Morgan Boore found out what Brad Herlocker already knew.
Boore loved basketball too much to just walk away now.
The Girard High standout was pursued by several local junior colleges but Boore — who helped her Trojans to a third-place finish at the 4A state tournament in March — had initially decided to call it a career.
However, when the school year came back around, Boore discovered that she had missed it more than she realized. She signed to play for Ottawa University on Monday.
“I talked to Ottawa during the basketball season, then I decided to go to Pitt State,” Boore said. “That’s when I started missing basketball a lot. It’s hard not doing anything, not playing.”
For Herlocker, Boore’s high school coach, it comes as no surprise.
“She had been recruited by a lot of schools and was going back and forth,” he said. “I always knew she had a love for the game and I always knew that she would make the decision she made. I’m sure she’s very happy having done that.”
After having participated in some pre-season scrimmaging and workouts, Boore said that she has found the college game to be more physical, but that is just fine with her.
“It’s a little more physical and it’s fast,” she said. “But I like playing fast and being aggressive and running fast breaks.”
Both Herlocker and Ottawa head coach Bruce Tate agree.
“Mo is a play maker,” he said in a release. “She is a very solid combo guard that creates many opportunities for herself and her teammates with her ability to get to the paint.”
Herlocker said that the she was able to display that love for attacking the basket at the KSHSAA 4A tournament.
“I think coaches saw that she had the ability to get to the basket and create scoring opportunities,” Herlocker said. “I think that’s what coaches are looking for at the collegiate level. Ottawa is very lucky to get her.”
After initially being rejected, Boore said that coach Tate and the Braves were excited that she had changed her position.
“At the end of the school year I had told them no,” she said. “And then I called my Dad and I told him that I wanted to play. He called coach Tate and he said that they were pretty excited.”
She’s not the only one.
“I’m just real happy for her and I can’t wait to go watch her,” Herlocker said.
