Morrow Sets All-Time BIG EAST Rebounding Record in 85-65 Win at Seton Hall

Sunday, January 30

South Orange, NJ

3:30 P.M. CT

DePaul University

18-5,10-2Big East

Seton Hall

8-10,3-7Big East

DePaul

Seton Hall

Morrow Sets All-Time BIG EAST Rebounding Record in 85-65 Win at Seton Hall

1/30/2022 5:41:00 PM | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

FS1 national TV audience watches freshman phenom come down with 27 rebounds

SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. – Embrace adversity.

DePaul's players have heard that Doug Bruno mantra countless times.

And yet, those two words never rang so true when they overcame all manner of travel obstacles Sunday to take down Seton Hall 85-65.

A mega snowstorm blanketing the East Coast forced cancellation of their flight on Saturday. Instead, Sonya Morris & Co. had to wake up in the wee hours with their world still enshrouded in darkness and their biorhythms in disarray to catch a 6:30 a.m. flight to New Jersey.

As if that wasn't rough enough, this was also their third game in five days.

Mental languor---meet physical fatigue.

No matter, leave it to Sonya Morris, Aneesah Morrow and Deja Church to supply their team with an invigorating shot of adrenaline.

Morris had a team-high 26 points while Morrow had 22 points and a career-high 27 rebounds. That broke an all-time BIG EAST record for rebounds in a game, eclipsing the 25 by Peggy Walsh of Connecticut in 1986.

It is also the highest single-game rebounding total in the NCAA this season, surpassing the previous high of 23. Going even further, it's the most since California's Kristine Anigwe pulled down 30 on March 3, 2019.

Church added 20 points while Lexi Held contributed nine points and seven assists.

Expanding a 38-35 halftime lead was priority No. 1 for the Blue Demons at the outset of the third quarter. Seton Hall was pretty much matching the DePaul offense thanks to 22 first-half points from Sidney Cooks.

Morris opened the quarter with a jumper and then Morrow took over with seven-straight DePaul points for a 47-39 lead at the media timeout. The 6-1 freshman was really crashing the boards in that stretch and had 14 rebounds at that point---eight on the offensive glass.

Twice Seton Hall pulled within three only to have Morris answer the first time with a three-pointer and Morrow the second off---what else---an offensive rebound. It was 52-47, DePaul at the second media timeout.

The 58-49 Blue Demon lead courtesy of Morris, Morrow and Church was reduced to 58-55 by a Seton Hall spurt. Morris, Church and Morrow scored the final seven points of the quarter for a 65-54 lead going into the final 10 minutes.

Church, Morrow and Morris kept the Blue Demons safely in front. Morris' three-pointer made it 76-61 at the fourth quarter media timeout.

At that point, Morrow had tied the all-time BIG EAST record for rebounds in a game with 25.

Morris and Church continued the offensive assault and Morrow kept attacking the boards. Late in the fourth quarter, she came down with her 27th rebound---the most ever in a BIG EAST game.

Morris connected from behind the arc and Kierra Collier followed with a basket for a 78-61 lead.

The action was fast and furious right from the opening tip. Morris scored seven quick points and Church had five as DePaul led 16-13 at the first quarter media timeout. Sidney Cooks had all 13 points for the Pirates.

Morris launched her team on a 9-3 tear for a 25-16 lead and caused Seton Hall to call timeout. The Pirates responded by scoring the last six points of the quarter to trail DePaul 25-22 after the first 10 minutes. Morris had 11 points.

Seton Hall led 28-25 early in the second quarter when Morrow, Church, Morris (three-pointer) and Held combined for a 9-1 run and a 34-29 lead. A Church swish put her team ahead by seven.

The Pirates closed to within three when Morrow hit a 15-foot jumper. Seton Hall scored late as DePaul took a 38-35 lead into the halftime locker room.

Morris had 14 points at the break, Church nine and Morrow eight points and nine rebounds. Cooks had 22 points for Seton Hall.

DePaul will be back home at Wintrust Arena for a crucial showdown against BIG EAST contender Creighton that tips at 7 p.m.

Postgame Notes

Morrow broke the all-time BIG EAST record and set a career high with 27 rebounds. UConn's Peggy Walsh set the record with 25 in 1986. The 27 rebounds in a single-game ties her for second in program history with Tracy Manuel (vs. Evansville, Feb. 8, 1985) and is a single-game high in the NCAA this season.
It is also the most since California's Kristine Anigwe pulled down 30 on March 3, 2019.
The Blue Demons lead the country in scoring and assists, and have put up 1,423 points in their last 16 games---an average of 94.3 per game. They have reached the century mark eight times to set a new school season record.
The record of six was set in 2014-15 (Brittany Hrynko, Jess January, Chanise Jenkins, Megan Rogowski & Co.) and matched by the 2016-17 team featuring January, Brooke Schulte, Jacqui Grant and Amarah Coleman.
Morrow came into the game leading the nation in double-doubles, rebounds and offensive rebounds per game and was second in field goals, third in points and fifth in steals. She now has 15 consecutive double-doubles and 18 on the season.
The 6-1 freshman has 139 points and 89 rebounds in her last five games---an average of 27.8 points and 17.8 rebounds.
Morris came into the game third in the nation in field goals and ninth in points while Held was fourth in minutes played and fifth in assists.
Morris is now No. 18 on the all-time scoring list with 1,550 points, passing up Jessica January (1,530). Held (1,483) is No. 20 passing up Megan Podkowa (1,481). Melanie Ehrhardt (1,552) is No. 17.
Dee Bekelja has played in 137 games, tying Brooke Schulte and Chante Stonewall for fourth all-time. Ashton Millender holds the record with 144 games.
The Blue Demons are 3-5 against seven NCAA tournament teams---beating then No. 14/14 Kentucky, Northwestern and Rutgers and falling to then-No. 23/17 Texas A&M, No. 4/8 Arizona, No. 20/17 Notre Dame, Marquette and No. 10/9 UConn.
They are 3-1 against Wildcat teams---beating Kentucky, Northwestern and Villanova and falling to Arizona.
Held is the BIG EAST's active career scoring leader in conference games with 878 points.
Morrow has scored in double figures 21 of the first 22 games of her collegiate career.
The Blue Demons have won the battle of the boards in 17 of 23 games including over Arizona featuring 6-5 Lauren Ware and 6-3 Ariyah Copeland. They outrebounded Seton Hall 44-39 on Sunday.