RELEASE FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
PHILADELPHIA – Freshman forward Kara Bonenberger and Sophomore guard Alyssa Baron swept the Ivy and Big 5 Weekly awards for the University of Pennsylvania women’s basketball team on Monday as announced by the respective league offices. Bonenberger was the Big 5 Player of the Week and Ivy Rookie of the Week, while Baron was the Ivy Player of the Week.
For the second straight game, Bonenberger and Baron each scored over 20 points for the Quakers as the duo combined for 53 points in Penn’s dramatic 67-65 overtime win over Drexel in a Palestra matinee on Dec. 22. With their first win in the Battle for 33rd Street since 2006, the Red and Blue (6-2) are off to the best eight-game start in program history and sit in first place in the Ivy League.
In the victory, Bonenberger recorded her first collegiate double-double in her first career start. The Walnutport, Pa., native scored a career-high and game-high 27 points, and grabbed a career-high and game-high 11 rebounds. She was efficient from the field as she connected on 9-of-15 (60.0%) shots, including 9-of-11 from the free throw line. Bonenberger, who has now won the Ivy Rookie honor for the fourth time, scored Penn’s first eight points and led all scorers with six points in the extra session. In addition, she added two assists and a career-best four steals with just one turnover in 41 minutes.
Baron picked up the fifth Ivy Player of the Week award of her career and the 13th Ivy League weekly honor of her career. Against Drexel, the Miami, Fla., native recorded 26 points, a season-high seven rebounds, four assists and three steals. She shot 7-of-19 from the floor and 10-of-13 from the charity stripe while surpassing the 20-point plateau for the fifth time this season and the 12th time in her career.
Bonenberger won the Ivy Rookie award in three consecutive weeks earlier in the year (Nov. 28, Dec. 5 and Dec. 12). This marks her first career Big 5 honor. Baron won the season’s first two Ivy Player of the Week accolades (Nov. 14 and Nov. 21) and was a seven-time Ivy Rookie of the Week last season.
This is just the third time the Quakers have swept the Ivy League awards. Baron won each honor on two occasions last year. Freshmen are no longer eligible for the league’s Player of the Week award.
Be the first to comment