Benet senior guard Aria Mazza has never lacked confidence.
Mazza said she had it when she played at Conant during her freshman and sophomore years. That continued after she transferred to Benet, although she didn’t crack the starting lineup last season.
“I feel like I’ve always had it,” Mazza said. “It just took me a little bit of time to adjust to the new environment and the team. I think that adjustment time was crucial.”
The 5-foot-8 Mazza has been crucial for the Redwings this season as she and sophomore point guard Ava Mersinger have moved into the starting lineup for the first time.
“She’s playing with swag,” Benet coach Joe Kilbride said of Mazza. “She was good last year, especially at the end. Her and Ava were both nonstarters but great for us in the playoffs. Now both of them have been great for us, but Aria has been really, really good.”
How good? Mazza made her mark primarily with her 3-point shooting last season. But she’s shooting efficiently from everywhere, attacking the rim with vigor and collecting an impressive number of rebounds.
“I think some of it is just the way we’re playing, and she’s been really smart about taking advantage of that,” Kilbride said. “She’s just been really hunting her shots consistently, but she’s doing it the right way.
“She’s been aggressive without being selfish, which is such a fine line. It’s hard, and she’s walking it really well.”
The latest example of that came in the championship game of the Montini Christmas Tournament on Saturday night. Mazza scored 18 points on 8-of-14 shooting, led all players with 10 rebounds and also had three assists as Benet edged Fremd 67-64.
It was the first time the Redwings (14-1) have won the Montini title since 2014.
“Aria is a great shooter,” Mersinger said. “She separates from defenders well. She gets space, and then she lets it fly, and it goes in almost every time. It’s really fun to play with her.”
Mazza is not shy about attempting 3-pointers from NBA range, but she is judicious with her shot selection. She attempted only three 3-point shots against the Vikings (14-3), making two.
Mazza’s other baskets included a turnaround baseline jumper off her offensive rebound, a pull-up in the lane and several power drives into the heart of Fremd’s defense.
It was a similar story in the previous game, when the Redwings avenged a season-opening loss to Lyons with a 71-58 victory in the tournament semifinals. Mazza had 15 points and four assists in that game, going 2-for-4 from beyond the arc.
“Even when she takes a large number of shots, they’re quality shots,” Kilbride said. “She’s taking good shots, and she was key on the boards for us (against Fremd).”
Indeed, six of Mazza’s rebounds came on the offensive end, giving the Redwings plenty of second chances in a close game and helping them win the battle of the boards 32-25.
“I think a lot of people think that guards don’t really rebound,” Mazza said. “But if you just commit to putting your head down and finding the ball, you can do it.”
Mazza hasn’t committed to a college and is keeping her recruiting activities close to the vest. She said she’ll probably wait until the spring to make a decision.
Mersinger is sure Mazza will be playing somewhere at the next level.
“She’s going to be great,” Mersinger said. “She works really hard all the time. I see her working out all the time. The sky is the limit for her.”
Mazza sees no limits for the Redwings, who head into the new year riding a 14-game winning streak. They don’t have a transcendent star but do have a balanced starting lineup that includes Brown-bound senior guard Lindsay Harzich, junior guard/forward Bridget Rifenburg and junior guard/forward Emma Briggs. Rifenburg and Briggs have multiple Division I offers and interest.
Any one of Benet’s five starters could be the leading scorer in any given game.
“This is a great group of girls,” Mazza said. “It’s an amazing group of girls that work together and care about the ‘we’ instead of ‘me.’”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter.
