There’s no secret behind Sam Mayer’s late-season shooting surge. No superstition, no change in routine, no gimmicky drills.
Indeed the answer to what’s behind Mayer’s run, which includes making three or more 3-pointers in seven of her last 10 games can be summed in two simple words. Hard work.
“She puts the work in before practice, during practice, after practice. She’s constantly shooting,” Lyndhurst head coach Dan Kesack said. “When she’s in the gym, she’s always got a ball in her hands. Before practice, when people are just getting into the gym, she’s out there getting up shots. I know when I get out there, I can start rebounding for her since she’ll be out there ready to shoot.”
The work has paid off as Mayer is not only playing the best basketball of her career, but also helped keep the Golden Bears’ season afloat in the face of multiple key injuries.
In Thursday’s regular season finale, Mayer matched her career high in 3-pointers with six as she scored 23 points to go with six assists, four steals and four rebounds in a 55-53 win at NJIC Liberty Division champion Leonia.
Over a span of 15 days, Mayer has drained 27 3-pointers in seven games, a stretch that has seen the senior average 15.4 points, 4.7 assists and 3.6 steals per contest heading into Lyndhurst’s North 2, Group 2 state tournament opener on Thursday at Science Park.
Mayer’s play on the court and her work off of it makes her The Observer Athlete of the Week.
For the season, Mayer has set career-highs in points (321), assists (113) and steals (84). The biggest change has come from beyond the arc where Mayer has made 67 3-pointers, more than double the amount she had a season ago.
When asked what she did to help improve her shooting, Mayer’s answer was a simple one, stating “before every game, I shoot 100 shots.”
“I’m happy that I started to hit more shots,” Mayer said. “It makes me play better.”
Mayer’s shot making became all the more vital heading into her senior season. More of a complementary scorer the previous three years, Mayer was instantly pressed into a bigger role when starters Brooke Harper and Kyla Marino suffered season-ending injuries weeks before the start of practices.
A four-year starter, Mayer knew this meant scoring more as a senior, a role she quickly adapted to.
“It was a very different feeling. I just knew that I had to step up and become more of a leader,” Mayer said. “It’s hard (playing without Brooke and Kyla), but I think we made a good adjustment.”
“She was looking forward to an opportunity to be more of a scorer,” said Kesack. “I think he had it in her all these years, but it just wasn’t asked of her. She’s been comfortable in this role and she’s been a great leader for us. She’s everything as a coach that you could ask for as a player, especially as a senior captain.”
The best stretch of Mayer’s career has come at a time when her basketball career is winding down. Mayer, who started playing at the age of 6, isn’t playing in college, instead pursuing a major in education at TCNJ.
The knowledge that these are the final games of her basketball, has been on Mayer’s mind, which is why she’s determined to end her time in a memorable fashion.
“It’s sad. I’m upset about it,” Mayer said. “I’m going to definitely miss going to practices with my teammates and winning games. It’s going to be different next year.
“I’ve just been trying to enjoy the moment. I won’t have it next year so I’m just taking it all in.”
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.)