Benet’s Aria Mazza was feeling a sense of déjà vu Tuesday night.
The Redwings led Bolingbrook by one point when the junior guard was fouled and went to the free-throw line with 8.8 seconds left.
“I started smiling,” Mazza said. “I was like, ‘This is the same thing as Neuqua.’ I just took a deep breath again, and I was excited to knock them down. My team did a great job to get it to that point in the game, and I just sank my two.”
Mazza’s free throws capped the scoring as fourth-seeded Benet stunned top-seeded Bolingbrook 55-52 in the Class 4A Oswego Sectional semifinals.
It was the second consecutive game in which Mazza has come through in such a scenario. Five days earlier, she made two free throws, also with 8.8 seconds remaining, to finish the scoring in the Redwings’ 47-44 win against Neuqua Valley in the regional final.
Oddly enough, Mazza hadn’t been shooting particularly well from the line before the playoffs.
“I told her, ‘It’s weird that you’re not shooting better from the free-throw line because you’re such a great shooter,’” Benet coach Joe Kilbride said. “She was shooting it well everywhere except the free-throw line.
“She said, ‘I think it’s because I’m taking my time.’ I said, ‘Well, don’t take your time.’”
Mazza, a transfer from Conant, is having a grand time in her first postseason with Benet, and it’s showing in her play. She scored seven of her nine points in the fourth quarter, including a 3-pointer off a pass from senior guard Emilia Sularski that gave the Redwings (24-6) a 48-46 lead.
Benet, which will play second-seeded Waubonsie Valley (30-3) in the sectional championship game at 6 p.m. Thursday, didn’t trail again.
“She’s been amazing for us,” sophomore guard Bridget Rifenburg said about Mazza. “I feel like her transferring and never getting a regional plaque is a huge motivation for her.
“She was telling me earlier in the game, ‘I’ve never been in an environment like this. I love this so much.’ She really is thriving in these environments, and that’s so huge for us because we really need her.”
Mazza, who comes off the bench along with senior forward Shannon Earley and freshman guard Ava Mersinger, is happy to contribute, including to the postgame celebration that could be heard down the hall.
“It’s amazing,” Mazza said. “We were having a good time in the locker room. It’s just fun to be in that environment. I’ve never played in a sectional game, and it’s very loud, but I loved it.”
The Redwings, who advanced to their ninth consecutive sectional final, were in the unfamiliar role of heavy underdogs against Bolingbrook. But sophomore center Emma Briggs, who had 14 points and seven rebounds, hit a 3-pointer to give them a 24-17 lead.
The Raiders (26-4) rallied to take a 27-24 halftime lead as sophomore guard Trinity Jones, a Power Five prospect who transferred from Naperville Central, scored 11 straight points, including a trio of 3-pointers.
Jones finished with a game-high 25 points, six steals and six rebounds, but her teammates were held in check.
“I thought we got a little tired in the second quarter and our rotations got a little slow,” Kilbride said. “Credit to her — those are nice shots — but she was wide open.
“I thought in the second half we played with a little more energy, and our defense was exceptional.”
With Kilbride frequently subbing, the Redwings played tirelessly at both ends of the floor, attacking the basket aggressively.
Benet trailed 44-38 when Earley scored on a layup. That started a 14-2 run during which Rifenburg made a 3-pointer and Briggs and Mersinger scored on drives.
Mazza made two free throws to give Benet a 52-46 cushion with 1:47 left. Briggs then drew a pivotal charging call on Jones, who later scored to cut the gap to 53-52.
The Raiders had a chance to take the lead, but Briggs stole the ball from Jones, setting up Mazza’s final free throws. Bolingbrook senior guard Yahaira Bueno missed a last-second 3-point shot.
“(Bolingbrook) is ranked No. 1 in the state and deservedly so,” Kilbride said. “I told the girls we’ve got nothing to lose. Everybody in the state thinks Bolingbrook is going to beat us by 20, so here we go.”
Mazza had an idea how it would go.
“We came in here as underdogs, and we just wanted to prove everybody wrong because we know what we’re capable of,” she said. “No matter what everybody else says, we knew that we could do this.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter.
