SLIPPERY ROCK — Most of the college brochures Morgan Siebka received had idyllic pictures of the campus.

One, however, had images of sand and water.

“All of the pictures had pine trees in the background,” Siebka said. “That one had palm trees. That one was a little different.”

That one was Florida Southern, a school nestled a mere 30 miles from the gulf coast. It had everything Siebka wanted: academics and a Division II women’s basketball program that wanted her.

“I love the beach,” said Siebka, a Slippery Rock High senior. “I love the sun. I really like the size of it — it’s similar to the size of Grove City College — and it was such a smooth process.”

Not much had gone smoothly for the 5-foot-7 guard, in the last 12 months.

A little more than a year ago, Siebka suffered a severe knee injury in the first half of her first AAU basketball game.

The knee required reconstructive surgery and her rehab wiped out her summer basketball schedule as well as her Slippery Rock soccer season in the fall.

College basketball programs that were once interested in Siebka, who shared the Butler Eagle Girls Basketball Player of the Year award with Union’s Tina Lipps after her sophomore season, disappeared because Siebka had vanished from the AAU landscape.

She was cleared to play just days before the high school season started — a mere eight months after tearing her ACL — but Siebka had an up-and-down season, averaging just 6.1 points per game.

She averaged 15.7 points per game as a sophomore and 14.8 as a junior.

The knee injury changed her style of play. Once a slasher who could beat a defense to the rim, Siebka had to adapt to become more of a jump shooter, grinder and passer. She led the Rockets in assists and was second in steals despite missing four games at the end of the season with a concussion.

She’s not bitter about the fate that was handed her. In fact, she is thankful for it.

“Honestly, I can’t say I’m disappointed in my performance,” Siebka said. “I was happy as I could be just to be able to play. Everything has worked out wonderfully for me. I cannot be happier. Maybe if I wouldn’t have been injured and scored more, I wouldn’t have gotten the opportunity I have now.

“Everything happens for a reason,” Siebka added. “That’s my new motto.”

In fact, Siebka has embraced her injury.

When the coaches at Florida Southern asked why they didn’t see her on the AAU circuit in the spring, Siebka answered honestly.

“I told them I tore my ACL,” Siebka said. “(They) were shocked. (They) didn’t expect me to be so honest.”

It’s not as if she can hide her injury. She has a dark, thick scar running across her right knee — a skin darkening that rarely happens after surgery.

“It looks like I have this huge worm on my knee,” Siebka said. “My friends ... think I should turn it into a zipper tattoo. I may come home from Christmas break with one.”

The interest in Siebka was lukewarm. Point Park College and Grove City College were two of the other schools that were actively recruiting her.

In the end, it was an easy choice for Siebka, who is receiving an academic scholarship from Florida Southern.

“I don’t think I will be playing power forward, but I fit in nicely with them,” Siebka said. “It was just everything I was looking for.”