A second-generation Huskie, NIU forward Whitney Lowe has found her niche as a consistent No. 3 scorer for the NIU women’s basketball team.

The sophomore, whose mother played field hockey for the Huskies, has averaged 11 points per game in her past three games.

Lowe sat down with the Northern Star to talk about her goals as a player, her passion for basketball and her role models.

Northern Star: What made you come to NIU to play basketball?

Whitney Lowe: My mom played field hockey here, and I got a letter one day in the mail.

I was interested, and of course my mom pushed me to really look at Northern.

NS: What would you say the differences are between this year’s team, and last year’s 7-21 team?

WL: I would say, just understanding roles and playing together. I feel that this year we played much more as a team than we did last year.

NS: What do you think you need to work on to become a better player?

WL: First and foremost, my defense. That’s probably the one thing I want work to on the most. And more consistently as far as shooting.

NS: How long have you been playing basketball?

WL: Since I was really little. I remember the first organized lead I played in fourth grade.

NS: What gave you the passion to play ball?

WL: There was another girl that lived down the street when I was little. She was amazing. She went on to play Division III ball. Growing up watching her play, and the boys down the street play, that kind of introduced me to basketball.

NS: Tell me your role model.

WL: I really admire our coaches and what they have done. They are probably my greatest role models, as far as seeing what they accomplished. I respect what they have done.

NS: What mark do you want to leave here at NIU?

WL: I don’t want to be a name that people have heard of. I want to make a mark. Hopefully some team records here at NIU for future Huskies to look up to.

NS: Do you plan to play basketball after you leave the Huskies?

WL: That’s always a dream. I don’t know what the future holds. Right now, I am just hoping to stay healthy and improve day to day. It’s a dream in the back of my mind, so we will have to see.