Senior guard Tatiyiana McMorris has been the leading scorer the last four games for the Marquette women and has led the team in scoring in eight games this season. It looks like there’s no stopping her now.
The senior from Bronx, N.Y., sets a great example for her younger teammates as a captain and is living up to the expectations of a Division I athlete in the Big East.
She topped her previous career record of 19 points against Louisville on Jan. 26 with 21 points, and again with 22 points against Pittsburgh three days later.
“I think it’s just all about confidence,” McMorris said. “I’m just playing really good basketball right now. I just hope to keep it going.”
Senior forward Paige Fiedorowicz agrees and said McMorris has built a lot of confidence, and it’s showing on the court.
Before this season, McMorris had started only 34 games. This season, she’s more than halfway there, having started all 21 games for the Golden Eagles.
She has definitely earned her starting spot. McMorris is the team’s best shooter from the beyond the arc. Against Pittsburgh, McMorris made a three-point shot in the final seconds of the game to send the Golden Eagles into overtime during which Marquette finished off the Panthers for a 74-70 victory.
Her overall three-point percentage of 36.9 is the fourth-highest mark in Marquette history.
Not only has she excelled on the three-point leaderboard, but she is also making free throws at a historic rate. In conference, she is shooting a pristine 96.7 percent.
Despite all of her scoring prowess, McMorris is not a selfish player. The team’s effort this season is to make the “extra pass,” which is exactly what McMorris has been doing.
She earned most valuable player honors at the Florida International University Sun and Fun Classic tournament this season, shooting 70 percent from three-point range and shoveling off 11 assists in two days of play.
Off the court, classroom success has recently earned her a spot on the Big East weekly honor roll for the first time in her career.
“Her greatest strength is her consistency,” sophomore forward Sarina Simmons said. “She’s been performing miraculously, and no one has any complaints with her effort, her dedication or her desire to win.”
That consistency has shown in her work ethic as McMorris has scored in double figures in 11 games this season.
“Tatiyiana’s shooting has improved so much, and I think overall it has just helped the team,” Fiedorowicz said.
McMorris is sure of her team’s placement going into the NCAA tournament. The more games they win the better their chances are getting placed as a higher seed, she said.
With McMorris leading the charge, the sky seems to be the limit for the soaring Golden Eagles.
