Brusek keeps on rolling for Marist
Senior center, a volleyball commit for Western Michigan, continues farewell tour by putting up a double-double
Mary Clare Brusek has committed her college athletic future to women’s volleyball at Western Michigan.
Her senior season at Marist figures to be her fond farewell to basketball.
But just hang on there just a minute. “There is always an option to play both,” Brusek said. “But it’s super-hard to play because volleyball and basketball are right on top of each other.
“But it’s not completely out of the picture. If they’ll have me, I’ll take it.”
They might have to think about it if Brusek keeps playing like she did Monday night in a 64-34 victory over Simeon in Chicago.
Brusek finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds for the host RedHawks (2-0). Le’Lani Harris had 19 points, while Elise Ward added 12.
Nakia Bardney scored 20 points for Simeon (0-2).
Brusek, a 6-foot center, had been leaning heavily toward playing women’s basketball in college until the latter part of her junior year. She committed Aug. 3 to Western Michigan.
It wasn’t exactly a shock to Marist girls basketball coach Mary Pat Connolly.
“I think she could have chosen whichever direction she wanted to go,” Connolly said. “I think she could have been a Division I volleyball player and I think she could be a Division I basketball player. She’s just that athletic.
“Of course, I like basketball more than volleyball, so I’d like to see her go the basketball way. But it’s her life and she’s choosing what she wants to do.”
Brusek was one of the best — and diverse — players on the court Monday.
Her first contribution was actually a steal. She then fed a perfect pass to Ward for a basket.
The rebounds and points would come soon enough as Marist rallied from a 5-0 deficit to lead 23-7 after one quarter.
“She just has so much more confidence in her game as a senior,” Connolly said of Brusek. “Over the summer, she really came on strong.
“She’s so deceiving because she’s so long and lengthy, and she just kind of jumps on her tippy toes. She’s one of our best rebounders with Emily Bojan. She’s doing
great on both ends of the floor.”
Brusek’s big game against Simeon came on the heels of a 14-point effort in the season opener against CreteMonee.
She’s definitely in basketball shape. “I feel more in shape because of volleyball,” Brusek said. “We do so much conditioning and running.”
Brusek never left the court Monday until she committed her third foul with 13.1 seconds remained in the third quarter.
That was enough to convince Harris. “MC is in the best shape of her life,” Harris testified with a smile.
Harris and Brusek are in their 11th and final season together playing basketball.
“It’s definitely bittersweet this year,” Harris said. “But it won’t be a final goodbye. Just a ‘see you later.’”
Harris hit four 3-pointers, while Kira Chivers and Cencere McDaniel each converted a pair, earning Marist’s backcourt the highest of shooting grades.
“They kept finding me,” Harris said. “Our basketball IQ is super high, so my teammates just knew how to find me. It was just my night. I love my teammates.”
Brusek, meanwhile, will leave the family legacy in basketball at Marist to Nora, her sophomore sister.
“Oh, I hope so,” Mary Clare said, smiling. “We’ve always played together. My dad coached us. Especially during COVID, he was a gym teacher, so we would go to his gym and be working and pushing each other.”
Nora also plays volleyball at Marist, which begged the question.
“She’s more of a basketball player,” Mary Clare said.
Then again, so was she. “True,” Mary Clare said, laughing. “I guess you never know.”