Even though her career was cut short by an injury, women's basketball player Brianne Kenneally had one of the best careers by a player in Youngstown State history.
A two-time conference player-of-the-year selection, she finished her Youngstown State career with 1,471 points scored, seventh in school history and fifth best in the Mid Con's history. Her scoring average of 14.7 points per game ties for the sixth-best career average in school history. In her career she played in 100 games and started 74 contests. She grabbed 414 rebounds, dished out 314 assists and had 171 steals. Kenneally was 485-of-1,181 (41.1 percent) from the field, 128-of-392 from 3-point range (32.7 percent) and 373-of-462 from the free-throw line (80.7 percent).
Kenneally won two Mid-Continent Conference Player-of-the-Year awards, was a two-time first-team all-league member and was the Mid Con's Tournament MVP in 2000. She is the only player in YSU sports history to be a league athlete of the year in consecutive seasons.
Kenneally was having a year only some basketball players could dream about, but on Dec. 23 her impressive senior year came to an abrupt halt. Against Wright State, Kenneally tore the anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee ending her YSU career.
In an abbreviated season, Kenneally averaged 22.8 points in 12 games scoring an impressive 273 points. Kenneally was ranked third in the nation in scoring when she suffered her injury and finished the year with 70 rebounds, 53 assists and 31 steals. From the field she was 90-of-207, making 21 3-pointers.
The 2000-01 The Vindicator/YSU Female Athlete of the Year, Kenneally scored an amazing 43 points against Georgia State. Only All-Americans Jackie Stiles of Missouri State and LaToya Thomas of Mississippi State scored more points in a game that season.
As a junior, Kenneally averaged 18.7 points per game to earn Mid-Con Player-of-the-Year accolades and all-league honors. The Guins finished the 1999-2000 campaign with a 22-9 record and finished second in the Mid Con regular-season race, but won the conference tournament title. She also earned the league's conference tournament MVP, averaging 17.3 points a contest. She had 136 rebounds, 130 assists and 70 steals. From the field she made 195-of-464 attempts, including 49-of-134 3-point attempts.
As a sophomore, Kenneally averaged 16.3 points per game and was named the league's player of the year for the first time. She was a first-team all-conference selection and an all-tournament pick. She scored 457 points, averaging 16.3 points a game. She had 156 rebounds, 83 assists and 58 steals. From the field she was 149-of-370 (40.3 percent) and was 43-of-139 (30.9 percent) from behind the 3-point line.
In her first season at YSU, she was named to the Mid Con's All-Newcomer team and scored 13 points against Memphis in the Penguins' first round NCAA Tournament victory. She appeared in 29 games, starting five. During the season, she scored 162 points, grabbed 52 rebounds, dished out 48 assists and had 12 steals.
She earned her degree from YSU in Elementary Education and Psychology. She also earned a bachelor's in education from Akron in 2003 and a master's in education from Bowling Green State University.
She is now a sixth grade teacher for the Westlake City Schools. She has also coached seventh grade girls' basketball, guiding them to three conference championships.
In high school she was a two-time All-Ohio selection and the 1997 Northeast Lakes District Player of the Year.
Brianne Huber lives in Bay Village, Ohio, with her husband Jeff.
