Munster senior CeCe Mason is focused on the here and now.
On basketball. In high school.
Not to say she allowed her mind to wander. Far from it. She gives maximum effort in whatever she does. But Mason, who has also been the starting shortstop for Munster’s softball team since her freshman year, had a different plan earlier in her career.
“When I was younger, sophomore year and freshman year, I wanted to get recruited for softball,” Mason said. “But then I decided that wasn’t my path. I really was focused on it, but now it’s even between softball and basketball.
“I decided not to play either sport in college. I want to go into nursing, so it probably would be hard to do both. Sophomore year, I was on a competitive softball team, and the recruiting process was a little bit too much for me. I realized what I wanted to do, and I came to this decision.”
Mason, who was Munster’s top reserve in basketball as a sophomore, is in her second season as a starter, and she’s putting together her most productive season yet. The 5-foot-7 guard is averaging 11.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, a team-high 3.8 assists and a team-high 3.5 steals.
“I’ve been staying pretty balanced on scoring, but also including my teammates in scoring with assists too,” Mason said. “Last year, I was more catch and shoot, but this year I’ve been getting more blocks and rebounds, which I’ve been focused on too. I’ve been contributing the whole game and getting my teammates involved.”
Mason posted 8.1 points, 4.0 rebounds, a team-high 4.1 assists and 3.2 steals last season. She put in the time to take another step as a senior.
“I’ve been more aggressive,” she said. “I’ve definitely been going to the basket when it’s open. I did work a lot in the summer on my shot in general, but I’m more focused on driving to the basket because I didn’t do that a lot last year. This year, it’s given me multiple areas to score instead of just shooting jumpers.”
Munster coach DeAndre Williams has noticed a difference with Mason.
“For her, it’s more of a confidence thing,” he said. “She’s tough as nails, but she’s her hardest critic. I tell her, ‘Hey, I trust you. I trust you, so now you have to trust yourself.’
“You’re not going to play perfect. No one does, in any sport. But what I ask you to do, make progress every day. Make sure you’re progressing and play as hard as possible, and we’ll live with the results. That’s all you can ask for as a coach.”
Williams asks a lot of Mason, a co-captain for two seasons with senior forward Nina Garner, who is averaging a team-high 16.2 points and 4.6 rebounds.
“CeCe and I have been teammates since fifth grade,” Garner said. “She has just kept getting better and better year after year. She handles the ball well, she can set up offensive plays, and because she’s a good softball player, too, she can throw the ball to the other side of the court with no problem. She has a good 3-point percentage too.
“It’s been great being a co-captain with her, and I will miss our team when the season ends.”
Mason agreed her softball experience has influenced her basketball game. She hit .325 with seven doubles, three home runs, 31 runs scored and 16 RBIs last season.
“Softball has helped a lot with basketball,” she said. “It got me very athletic. I use a lot of my softball skills in basketball. On our 1-3-1 defense, if I were to get a rebound, Nina will go to the other side of the basket, and I’m able to throw it to her all the way over there from softball.”
Mason was teammates for two seasons with her sister Lillian, who was a team captain before graduating in 2023. Her brother Charlie, a 2022 Munster graduate, was a standout soccer player.
“I got to learn a lot from her freshman and sophomore year,” Mason said of Lillian. “That helped me become wiser.”
The Mustangs, seeking their first sectional title since 2020, seem to be growing this season. They have won four straight games and five of six heading into a game against T.F. South of Illinois on Friday.
Munster returned four starters after winning the Northwest Crossroads Conference title last season but lost star guard Gracyn Gilliard when she transferred to Center Grove.
“The first three or four games, we were trying to find our identity,” Williams said. “Losing Gracyn was a big game-changer for the whole program because she did so much for the program. Losing a player of that caliber, you can’t replace that. But now we’re finding that identity.”
Players such as Mason and Garner have been instrumental in that process.
“They’re the ultimate leaders on and off the court,” Williams said. “I couldn’t ask for two better seniors. You’re just talking about two true athletes who are the epitome of what a student-athlete should be. They’re great in the classroom, they’re great in the community, they’re great in the locker room, they’re great on the court.
“Munster High School will miss those two, 100%, when they walk across that stage.”
In the meantime, Mason likes the direction the Mustangs have been trending.
“We started the season rocky, but we’ve picked it up recently, especially on defense, and we’re sharing the ball a lot,” she said. “We needed to get in a groove as a team. Hopefully we can keep it up. I’m just excited for the rest of the season.”
