No longer second fiddle

Karen Habrukowich and Katie Kilker, the Penn women's basketball team's rookie sensations, have more in common than they might have once thought.

Sure, both live in suburban Philadelphia, and the two competed against each other a great deal while in high school.

Yes, each began playing basketball in third grade, drawn to the game by its quick pace.

But Habrukowich and Kilker were also two of the great recruiting coups for the Penn coaching staff.

In her senior year at Council Rock High School in Newtown, Pa., Habrukowich collected numerous accolades, including being named to The Philadelphia Inquirer all-Area team.

Yet, because of all the praise lavished on a teammate, Habrukowich's talents went unnoticed by many.

But Penn coach Kelly Greenberg did notice.

"Karen was someone who we knew was a lock," Greenberg said. "She went to a school where another player got all the attention, and she was overlooked in that regard. We were very fortunate."

Kilker, a graduate of Conwell-Egan Catholic High School in Fairless Hills, Pa., was also an outstanding find.

The Diana Caramanico of her high school, she was the Eagles' all-time leading scorer on either the boys' or girls' teams. And in her senior year the six-foot-two Kilker was nothing short of dominant.

Kilker, a native of Langhorne, Pa., averaged 22.8 points, 11 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game. But since she played on such an incredibly talented summer league team in the local Amateur Athletic Union after her junior campaign, she, too, was overshadowed.

"A lot of coaches kind of forgot about her because she didn't play much that summer," Greenberg said.

At the start of her senior year, when many coaches had not given Kilker a second thought, Greenberg received some advice from her very basketball-savvy family.

"They asked me, 'Why aren't you recruiting Kilker? She just scored 36 points and had 20 rebounds last night,'" said Greenberg, who said the center nearly duplicated that kind of performance the next night with her future coach in attendance. "You talk about the biggest steal ever."

No surprise to Greenberg, the two have flourished in their first year in Penn uniforms.

For Habrukowich, success came early. Just six games into the season, the five-foot-nine guard essentially forced her way into the starting lineup.

In a Nov. 30 game at Stony Brook, she scored 18 points on 6 of 11 shooting off the bench. It was the lone offensive bright spot for a Quakers' team that fell, 77-56.

The next night, against George Mason, Habrukowich entered the starting five. Despite shooting 2 of 13 on her first night as a starter, Habrukowich cemented herself as a Penn starter.

"I really came in here with no expectations. I just wanted to give 100 percent and always work hard," Habrukowich said in a calm, controlled tone that matches her style on the court.

Greenberg admires her guard's presence and command so much that she "never likes taking her off the floor."

And while Habrukowich is pleased with her improvement over the year, she credits her teammates and coaches for making her feel comfortable right from the start.

"The upperclassmen really helped [the freshmen] adjust, and the coaches are great," Habrukowich said. "They have so much confidence in us, and they care so much about us."

Kilker, who was named Ivy League rookie of the week for Feb. 8-14, had the confidence of the coaching staff behind her all along, but she really made her mark earlier this month.

As the tallest player on the club, Kilker was thrust into her role with little margin for error because Penn had few other options at the center position besides tri-captain Julie Epton.

She continued to improve as her minutes began to increase throughout the season. Kilker had her breakout game at the Palestra against Yale on Feb. 8. She scored 16 points that night, including the final two of the game on a jumpshot to ice a 68-65 win.

Coincidentally, Habrukowich had nailed a three from the left side to give Penn a one-point advantage just moments earlier.

"I've just wanted to improve and help the team get better," Kilker said.

Like Habrukowich, Kilker also stated that the tremendous support she's received from the team's veterans has been extremely beneficial.

"I just love being here with all the girls," she said. "There's not one bad egg in the group, and that's really special."

It is Habrukowich and Kilker, however, who seem to be on their way to becoming pretty special.

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