Morse, Johansen Earn Academic All-Big 12 Honors

Lincoln ? University of Nebraska women’s basketball players Katie Morse and Jina Johansen both earned first-team academic All-Big 12 Conference recognition, the league office announced on Wednesday afternoon.

Morse, a 6-4 senior center from Minden, Iowa, carries a 3.491 grade-point average as a secondary education/social sciences major.  She has started all 26 games for the Huskers heading into the team’s regular-season finale against No. 13 Colorado on Wednesday evening at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.  On the court, Morse ranks among the Big 12 leaders in blocked shots, averaging 1.9 blocks per contest, to go along with 8.5 points and 6.3 rebounds per game.

Johansen, a 5-7 junior point guard from Dannebrog, Neb., owns an impressive 3.673 GPA as a nutritional sciences/dietetics major.  She has joined Morse in the starting lineup for all 26 games this season and ranks among conference leaders with 4.7 assists per game.  She has also contributed 5.5 points and 2.7 rebounds per contest.

The Big 12 Conference honored 41 student-athletes on the women’s basketball academic all-conference team.  Nominated by each institution’s director of student-athlete support services and the media relations offices, the women’s basketball academic all-league squad consists of 32 first-team members and nine second-team honorees.  First-team members are those student-athletes who have maintained a 3.20 or better GPA, while second-team members carried a 3.00 to 3.19 GPA.

To qualify, student-athletes must maintain a 3.0 grade-point average or higher either cumulative or the two previous semesters and must have participated in 60 percent of her team’s scheduled contests.  Freshmen and transfers are not eligible in their first year of academic residence.  Senior student-athletes who have participated for a minimum of two years and meet all the criteria except percent of participation are eligible.