SELINSGROVE, (Pa.) -- Susquehanna University senior center/forward and tri-captain Karyn Kern (Brodheadsville/
Pleasant Valley H.S.) is the first MAC Commonwealth Conference Women's Basketball Player of the Week. She's been Most Valuable Player of both the team's season-opening tournaments – leading the squad to the championship in each and its first 4-0 start since 1995.
The 6-2 Kern has averaged 29.3 points and 14.0 rebounds while shooting 64.3 percent from the field (45 of 70) and 79.4 percent from the free throw line (27 of 34) over the first four games. She has also averaged 3.5 steals, 2.0 blocks and 1.8 assists per game.
Kern pumped in a tournament record and career high 37 points while grabbing 12 rebounds in Sunday's 76-71 win over host Rochester in the Championship Game of the Chuck Resler Invitational – giving her a double-double in all four games this season and 41 in her career. After scoring 32 points and grabbing 15 rebounds in Susquehanna's 82-68 win over Denison in Friday's opening round, she also broke the tournament's two-game scoring record with 69 points. Kern averaged 34.5 points -- shooting 61.9 percent from the field (26 of 42) and 85.0 percent from the line (17 of 20) -- as well as 13.5 rebounds, 4.5 steals and 3.0 blocks in the two games.
"What Karyn does with our team as a leader on the court is remarkable," said 13th-year Susquehanna head coach Mark Hribar, who is now the winningest basketball coach in school history with a 203-104 record. "Her performance was amazing and I'm really proud of her."
Kern averaged 24.0 points and shot 67.9 percent from the field (19 of 28), also averaging 14.5 rebounds in copping MVP honors at Susquehanna's season-opening Varsity Club Tournament. She outplayed fellow Preseason All-American and senior center Michelle Costa of Gwynedd-Mercy in the championship game – posting 28 points and 18 rebounds while limiting Costa to just eight points and 13 boards. She led Susquehanna to an upset of Gwynedd-Mercy, which was ranked 18th nationally in the Division III preseason as it returned all five starters from the team which knocked the Crusaders out of the NCAA Tournament a year ago.
A three-time MAC Commonwealth All-Star who was also a Preseason All-American this season, she now has 1,344 career points and is just eight points shy of moving past Kristie Maravalli (1,351, 1989-93) into fifth on the Susquehanna women's career scoring list (School Record: 2,075, Deb Yeasted, 1981-85). She is also ranked fourth on the program's career rebounding list with 786 (Record: 996, Megan Lytle, 1991-95). Kern led NCAA Division III in field goal percentage last season with a MAC record 65.0 percent (169 of 260).
Also an Academic All-American hopeful as a psychology major with a speech communications minor, Kern is the daughter of Peter and Carol Kern of Brodheadsville.
Kern will lead the Crusaders into their MAC Commonwealth Conference opener Tuesday as they host Messiah (2-1, 0-0 MAC CC) in a 7 p.m. contest.
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