When all was said and done in the Boston University women’s basketball team’s game against Marist College on Saturday, the numbers pointed to one member of the team standing out: junior guard Mo Moran.
With her scoring ability and defensive mindset, the Hopewell Junction, N.Y., native has proven to be irreplaceable in the Terriers’ team dynamic, according to coach Kelly Greenberg.
“In my mind, she’s our go-to player offensively, defensively,” Greenberg said.
In Saturday’s match up at Case Gymnasium against the Red Foxes (4-3), Moran was the only player on both teams to play the full 40 minutes. She led the Terriers (5-4) with 16 points, as well as two defensive rebounds, three assists and three steals.
But this isn’t the first time Moran has stood out. Showing just how critical she is to her team, Moran earned 13 points in Wednesday’s game against Yale University, the Terriers’ first win on the road this season.
On November 30 against Harvard University, Moran scored her season-best 18 points against the Crimson. Overall, she is averaging an even 12.0 points per game.
Moran is currently in third for the most points scored this season for the Terriers, with 108 points as of Saturday. She’s just one shy of second place, senior guard Alex Young’s 109.
“Mo is a tough player,” said junior guard Chantell Alford. “[Her hard work] might not show up on the stat sheet, but it’s the little things. We rely on her a lot.”
Her crucial contributions this season are simply an extension of the role she played as a sophomore. Moran played in all 31 games for the Terriers during the 2010-11 campaign.
She had an outstanding performance against University of Hartford on Jan. 23, leading the team to victory from behind, and had arguably her best offensive play on Dec. 8, 2010 against the University of Massachusetts with 20 points.
In her freshman year, Moran was off the bench from the start. Her best game of her collegiate career in regard to points took place against Northeastern University, where she put up 24 points. She was chosen for the conference All-Rookie Team and the America East All-Conference Third Team.
Still, after so much success throughout her college years, Moran continues to grow and progress as a player, according to Greenberg.
“Her knowledge of the game is incomparable to anyone I know,” Greenberg said on Saturday. “She’s become more mature [since freshman year].”
With the third highest scoring average, the Terriers will undeniably look to the Moran in their quest to win the America East conference this year, after falling to Hartford in the championship game last season.
Going forward, the team may rely on Moran from a defensive standpoint as well. Described in the past as a rock for the team by Greenberg, Moran is a truly multi-dimensional player. She has 22 defensive rebounds on the season, as well as a .650 free-throw percentage.
While the odds are certainly in her favor for a bright future, only time will tell how the rest of Moran’s season will play out.
“She’s quiet, so she’s not our vocal leader,” Greenberg admitted. “[But] I have 100 percent trust in her. She’s our leader.”
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