March 3, 2003

     The 5-foot-9 Rush, a three-year starter under coach Frank Lombardo, remembers well what it felt like to lose in the state championship game last season. Holy Cross fell 73-43 to an overpowering Guilford squad.
     The Crusaders open play in this year's tournament Thursday at home.
     "Losing in the championship game last season left a bad taste in my mouth," Rush said. "It was a really tough thing to get over, but they (Guilford) played better than us and they deserved to win. It made us very hungry to get back to that game this year. We came out every game and played our hardest."
     Playing their hardest has worked to perfection. On Feb. 19, the Crusaders defeated Kennedy, 57-32, to win their second consecutive NVL title. Two days later they gained a 63-44 victory over Sacred Heart to complete a 20-0 season.
     Rush, selected All-State in Class L last season as a junior by the Connecticut High School Coaches' Association, has helped Holy Cross to an overall record of 83-12 and an NVL mark of 72-8 during her four-year campaign. She is not, however, sitting on her laurels.
     "We expect to win every time we go out there," remarked Rush. "We are coached to win and we always play as hard as we can. Cutting down the nets (at the Holy Cross gymnasium) against Sacred Heart was a special moment, but we all want to get back to the state title game."
     In the preseason, Rush was nominated to play in the McDonald's All-American game scheduled for March 26 at the Gund Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. She will learn shortly if she has been selected as one of the 25 players to represent the East squad. The honor would be the first of its kind for Holy Cross.
     She was also recently profiled on "Schoolgirl in the Spotlight for the Tri-state Area" on the MSG Network, and will play in the Jewish Community Center All-Star game in April.
     The fourth-leading scorer in the NVL at 17.7 points a game, Rush provides a combination of talent and experience that the Crusaders will need to make a successful run in the postseason. She abashedly concedes that she is a leader on the team and offers up plenty of compliments for those around her.
     "My family, coaches and teammates all have been good influences on me," Rush said. "I have a whole lot of family that come out to support me at every game."
     The senior guard may not want to bring attention to herself, but her coach is more than happy to heap praise on her.
     "She's our most important player," Lombardo said. "She works hard defensively, and the offense is geared around her to have ball in her hands most of time. She is a leader on and off the court as one of our five senior captains."
     She's clearly a great high school basketball player, but can Mary Rush make the transition to the next level?
     "Mary will be a valuable player at Sacred Heart," remarked Lombardo. "It will be a great fit for her because of the team's up-tempo style and man-to-man defense. She will be able to play right away. I think she'll have a tremendous college career."
     Rush knows the road to the state title game is a bumpy one, but believes her team is prepared to face whatever challenges may come up along the way — even a potential rematch with Southern Connecticut Conference power Guilford.
     "I think the biggest threats (in the state tournament) will be Brien McMahon (of Norwalk) and Guilford," said Rush. "We have talent and determination, though, and hopefully they will carry us through."