Eleah Parker may only be a freshman, but she has looked very much like a veteran in her dominating start to Ivy League play.
After Penn women’s basketball lost to arch-rival Princeton last Saturday, the team rebounded spectacularly this weekend, defeating Cornell and Columbia in consecutive weekends behind the stellar play of Parker.
Against Cornell, the star center demonstrated impressive efficiency, contributing 15 points on 7 of 11 shooting. Additionally, Parker grabbed 10 rebounds for her second double-double of the year. Such a robust stat line undoubtedly contributed to the final result, a 20-point victory in which the starters were able to limit their minutes and rest up before the next day’s game.
In that next game, Parker’s numbers were even more exceptional, as she set career highs in both scoring and rebounding. Behind her 22 points and 14 boards — eight on the offensive end — Penn beat Columbia comfortably. Throughout the entire contest, it was clear that Parker was on another level both physically and mentally.
“[It's about] using my strength and my power over other players and just knowing what they can do against me defensively and what I have,” Parker said. “Just really listening to my coaches and my teammates, and especially when I hear them say ‘Go at them! Go at them!’, and that really gives me confidence.”
While Parker’s increasing confidence may bode well for Penn, the rest of the conference better look out, because if this weekend’s games are any indication, Penn has found itself a star for years to come. Needless to say, this DP Sports Player of the Week award should be the first of many for Eleah Parker.
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