July 16, 2010
Current Lobo freshman guard/forward Morgan Toben once reigned over the land of Owasso, Okla. Literally. Not only did her 6′ 3″ stature tower over the majority of her fellow classmates, but Morgan was crowned Homecoming Queen of Owasso High School during her senior year basketball season. Don’t take this title lightly though, Queen Elizabeth. Owasso is not some tiny town in the middle of endless plains and roaming buffalo. “When I say I live in Oklahoma, most people think that I live on a farm or in a teepee,” Morgan said. Whoops, guilty!
Apparently, that is not the case. Owasso, “The City Without Limits,” houses almost 30,000 people with a few of those a part of `Mo-gan Nation.’ “One of my good friends started `Mo-gan Nation,’ so they starting making t-shirts and then it spread around school. I stand out at school because I’m so tall, so once it began, it stuck,” Morgan explained.
All of the fan support Morgan received throughout high school helped her relax and gave her a boost of confidence during games. The fans can also be considered one of the main reasons she picked UNM. “I thought it was really cool to be able to play in front of that many people. There aren’t that many women’s basketball programs that have that much support,” Morgan said.
Even though her high school volleyball team won the Oklahoma state championship during her junior season, and she was awarded academic state championships her senior year, Morgan stuck with basketball. “I just enjoy it more, I have more fun playing basketball,” Morgan said.
Well, it’s a good thing she did because even though her team finished with a 16-10 record, Morgan’s statistics sure did stand out. She averaged 18 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 3 blocks per game. Morgan was also awarded first team All-State, Frontier Valley Conference Player of the Year, Tulsa All-Metro Player of the Year, and was a McDonald’s All-American nominee. No big deal or anything.
After spending four weeks in summer school and workouts at UNM, Morgan said she is already enjoying the experience. “I thought it was really fun and it was exciting. Waking up early was hard to do, but I’m glad we had four other girls to knock on our doors in case we didn’t get up!” Morgan said. She took Public Speaking and Sociology during the first summer session with the other four freshmen on the team and lived with them in the dorms. “I loved it, I thought it was a lot of fun,” Morgan said. “We had a lot of fun hanging out and a lot of time to bond.” Even though her first four weeks went by smoothly, that’s not to say she didn’t have any adjustments to make. “The altitude, being on schedule and on time, and fixing my own dinner. It was a weird adjustment having to do all that stuff on your own,” Morgan said.
Morgan’s brief time at UNM has made her excited for more. “I’m looking forward to starting a new life, making new friends, and having a good basketball career at New Mexico,” Morgan said. Looks like “Mo-gan Nation” and Lobo Nation are ready to be one!
Quick Profile Recap
Name: Morgan Toben
Hometown: Owasso, Oklahoma
Height: 6’3″
Position: Guard/Forward
Red or Green: I don’t like spicy stuff!
Favorite Food: Chinese
Favorite Movie: Madagascar
Favorite Athlete: Lebron James
Favorite Basketball Memory: Setting the record for most points in a game at Owasso High School (previous record: 36 pts; Morgan’s record: 39 pts)
Looking Forward to Most for Next Year: Traveling and spending more time together with the team and winning!
From the U‘s next freshmen introduction will feature Tina Doughty. Come back next Friday to meet her!