FORT MYERS, Fla. – The No. 24 FGCU women’s basketball team earned more awards from the ASUN Conference on Friday, as was fifth-year guard Tishara Morehouse (Milwaukee, Wis./Rufus King HS/Nebraska CC) earned the ASUN Women’s Basketball Player of the Year honor and earned a spot on the ASUN Women’s Basketball First-Team list for the third consecutive season.
Graduate guard Sha Carter (Southfield. Mich./Wylie E. Groves HS/Walsh) who was named the ASUN Women’s Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year earlier Friday, was also named to the ASUN Women’s Basketball First-Team All-Conference list. Junior guard Alyza Winston (Muskegon, Mich./Muskegon HS/Mississippi State) was named to the ASUN Conference Women’s Basketball Third-Team list.
“TK has been an amazing playing for all three seasons,” said FGCU head women’s basketball coach Karl Smesko. “She has made the first team all three seasons, and it’s exciting to see her win Player of the Year. She is an exceptional point guard who can distribute the ball to her teammates, and also someone who can score and always willing to put in the effort defensively. She is an amazing player and has had a special season.”
Morehouse is FGCU’s ninth ASUN Player of the Year honoree, joining Kierstan Bell (2022, 2021), Keri Jewett-Giles (2020), Nasrin Ulel (2019), Sarah Hansen (2013, 2014) and Whitney Knight (2016, 2015) on that prestigious list.
The Green & Blue now boast 25 ASUN Conference Women’s Basketball First-Team honorees: Morehouse (2023, 2022, 2021), Carter (2023), Bell (2022, 2021), Jewett-Giles (2020), Tytionia Adderly (2020), Ulel (2019), Rosemarie Julien (2018, 2017), China Dow (2018), Kaneisha Atwater (2016, 2015), Knight (2016, 2015, 2014), Hansen (2014, 2013, 2012), Brittany Kennedy (2013), Shannon Murphy (2011), Chelsea Lyles (2010, 2009), and Adrianne McNally (2009)
TK Morehose – All-ASUN First Team and ASUN Women’s Basketball Player of the Year
Morehouse has played and started in all 31 of the Eagles games this season, recording 963 minutes of playing time – the most for any Eagle this season. She has scored 520 points and averages 16.9 points per game, ranking her second in the league, and boasts a 52.8 shooting percentage.
Morehouse is the top 3-point shooter for the Eagles in 2022-23, registering 69 treys this season, and is shooting 49.5 percent from beyond the arc – which is also second in the ASUN. She also leads the Eagles with 138 assists and is fifth in the league with 4.5 assists per game.
Morehouse eclipsed the 1,000-point barrier during the Eagles first game of the 2022-23 season, scoring a game-high 24 points against Old Dominion on Nov. 7. She has led the Eagles in scoring a whopping 16 times, and hit double figures 28 times – with eight of those efforts being 20 points or higher.
The 5-foot-3 guard registered a season-best 28 points against Mercer on Dec. 21. One of her best games for the season came on Feb. 8, where she delivered 17 points and dealt 10 assists. Her performance was only the 15th time an Eagle recorded 10 or more assists in school history.
The Wisconsin native has won the ASUN Player of the Week award twice this season, the first on Nov. 21 after she averaged 16 points per game against Hawaii and San Diego. Morehouse once again won the honor Jan. 2 after averaging 17.5 points per game in FGCU’s victories against Mercer and Brown.
Coming into the season, Morehouse was tabbed ASUN Preseason Player of the Year and was recognized as a member of the John R. Wooden Award Top 50 Watch List and the 2021 Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year.
SHA CARTER – All-ASUN First Team
Carter has also been a dominant force in the league for the Eagles, playing in all 32 games with 28 starts. She is the second leading scorer for the Green & Blue, averaging 16.7 points in conference play – a total that ranks her third in the league. Carter has a 62.4 shooting percentage, which is fourth in the ASUN, and she the top rebounder on the team with 5.9 rebounds per outing. Carter has led the Eagles in scoring nine times, has scored in doubles figures 22 times and registered over 20 points seven times.
Carter eclipsed the 2,500-point barrier on Feb. 23 against Kennesaw State, and currently has 2,555 points. On Feb. 8, Carter broke the 1,000-rebounds barrie and now sits at 1,074 rebounds. Carter was named ASUN Player of the Week and Newcomer of the Week on Feb. 20 after averaging 25.5 points per game. She scored a season-best 30 points, one shy of her career best, and pulled down eight rebounds against Lipscomb on Feb. 16. Two days later, she registered her second double-double of the season – scoring 21 points and grabbing 13 rebounds against Austin Peay on Feb. 18.
The 6-foot guard first won the ASUN NOW award on Dec. 12, as she was instrumental in the Eagles’ victory against SEC powerhouse Kentucky – scoring a game-high 16 points and dealing a team-best six assists. Carter shot 50 percent from the field (6-12) with three treys. She hit a jumper at the 5:51 mark of the fourth quarter and converted the three-point play to break a tie and put FGCU in the lead for the remainder of the game.
“Sha has been incredibly productive and just one of the most efficient players in all of college basketball,” Smesko said. “She came in and embraced her role on our team, and has just been outstanding throughout the year – but she has gotten better with each game and just continues to improve.”
ALYZA WINSTON – All-ASUN Third Team
Winston has started for the Eagles in 26 games and have played in 31 – logging a total of 834 minutes of playing time this season. She is the third-leading scorer for the Eagles, averaging 13.1 points per game, and her a 43.2 percent 3-point percentage ranks her fourth in conference.
The 5-foot-8 Winston shoots a team-high 84.7 percent from the free-throw line, has scored 10-plus points 26 times and has been the Eagles top scorer six times in 2022-23. One of her best games was at the No. 3 seed Lipscomb on March 1, when she delivered a game-high 21 points that included five triples and 8-for-11 shooting from the floor. She also pulled down four rebounds, chipped in two assists and grabbed three steals in the performance.
Winston has won Newcomer of the Week a whopping four times this season, earning her latest honor Jan. 30 by averaging 16.5 points per game in FGCU’s victories against Eastern Kentucky and Bellarmine.
Winston earned her third ASUN NOW award Jan. 2 after averaging 13.5 points in the Eagles’ wins against Brown and Mercer. Her second ASUN NOW award came Dec. 26 after scoring a season-best 23 points in FGCU’s 91-81 road win against Mercer. In addition to her offensive contribution, she notched a season-high five rebounds and added a steal.
Winston won the first Newcomer of the Week award of the 2022-23 season on Nov. 14 after FGCU’s season opener against Old Dominion. She registered 22 points A few days later at C-USA member FIU, Winston would steal the show – registering a game-high 19 points to help the Eagles win 92-63.
“It great to see Alyza get recognition, she’s such a great player and have made such a great impact for us on both ends of the floor.” She is a great defender and she is an amazing shooter and it’s great to see her get recognized for outstanding play ” Smesko said.
Morehouse, Carter, Winston and the No. 24 Eagles will begin postseason play 5 p.m. Sunday in the ASUN Tournament quarterfinals, taking on the No. 9 Stetson-No. 10 Jacksonville winner – a game will take place at 3 p.m. Saturday at Alico Arena.
For complete coverage of FGCU women’s basketball, follow the Eagles on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook at @FGCU_WBB and online at www.FGCUAthletics.com. You can also sign up to have news on FGCU women’s basketball and other programs delivered directly to your inbox by visiting www.fgcuathletics.com/email.
2022-23 ASUN Conference Women’s Basketball Postseason Honors and Awards
Player of the Year: Tishara Morehouse, FGCU
Defensive Player of the Year: Skyler Gill, North Alabama
Newcomer of the Year: Antwainette Walker, Eastern Kentucky
Unanimous Sixth Player of the Year: Shamarre Hale, Austin Peay
Freshman of the Year: Gracie Merkle, Bellarmine
Coach of the Year: Karl Smesko, FGCU
ASUN First-Team All-Conference
Tishara Morehouse*^, FGCU, Sr., Milwaukee, Wis.
Antwainette Walker, Eastern Kentucky, Sr. Lisle, Ill.
Sha Carter, FGCU, Gr., Southfield, Mich.
Mya Berkman#, Liberty Sr., Marble Falls, Texas
Bella Vinson, Lipscomb So., Manchester, Tenn.
ASUN, Second-Team All-Conference
Shamarre Hale, Austin Peay, Sr., Chicago, Ill.
Gracie Merkle, Bellarmine, Fr., Mt. Washington, Ky.
Kennedy Gavin, Jacksonville State, Sr. Petal, Miss.
Jah’Che Whitfield, Kennesaw State, Sr. Sumter, S.C.
Skyler Gill#, North Alabama, So. Wichita, Kan.
ASUN Third-Team All-Conference
Mariah Adams, Austin Peay, Sr. Little Rock, Ark.
Alyza Winston, FGCU, Jr. Muskegon, Mich.
Shynia Jackson, Jacksonville, Sr., Warner Robins, Ga.
Amani Johnson^, Kennesaw State, Sr., North Versailles, Pa.
Jalyn Holcomb, Lipscomb, Sr., Murfreesboro, Tenn.
ASUN All-Freshman Team
Gracie Merkle* Bellarmine Mt. Washington, Ky.
Anala Nelson Austin Peay Columbia, S.C.
Molly Heard Lipscomb Pisgah, Ala.
Jordyn Weaver Queens San Antonio, Texas
Jaelyn Talley Stetson Fairfax, Va.
* – Denotes unanimous selection
# – Denotes a two-time selection to the All-Conference Team
^ – Denotes a three-time selection to the All-Conference Team
COACH SMESKO
FGCU head coach Karl Smesko maintains a record of 639-131 (.829) overall in his career, the third-highest winning percentage among active Division I coaches behind only UConn’s Geno Auriemma and LSU’s Kim Mulkey. He has also led the Eagles to a 249-19 (.929) mark in ASUN regular-season play and a 30-2 (.938) record in ASUN tournament play. Over the previous 11-plus seasons, he has guided FGCU to a 185-7 (.963) record in conference play with six undefeated seasons. The 12-time ASUN Coach of the Year has led the program to 12-straight 25-win seasons and 18 consecutive 20-win campaigns, including 30-plus wins in five of the last eight years. On top of all that, the Eagles are 578-104 (.847) all-time since Smesko started the program in the 2002-03 season, and the Green & Blue’s .846 all-time winning percentage is the best in NCAA Division I women’s basketball history.
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#FEEDFGCU
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