CRANBERRY TWP — There was something gnawing in the pit of Sam Breen’s stomach since July of last year.

It was an odd feeling that told the standout forward on the Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic girls basketball team that she had acted too swiftly.

She was excited between her junior and senior seasons when she committed to the University of Dayton.

But that pesky feeling dogged her since.

“Something in my mind told me I committed too early,” Breen said.

Breen was a highly recruited player at the time, receiving interest from nearly a dozen schools.

But the two-time Butler Eagle Girls Player of the Year, who will leave North Catholic with a school-record 2,443 points and state and WPIAL championships, had the itch to get the recruiting process out of the way and signed with Dayton in November.

She recently asked for her release from the program.

“It was really hard,” Breen said. “I felt bad, too. I love Dayton a lot, but I want to see what else is out there.”

Breen said she is a little concerned because she’s entering the recruiting pool again so late in the process.

She’s also eager to see where her second go-round takes her.

“Yeah, it’s kind of a little bit of both,” she said. “I’m definitely nervous, but definitely excited, too, about talking to more schools. I’ll be sending out film again.”

Breen’s game has evolved since her freshman season in which a vast majority of her points came in the paint.

The last two seasons she was a threat from the perimeter as well as inside. She also became a better ball-handler and facilitator in the offense.

It’s those skills that Breen hopes will parlay into another opportunity elsewhere.

“I just made the decision recently and filled out the release papers,” Breen said. “It was granted, but it’s still pending. I don’t have any schools in mind. I just have to restart the whole process again in a shorter period of time. I’m kind of hoping some of the better schools still have room for me.”