UT loses Shafir for year

Toledo’s Naama Shafir drives against Albany’s Cassandra Callaway last week. The senior learned Monday night that she tore a ligament on Friday against Indiana and will miss the season. She would be eligible to return next season. THE BLADE/LORI KING Enlarge | Photo Reprints

If the University of Toledo women’s basketball team is to make the NCAA tournament this season, it’ll have to do so without its star player.

The Rockets learned Monday evening that senior guard Naama Shafir will miss the rest of the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee, according to coach Tricia Cullop.

Shafir was injured in the first minute of play during UT’s 69-58 win at Indiana on Friday while driving to the basket and distributing a pass to an open teammate. But after colliding with an Indiana player and falling to the floor, she did not hop back up like she has following the hundreds of previous collisions she’s endured while putting her body on the line.

“We were heading down the floor on a fastbreak,” Cullop recalled. “Naama drove to the basket and saw Courtney Ingersoll to her right. She [passed] the ball out and landed on one leg, and it twisted and buckled.

“We drilled the 3, and I was watching the ball. The next thing I know, I look back and see Naama laying on the floor.”

Shafir was instrumental in the Rockets winning the Women’s National Invitation Tournament last season and claimed tournament MVP honors after scoring 40 points in a 76-68 victory over Southern California in the championship game.

The native of Hoshaya, Israel, had started 106 consecutive games in a Toledo uniform before sitting out UT’s 64-56 loss at Arkansas State on Sunday.

“You never want to see any player go down with that type of an injury,” Cullop said. “Obviously she’s sad, she’s frustrated, she would love to be back out on the court. I think she’s going through a lot of emotions right now. But she’s a strong person, and I know that she’ll pull through this.”

Shafir’s injury is not considered “career-ending,” and she will have the opportunity to redshirt and return to the team next season.

“That’s an option,” Cullop said, “but I’ll leave that decision to her.”

As for the rest of this season, the Rockets were the preseason favorite to repeat as Mid-American Conference West Division champions and win the conference tournament, largely with the belief that preseason All-MAC honoree Shafir would be on the floor.

Now, Cullop and her players will have to forge on without her.

“One thing the game of basketball and playing sports teaches you is there are setbacks and unexpected obstacles that you have to face, and great teams overcome those obstacles,” Cullop said. “I was really proud of our players pulling through and still winning at IU. We had a tough setback at Arkansas State, but we ran into a hot-shooting team at home that night.

“Now that our players have had some time to digest this — and I’m kind of glad we were on the road and could spend a lot of time together — we’re going to regroup, and we’re going to be fine. But I also know that Naama is going to be a great student assistant coach on the sideline and will continue to help and inspire her teammates.”

Contact Zach Silka at: zsilka@theblade.com, 419-724-6084 or on Twitter @ZachSilka.