After a 12 week break due to a serious back injury, junior Zachary Bowen returned to the basketball court in early January. 

The recovery process, while not necessarily enjoyable, was seemingly slow moving for Bowen. “I pretty much just sat around and did nothing until I was cleared to play again,” Bowen said. 

Bowen’s injury was a crack on the left side of his L5 vertebrae, and while he could have undergone a potentially serious surgery he opted out. This way, he could be cleared sooner and return to the courts in time for the last half of the season. 

Thankfully, Bowen was cleared in early January and hit the ground running. In his first game back, he scored 12 points in 12 minutes. An impressive accomplishment, considering he was only allowed to play for 12 minutes in the game. 

“It was exciting,” Bowen said. “Getting to play again [is my favorite part about being back].”