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Benet’s Ava Mersinger is just two months into her high school basketball career.
But the freshman guard already has a nickname.
“She can do some things nobody else does,” Benet coach Joe Kilbride said. “I was kidding her at film session one day, ‘Merse the Master of the Reverse’ because she makes these reverse layups all the time, and she’s really good at it.
“We just need to stretch her to about 5-9, and she’ll be special.”
The 5-foot-6 Mersinger hasn’t reached that height yet, but she knows how to seize the moment. The Redwings were missing four players, including starters Emilia Sularski, Maggie Sularski and Emma Briggs, due to minor injuries and had three other players get into early foul trouble on Wednesday.
That forced Kilbride to give Mersinger her first extended minutes, and the results were a revelation to those who haven’t seen her play. Mersinger made 5 of 7 shots and finished with 11 points, three steals, two rebounds and an assist as Benet beat visiting Joliet Catholic 61-32 in an East Suburban Catholic Conference game in Lisle.
“Coach gave me an opportunity,” Mersinger said. “I took it. The team did great.”
Junior guard Lindsay Harzich, who tallied a team-high 12 points and five steals, said Mersinger played exactly as she practices.
“I saw it coming,” Harzich said. “I knew from the start that ‘Merse’ was amazing, and I knew that she’d bring something to this team.
“She definitely deserves the playing time, so it’s great for her. Eleven points is a really big performance, and I think she’s just going to keep getting better and better, and next year she’s going to be a really big part to our team.”
The Redwings (13-5, 5-1) struggled with their shooting against the Angels (5-17, 0-5). But that wasn’t a problem for Mersinger, who checked into the game and soon scored on a layup off a great feed from sophomore guard Bridget Rifenburg to put Benet up 16-5.
Mersinger later made a steal and scored again to extend the lead to 22-7. She had nine points in the first half as Benet built a 36-22 cushion.
Mersinger said driving is one of her best strengths, but that’s not the only way she can affect a game. She was effective at the top of Benet’s full-court press, which forced 29 turnovers, including 15 in the first quarter.
“She’s an elite athlete,” Kilbride said. “She is super quick, super bouncy. She’s athletically one of the best we’ve had since Kathleen (Doyle). She’s that good an athlete. She’s just tiny.”
The lack of height didn’t stymie Mersinger against the Angels. In the second quarter, she made a terrific catch-and-shoot layup off a long pass from senior forward Shannon Earley, and later made a steal, raced into the lane and scored despite being knocked down. Mersinger sank the ensuing free throw for a 36-19 lead.
Mersinger also handled the ball with aplomb, getting her teammates plenty of open looks. Her assist came on an out-of-bounds pass with 0.9 seconds left in the third quarter. She passed to junior guard Brooke Bafia, who sank a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from the right corner to make it 48-25.
Kilbride took Mersinger out shortly after that. She was asked afterward to pick a favorite play.
“I definitely like my and-one and my assist to Brooke for the three,” she said. “Those are my favorite.”
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Benet’s only freshman, Mersinger already is emerging as a favorite among her teammates.
“I love the work,” she said. “It’s so much fun, and this team is so nice to me. It’s just a great experience overall. I love it.”
Kilbride loves the intangibles Mersinger brings and was happy to get her significant minutes.
“She has the potential to be a special player, so we’ve been looking for opportunities to give her some run, and she’s got to earn them like everybody else,” Kilbride said. “Tonight (the injuries) gave Mersinger a little bit of an opportunity, and then we get three girls in foul trouble in the first quarter.
“She loves this group and fits in well. She’s got a little competitive juice in her, and you saw tonight, she made some plays.”
More are in the offing.
“Her potential is through the roof because of her athleticism,” Kilbride said. “We really like her. She’s a great kid.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.