March 16, 2010
SAN DIEGO - For the second straight season, San Diego State senior guard Jené Morris (San Francisco, Calif.) has been named one of 52 regional finalists for the NCAA Division I State Farm Coaches' All-America Basketball team, the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) announced Tuesday. Morris is among just four players selected in Region 7, which includes teams in the Mountain West, Big Sky and Western Athletic Conferences.
Morris was named the MWC Defensive Player of the Year for the second year in a row and is also a two-time first-team all-league selection and all-defensive pick. She leads the Aztecs in points with 16.4 a contest to rank second in the Mountain West. She is No. 1 in the league in steals in overall (3.0/g) and conference-only (2.9/g) outings, ranking 16th nationally. Morris is fourth in SDSU career history with 1,427 points, is the league's all-time career steals leader (286) and is the first Aztec to lead the MWC in scoring in conference contests.
Morris earned a spot on last week's MWC championship all-tournament team for the third straight year after scoring 28 points in the semifinals vs. BYU and 21 points in the final against Utah. As a junior, she became just the third player in program history, and the first since 1994, to be named an All-American, garnering honorable-mention accolades.
The State Farm Coaches' All-America Team selection committee will review all 52 regional candidates and cut the list to 40 finalists on March 23. The 40 finalists will all be in the running for selection to the 10-member State Farm Coaches' All-America Team.
Morris and the Aztecs will face Texas in the first round of the NCAA tournament this Sunday at Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas, beginning at 6 p.m. CT/ 4 p.m. PT, as SDSU makes its second consecutive postseason appearance.
2010 WBCA All-Region 7 Team
Jené Morris, San Diego State
Shanavia Dowdell, Louisiana Tech
Jaleese Ross, Fresno State
Helena Sverrisdottir, TCU