Brianne Kenneally
Women's Basketball
2000-01
Brianne Kenneally was having a year only some women's basketball players could dream about, but on Dec. 23 her impressive year came to an abrupt halt. Against Wright State, Kenneally tore the anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee ending her YSU basketball career.
Her early season efforts, her work in the classroom and her career accomplishments make her this year's Vindicator Female Athlete of the Year.
In her career, 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 March 2000. She is the only player in YSU sports history to be a league player of the year in consecutive seasons.
In an abbreviated senior season, Kenneally averaged 22.8 points in 12 games scoring an impressive 273 total points. She earned two Mid-Continent Conference Player of the Week awards, tying her for the league lead with two other players who played the entire year. Kenneally was ranked third in the nation in scoring when she suffered her injury. She was named the conference's Female Athlete of the Month in November.
Kenneally had three explosive games to start the season with 33 points against Bowling Green, 25 at Marshall and an amazing 43 points against Georgia State. Only All Americans Jackie Stiles of Southwest Missouri State and LaToya Thomas of Mississippi State scored more points in a game than Kenneally's 43 point effort last season. The 43-point outburst tied for the third most points scored in a game in YSU history.
Kenneally went on for a 31-point outing against Akron, scored 26 points against Buffalo and had 27 points against Cleveland State before suffering her injury.
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.
As a junior, Kenneally averaged 18.7 points per game to earn Mid Con Player of the Year accolades and all league honors. The Penuins 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 to advance to the NCAA Tournament. She also earned the league's conference tournament MVP averaging 17.3 points a contest in the league tournament. She set the school record for free throws made in a season as a junior.
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 team member.
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.
A graduate of Magnificant High School in Brecksville, Ohio, Kenneally's parents and Terry and Susan Kenneally.
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