Bowman’s Kahlen Robinson was determined to do more this season.
She wasn’t satisfied after starting for teams that won just 14 games over two years.
“Last season, I did pretty good, pretty decent,” she said. “But I told myself I was going to go hard this year. This was my year. I told myself this was my year. Put up big numbers.
“That’s what I told myself. It’s come natural.”
Indeed, the 5-foot-6 junior guard is averaging 19.3 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 5.8 steals. She paces the Eagles in each category except rebounds.
Robinson broke out to post 16.6 points, 3.8 rebounds and 5.8 steals last season, which ended with a loss in a Class 2A sectional opener to Illiana Christian. Her path to this season began with that game, one in which she noted she scored just four points, matching her season low.
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“After losing sectionals in the first round, I wasn’t sad, but I was down,” Robinson said. “I had to tell myself, ‘I got it next year.’ Everybody kept telling me that. I kept that in mind.”
Robinson and the Eagles (8-5) have gotten back up this season, already eclipsing their total victories from last season. As they focus on pursuing their first sectional championship since winning their only titles in 2011 and 2012, coach Antonio Taylor pointed to Robinson as the catalyst.
“We got us a good one,” Taylor said. “I’m just hoping she stays healthy, mentally and physically. She just has to understand the road she has ahead of her is not going to be easy. Bowman’s on her back right now. She has to understand what she has to do. It’s the first time she’s been in this situation, and actually the whole team. We had to learn how to win, and now we’re learning how to build leads and hold them.
“Kahlen has grown a lot, and we’ve grown a lot as a team. The culture has changed. I’m very proud of the work the girls have put in, just to become better. They’re learning.”
Junior forward Janiyah Jackson, a co-captain with Robinson, said Robinson “helps keep the team up and running.”
“She’s a great part of our team,” Jackson said. “She’s really good at facilitating the ball, making sure everybody touches the ball. She’s a very aggressive player, in a good way. She knows how to take control and attack the basket. If she needs to pass, she can pass. I love playing with Kahlen.”
Even though Robinson started as a freshman, she had a long way to go at that point, according to Taylor.
“When we first got Kahlen, she was straight raw,” he said. “Straight raw. The first two years were character-building. You have to get that character together. If you don’t have character, they’re not going to see you at the next level.
“She’s done a 180. She’s vocal. When she first got here, she wasn’t vocal. Last year, she was a captain, but she was a captain with no voice. And now she’s a captain with a voice, and they listen to her.”
The Eagles also rely on Robinson — sometimes too much, according to Taylor.
“Our team feeds off Kahlen,” Taylor said. “If Kahlen is having a bad game, we’re going to have a bad game. If Kahlen is having a phenomenal game, we’re going to have a phenomenal game. The team has to understand we can’t keep going that way. If Kahlen is down, we have to pick Kahlen up.”
Robinson has tried to expedite the process.
“My attitude’s improved,” she said. “I’m still working on it, but I’m improving and getting my teammates involved. I’m not the only one who can score. Get my teammates involved and push them to become better. Sometimes they have low self-confidence, and I have to push them, push their confidence up.”
Robinson pushed herself during Bowman’s tournament last week. She had 23 points, five rebounds and eight steals in the Eagles’ overtime loss to eventual champion River Forest.
“Basketball is my heart,” she said. “I love the game of basketball. That’s my peace. It can take my mind off stuff. When I’m upset, I want to dribble the ball. Basketball is my escape from everything.”
Taylor, whose staff includes iconic former West Side coach Rodney Fisher, believes Robinson has the type of potential to continue playing in college.
“Her defense is phenomenal,” Taylor said. “She’s worked tremendously hard on her 3-point perimeter shot, making them now. Her layups, dribble penetration to the basket, she’s finishing those. This year and next year, I just want to make sure she’s fine-tuning her game and getting to where the next-level coaches can come down and see, ‘OK, she’s ready.’
“That’s the whole basis about what we’re trying to do with the whole Bowman girls program — just to get them into college. It’s not about the records or sectionals, regionals, semistate, state. It’s about getting these young ladies into college so they can live an easier life. That’s our goal for Kahlen and for all of these girls.”