BIG EAST notebook: Faith Masonius’ trick shot, fantastic freshmen

After giving up a 12-point second-quarter lead, Seton Hall trailed Villanova 55-54 with 6.5 seconds remaining in a nationally televised New Year’s Day game. Following two missed Villanova free throws, Seton Hall pulled down a defensive rebound, rushed the ball the full length of the court in transition, and got the ball to leading scorer Masonius. She caught the ball deep in the post, pivoted, took one step and flipped the ball over her head for a buzzer-beating shot.

“The Seton Hall Pirates keep the faith and win at the buzzer!” play-by-play announcer John Fanta exclaimed on the Fox broadcast as the Seton Hall bench mobbed Masonius in a jubilant celebration.

Not only was the shot thrilling, it also is potentially consequential for the conference standings. Villanova and Seton Hall were projected at Nos. 7 and 8, respectively, in the preseason BIG EAST standings and are expected to be similarly competitive in the conference this season. With the win, the Pirates improved to 3-0 and the Wildcats fell to 1-1. The game could have implications for conference tournament seeding down the line.

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Freshmen to see

It’s no secret that UConn’s Sarah Strong has been the most dominant freshman in the BIG EAST conference this season, already proving to be one of the nation’s elite players.

She isn’t the only freshman making an immediate impact in the conference, though. Three other freshmen in particular have proven they are ready to compete at the college level: Villanova guard Jasmine Bascoe, Seton Hall guard Jada Eads and Xavier guard Meri Kanerva.

Jasmine Bascoe

Over the summer, Bascoe earned a spot on the All Star 5 team of the 2024 FIBA U18 Women’s AmeriCup. The 5’7 guard led Team Canada to a silver medal as the tournament’s second-leading scorer (14.8 points per game) and leader in assists (4.7 per game). In the gold-medal game against the United States, she contributed 18 points, five assists and four steals.

Now as a freshman at Villanova, Bascoe is already proving that her game translates to the Division I level. She leads the Wildcats in scoring (15.6 points per game), assists (4.3) and steals (2.0). Following a 26-point, four-assist and four-rebound performance against Saint Joseph’s on Dec. 3, Bascoe earned BIG EAST Freshman of the Week.

“She’s a well-rounded player. She’s a student of the game,” Villanova coach Denise Dillon said on a broadcast in December.

After Lucy Olsen entered the transfer portal at the end of last season, the Wildcats needed to find scorers to replace Olsen’s 23.3 points per game. Bascoe has made up for much of that and is on her way to becoming one of the BIG EAST’s elite guards.

Jada Eads

A talented recruit out of Orlando, Eads made her debut as a collegiate starter on Dec. 6 with a career-high 14 points against Howard. Since then, she’s surpassed that four times, most recently with a 26-point performance against Butler.

“I feel like I earned it,” Eads said of her promotion to starter. “I put in the work over the summer, and it felt [like] it was paying off.”

It’s safe to say Eads has adjusted to a starting role, and she’s put the conference on notice. For the week of Dec. 30, she clinched both BIG EAST Player of the Week and Freshman of the Week honors. It’s the second time she’s received BIG EAST Freshman of the Week recognition this season.

Eads is a small guard who has been compared to several former Seton Hall greats, including Pirates Hall of Famer Ka-Deidre Simmons and All-BIG EAST first teamer Lauren Park-Lane. She was a high school state champion and McDonald’s All-America nominee. She’s exactly the type of player who can thrive in head coach Tony Bozzella’s system, and she has made an immediate impact in the first two months of her collegiate career.

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Meri Kanerva

Kanerva had a connection to the Musketeers before she ever put on the uniform. The 5’9 guard played in a professional league in Finland alongside Xavier Hall of Famer Taru Tuukkanen, who is still playing professionally at age 46. 

Through just 14 games, Kanerva is making an impact of her own for Xavier, which struggled to a 1-27 record last season under first-year head coach Billi Chambers. This season, the Musketeers have already accumulated four more wins than last season (5-9). Much of that success can be attributed to Kanerva, who leads the team in minutes (31.9 per game), scoring (11.2) and assists (3.4).

Kanerva leads a multicultural roster that includes 12 international players, which the program believes to be the most in DI women’s college basketball. Among all the elite international talent, Chambers described the Finnish guard as the newcomer she was most excited to watch this season, praising her “quiet confidence” on the court. So far, Kanerva is meeting expectations and elevating Xavier in the process.

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