CRANBERRY TWP — Sam Breen found out the news while looking at her phone between classes at Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic High School.

At first, she didn't believe it when she checked Twitter.

Then, it finally sunk in.

Breen, a 6-foot-1 forward for the Trojanettes girls basketball team, was named Gatorade Pennsylvania Girls Basketball Player of the Year.

“I honestly didn't expect it,” Breen said. “Coach (Molly Rottmann) told me I was up for it, but I didn't think I was going to get it.”

Breen is the first Butler County player to receive the honor since Slippery Rock's Jence Rhoads in 2006-07.

“It kind of just rolls off her back,” Rottmann said. “There are only 50 girls who got this. That's amazing. But part of what makes her great is she doesn't want recognition or need it. She certainly doesn't have an ego.”

Breen is now a finalist for the Gatorade National Girls Basketball Player of the Year award, which will be announced later this month.

“It's definitely something I'm happy about,” Breen said. “At practice, everyone congratulated me for about five minutes and then we went back to trying to win a state title.”

Breen is averaging 23.3 points, 10 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 2.7 steals this season for North Catholic (24-2), which was scheduled to take on Villa Maria at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Slippery Rock University in the quarterfinals of the PIAA 4A playoffs.

Breen's success has come largely because of the extra work she has put in over the years to get better and round out her game.

She has evolved into a threat all over the court, just as capable of draining an outside shot or driving the lane as she is posting up in the paint.

It wasn't always that way for the University of Dayton recruit.

“I remember as a freshman I didn't even think of taking an outside shot,” Breen said. “All of my points came in the paint. After my sophomore year, I worked on getting into shape. I ran a lot and worked out a lot.”

It made Breen quicker and more explosive on both ends of the floor.

She also worked on her shot and is now dangerous from the perimeter.

It has made it nearly impossible for teams to slow her down — no matter what defense they throw at her.

Breen is also quick to point out that her supporting cast helps in that as well.

“It would be much more difficult if I didn't have the talent around me,” Breen said. “When someone tries to play a box-and-one on me, I set screens to get other people open.”

Breen still gets her points.

She has scored 2,431 in her career at North Catholic, putting her 12th on the all-time WPIAL scoring list.

She can also put WPIAL champion on her resume for the first time after the Trojanettes beat Blackhawk handily in the final March 3.

“I think definitely for me and Kylie (Huffman), the only seniors, it was big because it was our last chance to win one,” Breen said.

Breen is now focused on bringing another state title to North Catholic.

The Trojanettes won the Class A championship last season.

Breen has had a knack of playing her best in the big games.

She scored 34 points and added 20 rebounds in the WPIAL championship game, scored 19 points in the victory of Keystone Oaks in the first round of the PIAA playoffs last week and then hit for 26 points in the blowout win over Punxsutawney Thursday.

“I feel like for me personally, the bigger the game, I want to play bigger,” Breen said. “If we're in a big situation, I want to come out with more confidence and know what I want to do.”