Shields right at home with BC

Women’s college basketball preview

November 05, 2011|By Frank Dell’Apa, Globe Staff

Junior guard Kerri Shields is one of three upperclassmen expected to lead… (Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff )

Much of Kerri Shields’s childhood was spent on the basketball court with her mother, Renie, a former player and assistant coach, now associate athletic director at Saint Joseph’s.

So, it seemed logical for Shields to follow in her mother’s footsteps.

“I was definitely a basketball kid, always a basketball in my hands, always in the gym,’’ Shields said. “It was great growing up with two younger sisters and a brother. It definitely influenced me playing basketball and wanting to succeed at the highest level, as my mom did. My mom’s definitely my biggest role model, she’s definitely an inspiration for me.’’

But Shields chose to break away from her suburban Philadelphia upbringing, enrolling at Boston College.

“Saint Joseph’s was one of my top three choices,’’ Shields said. “But I wanted to see new things and try something different. Boston is a lot like Philadelphia and the Chestnut Hill area reminds me a lot of my home. Saint Joseph’s is a great school but it just wasn’t the place for me.

“That was probably the hardest decision I’ve had to make in my life, thus far. I think, at the end of the day, your college decision is a selfish decision and you have to do what’s best for you. It would have been a lot easier to stay - my parents and family are there - but it wasn’t the right place for me.’’

Shields is forging an identity in a “home away from home.’’ And when BC starts its season against Fairleigh-Dickinson Nov. 11, the 5-foot-9-inch junior guard will also be expected to take on a prominent role as one of three Eagle upperclassmen.

“Last year we had three seniors who did a great job leading our team,’’ Shields said. “I’ll be taking on a leadership role for our team, which is completely different for me. But I’ve learned a lot from them, so I’m ready. I think we do have a lot of other girls who have matured in the past year who have been stepping up in practice and on our trip to Europe - Amsterdam, Belgium, Paris. I’ll take on a much bigger role than in the past two years and I’m definitely excited about that.’’

Shields spent the offseason in a leadership program that included showing prospective freshmen around campus.

“Now, when we have recruits on campus, [Shields] is our official tour guide,’’ BC coach Sylvia Crawley said. “She knows all the history, everything. She placed herself in a role where she had to come out of her comfort zone, to one where all eyes are on her, and she is handling it extremely well.’’

Shields is on pace to set 3-point shooting records - she converted 85 threes last season, the best total for a BC underclassman, and with 122 in two seasons could challenge Mickel Picco’s career mark of 237.