WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue’s Hila Karsh has been named the Big Ten Women’s Basketball Co-Freshman of the Week after helping the Boilermakers start the season 2-0.
Karsh shared the league’s initial honor with USC guard Jazzy Davidson.
In her first two collegiate games, Karsh tallied 18 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists with a half steal and half block per game in wins over FDU and Eastern Illinois. The native of Rishon LeZion, Israel, ranks 10th nationally in freshman scoring. She was one of four guards who played multiple games last week to average 18 points per night and shoot 65% or better from the field.
She is the only freshman in the country to average better than 15 points, five rebounds, three assists and 2.5 3-pointers per game this season. Her 71.4% clip from behind the arc leads all freshmen nationally among qualified shooters.
In her debut for the Boilermakers against FDU, Karsh scored 12 points on an efficient 4-of-5 shooting with five rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal. She was the ninth Purdue freshman in the last 25 seasons to tally 10 points, five rebounds, one assist, one steal and one block and the only one to do it in her debut.
Karsh lit the scoresheet up against Eastern Illinois with a 24-point outing on 9-of-14 shooting. She was 5-of-7 from behind the arc and added seven rebounds. She also led the team with four assists on the night. She was the first Purdue freshman with a 20-point, five-3-pointer, five-rebound performance since Courtney Moses did it against Michigan in the 2010-11 season.
Karsh and the Boilermakers head into the second week of the year with one game on the schedule, a Wednesday road trip to Purdue Fort Wayne, which tips at 7 p.m. on ESPN+.