UMass forward Sam Breen, former North Catholic star, named Atlantic 10's top player

Sam Breen went from the Big Ten to the Atlantic 10.

Ten and 10, that’s right up Breen’s alley.

The former North Catholic star is a double-double producer and durable post presence for Massachusetts in her fifth season of college basketball, and her counterparts have noticed.

The 6-foot-1 Breen, who hails from Gibsonia and initially played at Penn State, was named the Atlantic 10 Women’s Basketball Player of the Year. She is the first player in the history of the women’s program to win the award.

“I definitely was not expecting that,” Breen told the Daily Hampshire Gazette. “It’s just surreal. Coming to UMass, that’s really not anything that I ever expected to happen. Being on a team that’s been doing so well, that just kind of caps it off.”

Breen is having a career season for UMass (23-6), the No. 3 seed in this week’s A-10 Tournament. She has a conference-best 17 double-doubles and is averaging 16.4 points and 10.5 rebounds.

The 23 wins are a school record.

Breen, who also made the All-Atlantic 10 First Team and the all-academic team, is a semifinalist for the Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year.

She started all 24 games last season, averaging 18 points and 10 rebounds and also led the conference with 15 double-doubles. UMass went 16-8 and reached the NIT consolation game.