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Marketing and University Communication UW-Green Bay, CL 815 2420 Nicolet Drive Green Bay, WI 54311-7001 (920) 465-2626 E-mail: hildebrs@uwgb.edu Last update: 9/26/07 |
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In
the News Archive - Year:
April 6, 2005 Lee Remmel awards: UWGB women's basketball player Mor succeeds on, off court By Terry Anderson
"Her outlook on life is far bigger than you can achieve in basketball," Phoenix coach Kevin Borseth said. "Tiffany is truly an exceptional person."
Mor, 23, will be honored Thursday with the collegiate achievement award at the eighth annual Lee Remmel Sports Award Banquet in De Pere.
"It's really nice to be considered for this award," said the 23-year-old Appleton native, who earlier this year was named the Horizon League player of the year. "I've heard a lot about it and it will be really neat to go to it. It's something I'm very thankful for."
In high school, the 6-foot-1 post player led Fox Valley Lutheran to a WISAA state tournament runner-up finish in her senior season. She averaged 14 points and 6.1 rebounds per game and was chosen the Valley 8 Conference player of the year.
As a left-handed pitcher, Mor helped FVL win a WISAA title and two runner-up finishes.
Mor came to UWGB to play softball, but shortly after arriving on campus she inquired about the possibility of walking on for the basketball program. It didn't take long for her star to shine, quickly working her way into the Phoenix playing rotation in the 2000-01 season.
In 2003-2004, Mor was poised for a stellar season, but in November suffered a season-ending knee injury against the University of Missouri.
"I think that recovering from an injury like mine teaches you a lot of patience," she said. "It makes you sit back and be thankful."
To her credit, she returned this season physically and emotionally prepared to lead the Phoenix to a 27-4 season and its fourth straight NCAA tournament berth.
"After she sustained that injury, she never complained, she never backed away from her commitment to the team," Borseth said. "She was determined in her rehabilitation."
"She's as good a player as I'll ever coach in terms of athleticism, skill and drive," Borseth said in a recent assessment of Mor. "Tiffany makes players around her better. Her ability to score inside, to shoot from the outside, to block shots, rebound, distribute the ball, run the floor ... She was a force at both ends of the floor."
But Mor meant even more than that to her team, Borseth said.
"She has humility, patience, drive. Before big games she was a calming influence for the whole team," Borseth said. "She achieved so much, and yet was her own harshest critic."
There are other numbers that speak volumes about Mor as a collegiate athlete: a 3.77 GPA while majoring in elementary education, an honor that has earned her a place on the College Sports Information Director's of America academic all-America ballot.
Since January, Mor has been a student-teacher in the fifth-grade classroom of David Blecha at Pioneer Elementary School in Ashwaubenon.
"She is a great teacher," Blecha said. "I don't want to compare basketball and teaching, but the commitment, enthusiasm, urgency and feelings she has about basketball — she also has about teaching."
Blecha said he has been impressed with Mor's poise and preparation when she enters the classroom.
"To me, teaching depends on who you are and your personality," he added. "Sure, you can learn about teaching, but what makes her good is something that's already there. She gets the students to share what they want to share. Just to come in and relate to the kids, she'll be an outstanding teacher."
Mor, who will graduate in May, has known that teaching would be her calling since she started teaching Sunday school while a high school student in Appleton.
And someday she might also become a basketball coach.
"It's been a great experience at UWGB," Mor said. "I would have had fun playing softball, but to be part of this team, which was so close, that was really neat."
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