UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State women's basketball junior Kamaria McDaniel has been named the Co-Big Ten Player of the Week, as announced by the conference office Monday afternoon.
McDaniel recorded the third 40-point performance in program history and first since 2001 Thursday night when she scored 40 points to lead Penn State to a 78-73 win over Pittsburgh in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. McDaniel's 40 points marked a Penn State record in the Bryce Jordan Center and she became the first Lady Lion to put up 40-plus points in a game since former All-American Kelly Mazzante scored a school-record 49 points at Minnesota on Dec. 28, 2001.
McDaniel shot 50 percent (14-for-28) from the floor and was 10-for-15 from the free throw line, while also adding seven rebounds and two assists. The Inkster, Mich. native bested her previous career high of 27 points that was set just a game ago against N.C. Central.
McDaniel's 40 points put her in an elite company. The two other 40-plus point efforts came from Kelly Mazzante (49 at Minnesota, 12/28/01) and Jen Bednarek (42 vs. Syracuse, 1/31/79).
McDaniel currently leads the Big Ten and ranks 18th in the nation with 19.9 points per game. She has scored in double figures in every game this season and 15-straight games dating back to last year.
This is the first Big Ten Player of the Week award of McDaniel's career and she is the first Penn State player to earn the plaudit since Teniya Page did so on Dec. 26, 2016.
McDaniel and the Lady Lions return to action Saturday when Penn State heads to New Jersey to face Princeton at 3 p.m.
