With all of the summer league games and training she did over the offseason, Mariel Ruiz is not surprised that her game has risen another level or two during her junior season.
Even with that, the overall leap her game has made has come as a surprise to Kearny’s veteran guard.
“It’s really crazy,” said Ruiz. “I’ve seen a lot of improvement and the hard work my coaches have put me through is really paying off and I thank my coaches so much for it.
“Everything was basketball and staying in shape.”
That summer work has produced major results in February for Ruiz. Last Monday at Union City she made five 3-pointers and finished with a career-high 22 points in a loss. The next day, Ruiz again made five 3-pointers to finish with 21 points and 10 rebounds in a win over Dumont. Ruiz added to her torrid play with 15 points in the Kardinals’ Hudson County Tournament win over Memorial.
With multiple 3-pointers in five straight games, Kearny is 16-8 heading into its Hudson County Tournament quarterfinal game at Snyder. Ruiz’s two-way play has the Kardinals poised to make noise in the county and state tournaments and makes her The Observer Athlete of the Week.
For the season, Ruiz has made 58 3-pointers and is averaging 13.5 points per game to emerge as Kearny’s second scoring option alongside Makayla David.
“I think like a little switch flipped on her and she just really has the sense of confidence that we didn’t see at the beginning of the year,” head coach Jody Hill said. “She’s always had the ability, she’s always had that talent, but now there’s this different level of focus and confidence in her game and it’s really been the game changer.”
This season, Ruiz is averaging nearly six points more per game than a season ago, while being on pace to more than double last year’s assist and 3-point totals.
At the same time, the 5-foot-4 Ruiz has emerged as Kearny’s top defender and is often matched up against the opposing team’s top scorer.
“She has become locked in on defense,” said Hill. “I think she, for the first time in her career, I think loves to play defense now. She takes a lot of pride in it. She wants to guard the best player.”
“It’s a great feeling that my coach has confidence in me and being able to play defense against the top player,” Ruiz said, saying her defense and playmaking are the aspects of her game that have improved the most. “It just motivated me and just keeps me going throughout the game.”
While Ruiz’s defensive role continues to evolve, so too is the defenses she faces on the offensive end of the floor.
The hot start by David, who is averaging 17.5 points per game and has made a school record 80 3-points, led to opposing teams sending double-teams and plenty of box-and-one looks as the season’s gone along.
Whether it be with her own outside shot or her ability to drive and kick, Ruiz’s play has left opposing defenses to send more defensive attention her way as well in recent games.
“I have noticed that. One of the games, against West Essex, they doubled both of us and just had to play through it,” said Ruiz. “It opened up my eyes and it just told me that I have to play even tougher and harder.”
If last summer is any indication, there’s little doubt that Ruiz will do just that. It’s why she also believes that there’s a level to her game that will come with another summer like this past one.
“I do think there’s a different level to my game that I can improve upon,” said Ruiz. “That’s what I’m going to work on towards this offseason to come into my senior season ready to go.”
Learn more about the writer ...
Jason Bernstein | Observer Sports Writer
Jason Bernstein joined The Observer as its sports writer in March 2022, following the retirement of Jim Hague. He has a wealth of sports-writing experience, including for NJ Advance Media (nj.com, The Jersey Journal, The Star-Ledger.)