Jan. 7, 2003
Midway through the 2002-03 basketball season there's still a lot of uncertainty about the fate of this year's women's basketball season. Whether the season comes to a close at the West Coast Conference Tournament or beyond is yet to be determined, but one thing is for certain - it will mark the end of an era at Saint Mary's College. When Julie Morris walks off the court in her last game she will be the last of three Morris sisters to play for the Gaels.
For nine consecutive seasons, from 1994-95 through 2002-03, the Gaels have had at least one Morris sister on the roster. The oldest of the three, Kelly ('97), played from 1994-97. The middle sister, Tracy ('00), played from 1996-2000, and the youngest sister, Julie ('03), has been a member of the team from 1999-2000 through 2002-03.
Heading into this year, they have combined for 3,383 points, 504 rebounds, 340 3-pointers, and 318 games played. This magnificent trio has taken Saint Mary's basketball to a new level, leading the team to a 154-85 overall record and a 72-40 mark in WCC games. Both the 154 total wins and the 72 conference wins are the best of any school in the WCC during this span.
Kelly was the first to attend Saint Mary's and started the trend for the other two. She was a four-year starter who is ninth all-time in scoring (1,027 points), third all-time in 3-pointers made (165) even stuck around a year after graduation as an assistant coach during the 1997-98 season. She is currently working as a paramedic and is pursuing a career as a fire fighter.
"I chose Saint Mary's because I wanted to stay close to home near my family," said Kelly. "It was great to play on the same team at the college level with Tracy. We were the two best players in high school and we're really competitive with each other. Once we got to Saint Mary's there were lots of good players around us and we got to focus our competitive spirits on the other teams."
Tracy played with both sisters at different times, was coached by Kelly for a year, and has coached Julie for three years. She is arguably the best player to wear a SMC uniform and undoubtedly left her mark in the West Coast Conference. She was one of four Gael alumni to be named on of the WCC's 50 All-Time Greatest Players list and is the leading scorer in school history (1,807 points). She was a two-time District VIII All-American and was a three-time First Team All-WCC honoree. During her junior season she was named the WCC Player of the Year, led the team to the best record in school history (26-7) and a near upset of Notre Dame in the school's first NCAA Tournament appearance. She is currently in her third year as an assistant coach at SMC and his married to Jim Johnston. The couple has one son, Casen, and recently had a daughter, Samantha.
"I kept my options open during the recruiting process but I knew I would end up at Saint Mary's," commented Tracy. "Kelly got me into basketball and I really enjoyed playing with her growing up. The number one thing for me was the opportunity to play with Kelly and stay close to my family."
Like Tracy, Julie is a very versatile player, starting in multiple positions and contributing in roles as a go-to scorer, defensive stopper, rebounder, post player, and ball-handler. She was fourth on the team in scoring last year (7.9 ppg) and was second on the team in free-throw percentage (.810). She is a three-year starter and has been a key contributing factor to the team reaching post-season play every year during her tenure. Julie is a Health, Physical Education, and Recreation major and plans to continue her education at Saint Mary's in the teaching credential program. She would ultimately like to teach and coach at the high school level, preferably at a school in the area.
"I knew when Tracy came here that Saint Mary's was the place for me," said Julie. "Both my sisters liked the school and the basketball program, so the decision was easy for me."
The Moraga natives grew up near campus and have become local celebrities of sort. They're role models to hundreds of CYO basketball players and their story is known by nearly every basketball family in the area. Their local popularity and contributions to the program's success are major reasons why Saint Mary's has led the WCC in attendance for the past five years.
"I remember watching Kelly and Tracy play here when we were real young," added Julie. "As soon as Kelly was old enough to watch us both, our parents would drop us off in Madigan Gym to play. We learned how to play here."
"It's going to be very different next year," said head coach Michelle Jacoby. "The Morris's are part of the tradition of Saint Mary's basketball. We've relied on one or more them for nine years and it's going to be tough to replace their competitiveness and leadership."
