It was one of the most incredible plays of the college basketball season. With the Seton Hall women down one at Villanova and time running out, Faith Masonius got the ball under the Wildcats’ hoop, pivoted through four defenders and lofted up a backwards, over-the-head layup that rolled in as time expired.
The Pirates won, and the highlight went viral.
“That was probably the coolest thing I’ve ever done,” said the postgrad forward, a Spring Lake resident and former Manasquan High School star.
It was no accident, though. Masonius practices that shot – and she hit a version of it at least once before during a game, while at Manasquan High. Plus, there were heady decisions that led to the bucket.
It started with Masonius, as Villanova missed free throws throws at the other end, reminding her teammates they only needed a two-pointer. A rebound by Kayden Lawson triggered the “rebound, outlet, long pass” drill the Pirates practice daily. Amari Wright’s long pass found Masonius running at full speed into the paint.
“That’s exactly how we draw the drill up,” Hall head coach Tony Bozzella said.
Of course, Masonius sinking a backwards shot was an unexpected flourish, but the entire sequence symbolized the season so far for the surprising Pirates, who are 12-3 overall and out to a 4-0 start in Big East action for the first time ever.
“We have a very selfless team, the most selfless team I’ve had since we’ve been here,” Bozzella said.
The arrival of Masonius, a role player at powerhouse Maryland as an undergrad, is the biggest reason.
‘How can you not love that?’
“She’s one of the most unique, special people I’ve ever coached,” Bozzella said. “She’s always encouraging her teammates, she’s always taking responsibility herself. We had a decent culture, but it’s so much better because of Faith.”
In October, during Big East media day, UConn coach Geno Auriemma lauded Masonius’ bloodlines. Her mother, Ellen (Clark) Masonius, was once on Auriemma’s staff.
“Geno said, ‘Ellen Masonius, as a grad assistant, helped lay the foundation for all our success,’” Bozzella said.
Faith is averaging 17.6 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.2 assists while shooting 48.6 percent from the field, .375 from 3-point range and .875 from the free-throw line. In Saturday’s overtime victory over Georgetown she posted 21 points, six assists and six rebounds while playing 44 of a possible 45 minutes.
“She got mad at me at the end of the third quarter for taking her out,” Bozzella said. “I said, ‘You’ve got three fouls and I want to give you a couple of seconds of rest.’ She said, ‘Listen, I’ve got this.’ How can you not love that attitude?”
Said Masonius: “I’ve lost 20 pounds since being at Maryland. I’ve got to get my body right if I’m going to play 40 minutes.”
On Monday, she was named Big East Player of the Week.
“Coach B has had a huge impact on me,” Masonius said. “He’s given me a lot of confidence and put a lot of trust in me to lead the team – to do what I think is right. It’s a great feeling to have a head coach to trust you as much as he trusts me.”
She’s even gotten a new nickname out of the deal, courtesy of her younger teammates: Granny.
“I’ve taken on the role of the mom on the team,” Masonius said. “I like making sure everyone’s on the same page. If you’re not all bought in, then you won’t be successful.”
All hands on deck
It’s taken all hands on deck for the Hall to reach this point. Six of the program’s 15 scholarship players are sidelined by injuries, including starting point guard Savannah Catalon, who is out indefinitely with a severe ankle sprain. Freshman guard Jada Eads (14.3 ppg) has emerged as a go-to threat. When she earned Big East Freshman of the Week honors, Bozzella texted her congratulations.
“Thank you for giving me the opportunity,” Eads replied.
“That’s the difference,” Bozzella said. “You can be talented, but you’ve got to be humble and a team player, and she is.”
Bozzella also credited his assistant coaches, who have taken on an extra-large chunk of responsibility over the past year as he lost his mother and was twice hospitalized due to health issues. And he noted that the program’s scout team, which consists of five male Seton Hall students, has been invaluable in helping his shorthanded squad practice. Throughout winter break, they’ve been commuting daily from their homes to Walsh.
“They’re here on the court 40 minutes before practice, going over the other team’s plays,” Bozzella said. “We don’t beat Villanova and Georgetown without them.”
Next up is the Hall’s first Big East acid test – 4-0 Creighton visits Walsh Gym Saturday at noon. Masonius said she would love to see Walsh packed to the rafters.
“We’re an exciting team to watch,” she said. “We’ll make it fun and play our hearts out every time we step on the floor.”
Her over-the-head game-winner is Exhibit A, but that’s just the most noticeable part of Faith Masonius’ impact.
“We have some talent here, but we needed someone to pull it all together,” Bozzella said. “And Faith did.”
Jerry Carino has covered the New Jersey sports scene since 1996 and the college basketball beat since 2003. Contact him at jcarino@gannettnj.com.
