Walker. Each of the three is averaging double figures.
“I definitely think this team has a lot of potential. When we work together, we make magic,” Love said.
Love is hoping that magic translates into victories.
“I want to win,” Love said, “and this team has a lot of potential to do that.”
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December 07, 2021 at 05:32AM
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Love enjoying start to sophomore season - The Edwardsville Intelligencer
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