FAYETTEVILLE -- DaShundra Morgan can still take over a basketball game at both ends of the floor.
Fayetteville postseason opponents Van Buren and Little Rock Central will back that up.
DaShundra Morgan
SCHOOL Fayetteville
CLASS Junior
POSITION Shooting Guard
HEIGHT 5-9
NOTABLE Averaging 8.1 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.3 steals per game. … Leads team with 16.5 scoring average in two playoff games. … Battled through slow start this year coming off knee injury.
Morgan, who emerged as a sophomore, hasn't been asked to take on a big scoring role this season. Early season injuries kept the Fayetteville guard from providing the consistent points she produced the season before, but her production has been more impactful in other ways, Fayetteville coach Vic Rimmer said.
"DaShundra was unable to do any workouts in the preseason with her knee injury, and she started out slow," Rimmer said. "It frustrated her, and it frustrated us. She started out slow, but as the season has gone on, she's made a big commitment. Once we got to the Christmas break and into 2015, she was focused on getting her body in better shape and getting her mind more focused."
That was never more evident than in the state tournament, where she has elevated her game to another level.
"She's been the best player on the floor for us, by far, in those two games, on both games," Rimmer said. "Defensively she's had the toughest matchup, and offensively she's led us in scoring. And that's a quality that only she possesses on our team, to be the best on both ends of the floor."
After a full season of buying into the team aspect, focusing on defense and improvement in outside shooting, Morgan is now ready to do whatever it takes to help Fayetteville win the state title, which it can do today against Conway.
Morgan scored 20 points in a 67-50 win against Van Buren. She had 13 points and key free throws in a 58-48 semifinals victory against 7A-East Conference champion Little Rock Central, which punched Fayetteville's ticket to today's 12:45 p.m. title game in Hot Springs.
"I'm excited right now," Morgan said. "I'm trying to get a ring for our seniors, and I'm trying to win for everybody can stop doubting us."
Morgan was one of Fayetteville's leading scorers as a sophomore, helping the team to its run to a 7A-West Conference title last year. That season ended, however, with a loss to Conway in the 7A state tournament.
"There's so much motivation," Morgan said. "So many people talk about how we're going to take another loss, but we'll just see what happens on Saturday."
Vernon Tarver can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @NWAVernon
Sports on 03/14/2015