UK's Tonie Morgan Named National Player of the Week

LEXINGTON, Ky. – University of Kentucky women’s basketball senior point guard Tonie Morgan has been named a U.S. Basketball Writers Association Ann Meyers Drysdale National Player of the Week and co- Southeastern Conference Player of the Week, it was released by each organization Tuesday.

It is her first weekly honor from either organization in her college career.

Morgan had 24 points, 12 assists, 0 turnovers and the game-winning, three-point buzzer beater to hand No. 5 LSU its first loss of the season in arguably one of the toughest arenas to play in in college women’s basketball in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on New Year’s Day, which also marked Kentucky’s highest-ranked road win in 52 years of program history.

Kentucky point guard Tonie Morgan drives past a Missouri defender in UK's win over the Tigers on Sunday. (Photo by Rob Raymond)

Then, despite the team’s travel issues returning from Baton Rouge a day late and missing an entire day of practice Friday, she followed that up with 18 points, 14 assists and just 3 turnovers in a home win against Missouri on Sunday.

Her 24 points at LSU came on 70.0 percent shooting from the field (7-of-10), including 100.0 percent shooting from the arc (3-of-3). She turned around and dropped 18 points against Missouri on 63.6 percent shooting (7-of-11), including 66.7 percent shooting from long (2-of-3).

The back-to-back, double-doubles marked her third and fourth of the season – all on points and assists. She became the first player in program history to have consecutive games with at least 18 points and 12 assists.

Her scoring average and assist average improved over the pair of games, as she remains the only player in the nation averaging at least 13.0 ppg and 9.0 apg.

Morgan was instrumental in Kentucky remaining the only team in the country to have beaten a top five team on the road this season.

The Wildcat was named to the Nancy Lieberman Point Guard of the Year Preseason Top 20 Watch List earlier this season.

Kentucky is set to take on 15-1 Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, on Thursday at 7 p.m. ET on SEC Network before returning home to play host to No. 5 Oklahoma in Historic Memorial Coliseum on Sunday at 4 p.m. ET on SEC Network.