Morales Finalist for Nancy Lieberman Award

[Grizbacker1]

Morales a finalist for Nancy Lieberman Award
by: Joel Carlson of the UM Sports Information Department
Tuesday, 02/20/2007


University of Montana sophomore Mandy Morales was named one of 11 finalists for the Eighth Annual Nancy Lieberman Award it was announced Monday. The award, which is a national project of the Rotary Club of Detroit, honors the nation's top point guard in Division I women's basketball.

The criterion for the award is floor leadership, play-making ability and ball-handling skills, all of which personified Lieberman, a Hall of Fame induction, during her career. A national panel of sportswriters determined the list of finalists.

"Mandy certainly fits the bill for the qualifications," Montana coach Robin Selvig said Tuesday morning. "She's an outstanding player in all areas in terms of passing, scoring and leadership.

"We're flattered that Mandy is getting this kind of recognition. She's deserving of it because she's an outstanding point guard."

The panel of sportswriters will narrow the list to three finalists at the end of March. The announcement of the three finalists and the winner will be made during the weekend of the women's Division I Final Four, April 1-3.

The list is made up of six seniors, one junior, three sophomores and one freshman.

2007 Nancy Lieberman Award Finalists
Name ... Yr. ... School
Kimberly Beck ... Jr. ... George Washington
Dee Davis ... Sr. ... Vanderbilt
Lindsey Harding ... Sr. ... Duke
Cameo Hicks ... Sr. ... Washington
JJ Hones ... Fr. ... Stanford
Ivory Latta ... Sr. ... North Carolina
Lyndsey Medders ... Sr. ... Iowa State
Renee Montgomery ... So. ... Connecticut
Mandy Morales ... So. ... Montana
Rudy Sims ... Sr. ... Arkansas State
Kristi Toliver ... So. ... Maryland

Former winners of the award include Latta in 2006, LSU's Temeka Johnson in 2005, UConn's Diana Taurasi in 2003 and '04 and UConn's Sue Bird in 2000, '01 and '02.

 

[Swillbury]

Although Mandy is good, there is no way she is better than that Latta from UNC. That girl can play! Or Lindsey Harding....

Hope she wins though

 

[Grizbacker1]

Although Mandy is good, there is no way she is better than that Latta from UNC. That girl can play! Or Lindsey Harding....

Hope she wins though

The 2 players you mention are also Seniors. I think just being a finalist is quite an honor. If she doesn't win it this year she is getting her name known nationally. Mandy coul dwin this and 1st Team All American before she is done. She is on track to break a lot of records at UM before she is through.

 

[Swillbury]

Although Mandy is good, there is no way she is better than that Latta from UNC. That girl can play! Or Lindsey Harding....

Hope she wins though

The 2 players you mention are also Seniors. I think just being a finalist is quite an honor. If she doesn't win it this year she is getting her name known nationally. Mandy coul dwin this and 1st Team All American before she is done. She is on track to break a lot of records at UM before she is through.

It is starting to look like Grizzly, mens and womens, basketball is about to get some serious national attention in the next 5 years. As long as Tinks starts using all this talent and Selvig can get Hurley and Tinkle to come here.....

Im excited

 

[AtHomeInTheDahlbergDen]

Although Mandy is good, there is no way she is better than that Latta from UNC. That girl can play! Or Lindsey Harding....

Hope she wins though

The 2 players you mention are also Seniors. I think just being a finalist is quite an honor. If she doesn't win it this year she is getting her name known nationally. Mandy coul dwin this and 1st Team All American before she is done. She is on track to break a lot of records at UM before she is through.

It is starting to look like Grizzly, mens and womens, basketball is about to get some serious national attention in the next 5 years. As long as Tinks starts using all this talent and Selvig can get Hurley and Tinkle to come here.....

Im excited

Same, this program has all the potential in the world with an incredible core of Rundles, Hasquet and Strait next year then even more talent coming down the pipe. If Tinks can harness it, start rising above the conference and give this program some swagger things could be really great.

 

[EverettGriz]

Congratulations to Mandy! A terrific honor. :clap: :clap:

 

[GrizBBIsKing]

Way to go Mandy.

Mandy just broke the record for the number of Big Sky Conference POW's earned in a season. She just broke Shannon Cate's record this past week.

Mandy should break Lauren Cooper's career Free Throw shooting percentage record of .838.
Mandy has capability of beating Lauren Cooper's season Freethrow percentage record in next two years. Very doubtful this year though. Mandy's approximately 86% and Coopers 2001 season percentage was almost 90%. With the number of freethrows Mandy has taken (which is a record now), unlikely she'll get enough freethrow attempts to make up that 3%.

Mandy has a chance of beating Brooklyn Lorenzen's career assist record. She is 424 assists short. I figure she will get over 200 this year. She should be able to average over 200 next two years. She is 82 short of the season assist record of Lorenzen's.

Mandy has a chance at beating Shannon Cates scoring record, but I doubt it. Mandy has more support around her than Cate had, and scoring will likely be spread out more next two years. I think Shannon Cates 23.3 scoring average from 1991-92 season is safe.

I think she will eventually earn that triple-double sometime in her career. She came so close this year in a couple of games.

 

[Grizbacker1]

Way to go Mandy.

Mandy just broke the record for the number of Big Sky Conference POW's earned in a season. She just broke Shannon Cate's record this past week.

Mandy should break Lauren Cooper's career Free Throw shooting percentage record of .838.
Mandy has capability of beating Lauren Cooper's season Freethrow percentage record in next two years. Very doubtful this year though. Mandy's approximately 86% and Coopers 2001 season percentage was almost 90%. With the number of freethrows Mandy has taken (which is a record now), unlikely she'll get enough freethrow attempts to make up that 3%.

Mandy has a chance of beating Brooklyn Lorenzen's career assist record. She is 424 assists short. I figure she will get over 200 this year. She should be able to average over 200 next two years. She is 82 short of the season assist record of Lorenzen's.

Mandy has a chance at beating Shannon Cates scoring record, but I doubt it. Mandy has more support around her than Cate had, and scoring will likely be spread out more next two years. I think Shannon Cates 23.3 scoring average from 1991-92 season is safe.

I think she will eventually earn that triple-double sometime in her career. She came so close this year in a couple of games.

I need to clarify something you said about Shannon having less support than Shannon. I disagree. Shannon was far from a one person team. If you think that you were not around when she played. Lisa McCleod (#3 on the career scoring list) played with her 2 years, Marti Leibenguth (#6 career scoring) played 1 year with Shannon, Jeanne McNulty (#8 Carrer Scoring) , Ann Lake (#7 Career Scoring) also played with Shannon a couple seasons. Tke a look at the record book and see the numbers they all put up. I am not taking anything away from Mandy because I think she may be a better all aroun dplayer before it is all said and done, but Shannon had a great supporting cast as does Mandy. In basketball one person cannot win by themselves, ask Rodney Stuckey at EWU. :twocents:

 

[WyomingGrizFan]

Plus a couple good point guards in Julie Epperly & Pilcher.

 

[Grizbacker1]

Plus a couple good point guards in Julie Epperly & Pilcher.

Good point, but actually Cheryl Brandell and Julie Epperly were the guards playing most of the minutes when Shannon played. Kelly put up most of her numbers after Shannon graduated.

 

[GrizBBIsKing]

Way to go Mandy.

Mandy just broke the record for the number of Big Sky Conference POW's earned in a season. She just broke Shannon Cate's record this past week.

Mandy should break Lauren Cooper's career Free Throw shooting percentage record of .838.
Mandy has capability of beating Lauren Cooper's season Freethrow percentage record in next two years. Very doubtful this year though. Mandy's approximately 86% and Coopers 2001 season percentage was almost 90%. With the number of freethrows Mandy has taken (which is a record now), unlikely she'll get enough freethrow attempts to make up that 3%.

Mandy has a chance of beating Brooklyn Lorenzen's career assist record. She is 424 assists short. I figure she will get over 200 this year. She should be able to average over 200 next two years. She is 82 short of the season assist record of Lorenzen's.

Mandy has a chance at beating Shannon Cates scoring record, but I doubt it. Mandy has more support around her than Cate had, and scoring will likely be spread out more next two years. I think Shannon Cates 23.3 scoring average from 1991-92 season is safe.

I think she will eventually earn that triple-double sometime in her career. She came so close this year in a couple of games.

I need to clarify something you said about Shannon having less support than Shannon. I disagree. Shannon was far from a one person team. If you think that you were not around when she played. Lisa McCleod (#3 on the career scoring list) played with her 2 years, Marti Leibenguth (#6 career scoring) played 1 year with Shannon, Jeanne McNulty (#8 Carrer Scoring) , Ann Lake (#7 Career Scoring) also played with Shannon a couple seasons. Tke a look at the record book and see the numbers they all put up. I am not taking anything away from Mandy because I think she may be a better all aroun dplayer before it is all said and done, but Shannon had a great supporting cast as does Mandy. In basketball one person cannot win by themselves, ask Rodney Stuckey at EWU. :twocents:

1. Marti Leibenguth did not play with Cate. Marti's last season was 1987-88. Cates first year was 1988-89. I watched all of Cate's home games, but I never did get to see Leibenguth play (lived in Seattle from 1984 - 1988 - so I missed that game vs Stanford).

2. Lisa Mcleod played only 1 season with Cate, her last year was 1988-89. 1988-89 season was the most balanced team during Cates 4 year season. Mcleod, Mcnulty, Cate, and Austin all scored in double figures.

3. I never did say the Lady Griz were a one person team during her years. Mentioned her freshman year already being the most balanced of her 4 year career. Her senior year, Heinrichs and Lake both averaged a little above 11 points to go along with Cates 23.3 points. Cate's sophomore season, she and Mcnulty scored more than 1/2 of the Lady Griz points, and Mcnulty lead the team in scoring.

4. I am projecting the next two years based on how Mandy's scoring has decreased with the increase in production from the rest of the team. The rest of the team is starting to catch up with Mandy now. Mandy is not averaging 25 to 30 points a game as she did last half of December and early part of January. Because of that, I do not see Mandy dominating the scoring column next two years like Cate did her last two year's (22 points junior year, 23.3 her senior year). Thus, I do not think Mandy will break Cate's career scoring average, although she does have a good chance to beat it. Actually, I hope I am wrong on this, as I would like to see Mandy break it.

Anyway, Because women's basketball is so different now, comparing Cate and Mandy is like comparing apples and oranges. Records are to be broken.

 

[WyomingGrizFan]

I think that the LG were kind of lucky in getting Brandell; she had a real sweet outside shot and her ball handling, no-look passes were good enough that without her injured right knee she could well have played for a PAC-10 school.
Even at that, she made BSC All-Conference three years without scoring over a thousand career points; I think it was like either 988 or 998 she scored though?

 

[Grizbacker1]

Way to go Mandy.

Mandy just broke the record for the number of Big Sky Conference POW's earned in a season. She just broke Shannon Cate's record this past week.

Mandy should break Lauren Cooper's career Free Throw shooting percentage record of .838.
Mandy has capability of beating Lauren Cooper's season Freethrow percentage record in next two years. Very doubtful this year though. Mandy's approximately 86% and Coopers 2001 season percentage was almost 90%. With the number of freethrows Mandy has taken (which is a record now), unlikely she'll get enough freethrow attempts to make up that 3%.

Mandy has a chance of beating Brooklyn Lorenzen's career assist record. She is 424 assists short. I figure she will get over 200 this year. She should be able to average over 200 next two years. She is 82 short of the season assist record of Lorenzen's.

Mandy has a chance at beating Shannon Cates scoring record, but I doubt it. Mandy has more support around her than Cate had, and scoring will likely be spread out more next two years. I think Shannon Cates 23.3 scoring average from 1991-92 season is safe.

I think she will eventually earn that triple-double sometime in her career. She came so close this year in a couple of games.

I need to clarify something you said about Shannon having less support than Shannon. I disagree. Shannon was far from a one person team. If you think that you were not around when she played. Lisa McCleod (#3 on the career scoring list) played with her 2 years, Marti Leibenguth (#6 career scoring) played 1 year with Shannon, Jeanne McNulty (#8 Carrer Scoring) , Ann Lake (#7 Career Scoring) also played with Shannon a couple seasons. Tke a look at the record book and see the numbers they all put up. I am not taking anything away from Mandy because I think she may be a better all aroun dplayer before it is all said and done, but Shannon had a great supporting cast as does Mandy. In basketball one person cannot win by themselves, ask Rodney Stuckey at EWU. :twocents:

1. Marti Leibenguth did not play with Cate. Marti's last season was 1987-88. Cates first year was 1988-89. I watched all of Cate's home games, but I never did get to see Leibenguth play (lived in Seattle from 1984 - 1988 - so I missed that game vs Stanford).

2. Lisa Mcleod played only 1 season with Cate, her last year was 1988-89. 1988-89 season was the most balanced team during Cates 4 year season. Mcleod, Mcnulty, Cate, and Austin all scored in double figures.

3. I never did say the Lady Griz were a one person team during her years. Mentioned her freshman year already being the most balanced of her 4 year career. Her senior year, Heinrichs and Lake both averaged a little above 11 points to go along with Cates 23.3 points. Cate's sophomore season, she and Mcnulty scored more than 1/2 of the Lady Griz points, and Mcnulty lead the team in scoring.

4. I am projecting the next two years based on how Mandy's scoring has decreased with the increase in production from the rest of the team. The rest of the team is starting to catch up with Mandy now. Mandy is not averaging 25 to 30 points a game as she did last half of December and early part of January. Because of that, I do not see Mandy dominating the scoring column next two years like Cate did her last two year's (22 points junior year, 23.3 her senior year). Thus, I do not think Mandy will break Cate's career scoring average, although she does have a good chance to beat it. Actually, I hope I am wrong on this, as I would like to see Mandy break it.

Anyway, Because women's basketball is so different now, comparing Cate and Mandy is like comparing apples and oranges. Records are to be broken.

Lisa may have ONLY played 1 year with Shannon, but she scored 442 points, pulled down 258 rebounds, 79 steals, 63 blocked shots,and 58 assists.

Somehow you failed to mention Cheryl Brandell on that 1989 team. Cheryl was named to the All Big Sky Team 3 different seasons, including that one. Julie Epperly was named All Conf 2X with Cate, Marti Kinzler 2X, and Ann Lake 1X. One other thing about the 1989 season, Shannon did not even lead the team in FG attempts, that was Jeane McNulty with 540 attempts to Shannons 445.

Shannon could have scored a lot more points, but like Morales she also dished the ball very well as evidenced by her 429 career points. One last thing many don't realize is Shannon is not even on the top 10 in games played at UM with only 116 games.

You are right, there is really no way to compare them, as they both are incredible. It is fun to know there is a reason to even think of it.

As for records are made to be broken. There are a lot of records in sports that likely will never be broken.

 

[GrizFan1999]

Kudos to Mandy and the Lady Griz. Just to be among the 11 finalists is an honor and shows what type of progam the Lady Griz have. This award is voted on by sports writers so obviously people are taking notice of Montana and the quality of talent Robin Selvig can recruit. Congrats and lets win the Big Sky!

 

[citygriz]

nice to know too that when we say she's in the top 11 in the nation it means top 11 in the nation--not the sub (abomi)nation that is football.

 

[citygriz]

d.p.

 

[Grizbacker1]

nice to know too that when we say she's in the top 11 in the nation it means top 11 in the nation--not the sub (abomi)nation that is football.

I have been wondering when that was coming, thanks for restoring my faith in you city. :thumb:

 

[WyomingGrizFan]

Considering there are roughly 336 Division I teams, by the latest RPI rankings that I've checked, that's like the top 11 out of 336 since, I would assume, each team has at least 'one' PG; don't they?

 

[Grizbacker1]

http://www.pointguard.org/candidates07.htm