For Morton senior Nora Abu-Taleb, there is nothing sweeter in basketball than hitting a 3-point shot.
The 5-foot-4 guard loves watching Stephen Curry and Caitlin Clark do their magic beyond the arc.
And she doesn’t mind watching her own shots as well.
“It’s so much fun watching the ball go through the net,” she said.
Abu-Taleb has some impressive highlight clips of the ball going through the net on the internet.
One is her draining four contested treys in a game against Downers Grove South. Another was her hitting five shots from beyond the arc at Leyden.
Another was when she hit seven 3-pointers in a pool-play battle against Eisenhower in the Chicago Christian Christmas Knight Tournament.
She hit three more in a 15-point performance in the title game at Chicago Christian, but the Mustangs fell 57-37 to Manteno on Dec. 27.
Abu-Taleb and sophomore guard Saniya Knazze were named to the all-tournament team for the Mustangs (5-7).
Gabriela Carraquillo led the Mustangs with five rebounds in the title game, while Leah Brown had seven points.
So, where did Abu-Taleb get her sharpshooting skills?
“I’ve always had them,” she said. “I just got lucky. I would much rather shoot than drive.”
Abu-Taleb said she started playing hoops as a sixth-grader when a friend talked her into trying out. She said her favorite part of the sport is “winning” and hopes to be able to play after high school.
Nearby Morton College is giving her a look and she is giving recruiters a lot to think about this season.
“Nora is a leader on the team,” Mustangs coach Logan Brown said. “She brings a lot of energy. I can count on her to hold other girls accountable.
“She’s kind of my voice in the locker room when I’m not there.”
Morton has not had a winning season since 2016-17 and this year has been a rollercoaster thus far.
The Mustangs opened the season with wins over Round Lake and Elk Grove, but then lost six straight heading into the Chicago Christian tournament.
Things got a lot better there as the Mustangs beat Eisenhower 41-26, Ridgewood 35-31, and Southland 51-47 to reach the title game.
Brown, the son of former Oak Forest coach Mike Brown, is crossing his fingers that after the break the Mustangs can build on their momentum even though there is a tough schedule ahead in 2026.
They have games with Oak Lawn (Jan. 3) and Richards (Jan. 6) before getting back into the West Suburban Gold season.
“I have seven seniors on the team, so that’s exciting,” Brown said. “This is my fourth season and the girls know how to run my stuff.
“It’s a long season and dealing with those ups and downs helps define you at the end of the season.”
In three years at Chicago Christian, Morton was first in 2023, third in 2024 and second this year.
Chicago Christian (5-7) finished fifth in the tournament with a 51-30 victory over Ridgewood. Carly Flutman was named to the all-tournament team.