Posted: Mar 19, 2020
Morgan Selected Honorable Mention All-American
Webster University senior guard Jaysea Morgan picked up the most prestigious honor of her four-year playing career on Thursday as she was tabbed an NCAA Division III Honorable Mention All-American by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA).
Morgan earned her Honorable Mention All-American honors from the WBCA after a senior year campaign that had her named the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year, along with earning First-Team All-SLIAC honors, she was also a two-time SLIAC Player of the Week and was named to the SLIAC All-Tournament Team.
"Of all the honors a student-athlete can get this is one of the biggest honors they can receive," Webster head women's basketball coach Jordan Olufson said. "We are so happy for Jaysea knowing she has put so much time in to her game. Her contagious work ethic and drive has made this possible. We are thrilled for her to get this amazing recognition. She has earned this and elevated her teammates along the way and is a true All American on all levels!"
With her All-American selection, Morgan becomes just the third SLIAC player in league history to earn All-American honors from the WBCA and the second Gorlok to be selected as Gorlok Hall of Famer Halley Spann was named an Honorable Mention selection in 2001-02, while Westminster's Kendahl Adams was an Honorable Mention honoree in 2018-19.
On the season, Morgan, who was also named to the Beyond Sports WBCA Division III All-Star Game this season, averaged 13.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.8 steals per game and shot 52 percent from the field, 37 percent from the 3-point line and 85 percent at the free-throw line. She tallied double-digits in scoring in a team-best 21 games, including ending the 2019-20 season tallying double digits in seven of her last eight games and had four games of scoring 20 or more points, including a career-high 25 points earlier this year at home against Greenville. In addition, she also had four or more steals in a game seven times this season and 30 times in her career.
In the 2019-20 campaign, Morgan became the seventh member of Webster's 1,000 Point Club as she closed out her career with 1,063 points, which is seventh in school history and she holds the school record for career steals with 277 and that is ninth among active Division III players. In addition, Morgan led the league in steals with 78 and is 36th nationally in steals and is 33rd nationally in free throw percentage.
Morgan closed her career sitting in the Top 10 in numerous career statistical categories besides scoring and assists as she holds the school's all-time mark for career free throw percentage (82.9 percent), tied for second in career games played (107), sixth in career free throws made (252), eighth in career field goals made (373), ninth in career free throws attempted (304), ninth in career minutes played (2,421) and 10th in field goals attempted (831).
Behind Morgan's strong play, Webster posted a 20-8 overall record on the season and advanced to the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Tournament for the second time in the last three years and fifth in school history. Additionally, the Gorloks captured just its second-ever regular-season SLIAC title and first since 2002 and also took home its fourth-ever SLIAC Tournament title.
The WBCA presents the Player of the Year award annually to the top player in five of the six WBCA membership divisions (NCAA Divisions II and III, NAIA, two-year college and high school). The Player of the Year and the 10-member Coaches' All-American team in each division are selected by a committee of WBCA member coaches in that division. The Wade Trophy is presented to the top player in NCAA Division I.
This year's WBCA Division III All-American Team features players from 36 different schools, with four schools – Amherst College, Hope College, Loras College and University of Texas-Dallas – having two players selected and the WBCA named Bowdoin's Maddie Hasson as the 2019-20 Division III Player of the Year.
Morgan earned her Honorable Mention All-American honors from the WBCA after a senior year campaign that had her named the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year, along with earning First-Team All-SLIAC honors, she was also a two-time SLIAC Player of the Week and was named to the SLIAC All-Tournament Team.
"Of all the honors a student-athlete can get this is one of the biggest honors they can receive," Webster head women's basketball coach Jordan Olufson said. "We are so happy for Jaysea knowing she has put so much time in to her game. Her contagious work ethic and drive has made this possible. We are thrilled for her to get this amazing recognition. She has earned this and elevated her teammates along the way and is a true All American on all levels!"
With her All-American selection, Morgan becomes just the third SLIAC player in league history to earn All-American honors from the WBCA and the second Gorlok to be selected as Gorlok Hall of Famer Halley Spann was named an Honorable Mention selection in 2001-02, while Westminster's Kendahl Adams was an Honorable Mention honoree in 2018-19.
On the season, Morgan, who was also named to the Beyond Sports WBCA Division III All-Star Game this season, averaged 13.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.8 steals per game and shot 52 percent from the field, 37 percent from the 3-point line and 85 percent at the free-throw line. She tallied double-digits in scoring in a team-best 21 games, including ending the 2019-20 season tallying double digits in seven of her last eight games and had four games of scoring 20 or more points, including a career-high 25 points earlier this year at home against Greenville. In addition, she also had four or more steals in a game seven times this season and 30 times in her career.
In the 2019-20 campaign, Morgan became the seventh member of Webster's 1,000 Point Club as she closed out her career with 1,063 points, which is seventh in school history and she holds the school record for career steals with 277 and that is ninth among active Division III players. In addition, Morgan led the league in steals with 78 and is 36th nationally in steals and is 33rd nationally in free throw percentage.
Morgan closed her career sitting in the Top 10 in numerous career statistical categories besides scoring and assists as she holds the school's all-time mark for career free throw percentage (82.9 percent), tied for second in career games played (107), sixth in career free throws made (252), eighth in career field goals made (373), ninth in career free throws attempted (304), ninth in career minutes played (2,421) and 10th in field goals attempted (831).
Behind Morgan's strong play, Webster posted a 20-8 overall record on the season and advanced to the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Tournament for the second time in the last three years and fifth in school history. Additionally, the Gorloks captured just its second-ever regular-season SLIAC title and first since 2002 and also took home its fourth-ever SLIAC Tournament title.
The WBCA presents the Player of the Year award annually to the top player in five of the six WBCA membership divisions (NCAA Divisions II and III, NAIA, two-year college and high school). The Player of the Year and the 10-member Coaches' All-American team in each division are selected by a committee of WBCA member coaches in that division. The Wade Trophy is presented to the top player in NCAA Division I.
This year's WBCA Division III All-American Team features players from 36 different schools, with four schools – Amherst College, Hope College, Loras College and University of Texas-Dallas – having two players selected and the WBCA named Bowdoin's Maddie Hasson as the 2019-20 Division III Player of the Year.
2020 WBCA NCAA Division III Coaches' All-Americans
STORY COURTESY OF WEBSTER UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
