Fahey, Hersey roll past New Trier to make it 7-0
Maybe it's the mask.
But the new-look Mary Kate Fahey is lighting up the scoreboard. Well, in her case, she's had a small uptick in increased scoring on a deep and highly skilled team full of scorers.
Throughout her basketball career, the Hersey senior point guard built a reputation for her unselfish play. In an age where point guards shoot first, pass second, Fahey is a throwback to a time when point guards directed the offense and distributed the ball.
But the 2021 Mary Kate Fahey version, at least in Monday's nonconference showdown at New Trier, is a different model. Fahey showed a willingness to shoot, and it played a factor in Hersey's blowout win.
Fahey scored 7 of her 17 points in the first quarter to lead the Huskies to a 74-32 win against the Trevians. Katy Eidle, a sophomore guard with multiple Division I offers, scored a game-high 18 points.
"I think scoring is definitely something expected of me being a senior," Fahey said. "I have to get shots up and hit them, like when we need scoring or are down."
The 5-foot-8 Fahey, a New York University recruit, attempted 6 first-quarter shots, capping her strong start by drilling a 21-foot 3-pointer at the buzzer - off a turnover - for a 19-9 lead. A year ago, Fahey averaged 12.7 points per game.
The Huskies, who are currently ranked No. 1 in Class 4A in The Associated Press poll, kept their record unblemished and untested. The Huskies (7-0) entered the game with an average winning margin of 46 points, so a road test in the fabled gymnasium was expected to serve as a good measuring stick. Even with Eidle and Mary McGrath both starting off slow scoring-wise in the first 12 minutes, the Huskies dominated the Trevians (5-2).
"Mary Kate is such a pure point guard, but she can also score," Hersey coach Mary Fendley said. "She's always been able to score, but she likes to distribute."
Fahey, a four-year varsity player, swished a top-of-the-key 3-pointer to pad the lead to 24-14 with just over five minutes left in the second quarter. On the next possession, Fahey, wearing her customary white headband, attacked a crowded lane and got fouled. She made 2 free throws to increase the lead to 26-14, scoring 12 of the Huskies' first 26 points.
Fahey made two 3s and handed out 6 assists in just under 24 minutes of action.
"I'm not usually such a huge shooter, but we've been making the extra pass, so if my teammates pass me the ball, I'm going to shoot it," Fahey said. "Our ball movement has been great all year, and our backcourt has been excellent, too."
Midway through the second quarter, Eidle showed the Trevians her vast potential by turning a close game into a rout with a four-minute scoring spree.
Eidle scored on back-to-back baskets to raise the lead to 31-14 late in the second quarter. A few possessions later, Eidle scored on a three-point breakaway. Fifteen seconds later, Eidle swished a 3-pointer, then Fahey made a 3 which was followed by Eidle's fastbreak layup to push the lead to 42-16.
Fahey closed out her strong night with one last highlight, a bullet, two-handed pass to a streaking Eidle for a layup late in the third.
"Hersey is a great team, definitely one of the top five teams in the state," New Trier coach Teri Rodgers said. "I feel bummed for them that they can't compete for a state championship. That's a state championship team."