« DI Women’s Basketball 2012-13

Victoria McGowan

School
Stetson
Position
Guard
Major
Sport Management
PPG
17.1
RPG
6.7
APG
4.2

Classroom

McGowan is working towards her Bachelor’s degree in Sport Management as well as a minor in Education.  Following the conclusion of her basketball career she plans to attend graduate school to pursue a Master’s Degree in Education and eventually earn a Doctorate degree.  She is on target to graduate in the spring of 2013.

Character

Raised by a single mother in inner city Detroit, McGowan had a tough childhood under some challenging circumstances.  Nothing was given to her; she had to work for everything she received.  She developed a strong work ethic and determination early on to overcome obstacles in her life.  Although she stands only 5’4”, McGowan’s character and perseverance more than make up for her lack of size.  She consistently finds a way to succeed under pressure and she never shies away from taking the critical shot late in a ball game.  Three times last season alone, she hit baskets in the closing seconds of regulation or overtime to tie or win games for the Hatters, and eight times she helped Stetson rally from second-half deficits.  If there is even a fraction of time left on the clock she believes she can help her team win, as demonstrated by her 55-foot buzzer beater in the A-Sun semifinals that was dubbed “The Miracle in Macon” and selected as the top highlight on ESPN SportsCenter’s Top 10 Plays. Personal achievements aside, McGowan’s top priority has always been the success of the team.  As a result she is loved and respected by her teammates.  She is the epitome of a team leader and she does so both vocally and by example.

Community

In addition to her demanding academic and basketball schedule, McGowan has been actively involved in several community youth programs.  She currently volunteers with Blue Lake Elementary’s after school program, where she spends time tutoring and playing games with the students a couple times a month.  In the spring of 2012 she participated at Blue Lake’s “Safety Walk” to promote safety for students who walk to and from school every day.  McGowan along with the rest of her teammates have also participated in several free youth clinics, providing basketball skill instruction to the community’s boys and girls.  McGowan has also volunteered at the local Junior Olympics, an athletic competition among the area schools.

Competition

In just two years with the Hatters, McGowan has become one the most decorated student-athletes in not only Stetson women’s basketball history but in Stetson athletics history. In 2010-11 she was named the Atlantic Sun Conference Championship MVP after leading the fifth-seeded Hatters all the way to their third conference title and second all-time berth in the NCAA Tournament. In 2011-12 she was voted A-Sun Player of the Year as the Hatters won a school-record 23 games and made the program’s first-ever appearance in the WNIT. McGowan led the league in points, assists, steals, field goals made, and free throws made. She also recorded three triple-doubles, making her the only player in Division I last season to record more than one. Averaging better than 15 points per game in her career, McGowan has already surpassed the 1,000-point plateau and has an opportunity to set the school record for career points in 2012-13.  She is a two-time all-conference selection and four-time conference player of the week honoree, and she is the only Hatter in school history regardless of sport to be named both A-Sun Player of the Year and conference tournament MVP.