By Wayne Witkowksi
Loyola University Maryland freshman Stephanie Karcz of Middletown was named The Rock Patriot League Women’s Basketball Rookie of the Week recently. She is the first Greyhound to earn that honor in the past two seasons.
Current junior Bri Betz-White was selected once in 2014-15 and current senior Lisa March twice won the honor in the 2013-14 season.
Karcz earned the honor doing what she did well at two-time state finalist Middletown High School South with scoring and rebounding, as she adjusted quickly to the speed of the game and the strength she needs against players who are four and five years older.
“That was my biggest concern coming in: the speed of the game and adjusting to it,” the 5-foot-10 small forward said. “It was an adjustment at first, but playing AAU ball with and against different [types of] players helped.”
Karcz sealed her honor in a game Dec. 12 against the University of Maryland, which came in ranked No. 4 in NCAA Division I, as she posted 10 points on 5-of-10 shooting from the field with five rebounds, three assists, two steals and a blocked shot in a 79-60 Loyola setback.
Karcz has played in all 10 games for the Greyhounds (4-7 overall) this season, logging starts in each of the last four, in which she averaged nine points and 8.5 rebounds in that stretch.
“I’m mostly able to still get to the basket and become more creative on offense,” Karcz said. “I like the offense and our defense is similar to what I played in high school. It’s knowing your strengths and weaknesses.”
That includes concentrating her workouts a little more on shooting jumpers and free-throw shooting.
She highlighted her season Dec. 10 against the University of Maryland-Baltimore County with her first double-double of her collegiate career with 13 points and 16 rebounds — the most by a Greyhounds player this season.
Karcz said her rebounding is part of a team effort of other larger post players boxing out for the rebound as Karcz steps in to get the missed shot.
“I definitely try to help out the post players,” Karcz said. “A lot of teams we play have power post post players and our forwards have to work hard to box out so I go to the boards and get rebounds.”
On the season, Karcz is shooting 40 percent from the floor and averaging 5.9 points a game with 54 rebounds, 14 assists, 13 steals and three blocks.
Karcz scored 10 points and grabbed three rebounds in Loyola’s early-season victory over St. Francis College of New York, 69-60.
She said the tough early-season schedule will help the Greyhounds’ bid to return to the championship tournament of the Patriot League, which Loyola joined in the 2013-14 season after many years in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. Last year’s team lost its tournament opener to Army. Loyola played its Patriot League opener Dec. 30 against American University.
“I definitely feel confident with the way I played in the nonconference games,” Karcz said. “I think it will help us in our conference. I think we’ll do pretty good, but in some games we have to come out strong. As long as we come out that way in the beginning, we’ll do well.”
It’s a similar approach her Middletown South teams took while dominating its division throughout her four seasons as a starter.