By Sarah DeWolfe | Staff Writer
On December 9th, the team captain of the Salve Regina University Men’s Basketball team became the 19th athlete in program history to reach 1,000 career points. Senior Rodney Morton of Malden, Massachusetts hit the jump shot that brought him to the milestone in a thrilling victory against visiting Worcester State University.
Morton was unaware at the time that the shot he made was the one that would earn him a spot alongside greatness on the historic green and blue banner that hung right above him in Rogers Rec Center. He was so tuned into the game at hand that he had only heard the crowd erupt when the ball went in. The accomplishment, though impressive, was not at the forefront of Morton’s mind. “I tried not getting caught up in the whole journey, I was more focused on working towards getting in the playoffs. I knew the 1000 points would come,” he said.
Morton, pictured with his mother, scored a game-high 27 points on Senior Day against Gordon College. Photo by Rob McGullness.
This game meant a great deal to Morton. He hit his 1000th point, scored 25 points, hit a crucial threepointer, had a slam dunk, and led his team to a six-point win. But the cherry on top for the humble guard was that his family was there to experience it with him.
Morton, a 22 year-old Administration of Justice major, is a four-year starter for the Seahawks who has played basketball since he was four. From a young age it was clear to him that basketball would be a big part of his life. “I knew around eighth grade or so I wanted to play basketball if I could, and college basketball would allow me to do so,” said Morton.
Although other schools had shown interest in Morton, it was a fellow teammate who convinced him to bring his talents to Salve where they could play together. He remembers his first game as a Seahawk vividly, saying “there were a lot of nerves, it was kind of dreamlike being in a new uniform with a new team, playing at a higher level.”
After a Junior season that saw him win the Salve Regina Junior Athlete of the Year Award, make captain, and average 19 points a game, he found his responsibilities as the lone senior and captain grew significantly as he took on a central leadership role.
Now averaging 20 points per game in his final season, Morton is making every game a priority. “Knowing it’s my last run, I just know I should give it all I got. And when it’s all said and done I can look back and see that I left an imprint on the program. It will really be special,” he said.
Coach Sean Foster, who this year entered his 16th year as the Salve Men’s Basketball head coach and had
In his final game, Morton scored 28 points to become fourth on the all-time scoring list. Photo by Rob McGullness.
coached 12 of the 1,000-point scorers, described Morton as a natural leader who serves as a great motivator for the young team. Foster also graduated from Salve and played basketball here as well, capturing a championship in 1995.
Coming off of a quarterfinals appearance last season, Foster was clear that the team’s main goal was to improve both together and individually. Describing Rodney as a leader by example and “very humble”, he had hoped to see him become more vocal with the team, which he has done by all accounts.
Foster had nothing but praise for Morton, even confessing that he loved him right away because of how multidimensional and versatile he was. He believes that his college career has been nothing short of successful, saying “He’s grown for four years, you want to leave better than when you came in and I think he’s certainly done that. He’s a Salve success story.”
