BY Ethan Fuller
GLOBE CORRESPONDENT
It was a remarkable coincidence that Sharn Hayward's signature performance at Stonehill came when her family traveled from the other side of the world to watch.
On Jan. 15, Hayward exploded for 33 points, drilling a Northeast Conference record-tying 11 3-pointers, in a 67-44 victory against Wagner. Her parents and grandparents, who flew from her home in Penguin, Tasmania, were in the crowd. They're spending the month in Easton to see Hayward and the Skyhawks, a rare time for the family to reunite during the season.
"It's just so amazing to have them actually there watching," Hayward said. "I know they watch when they're at home, but it's just such a different feeling, having them in the stands watching me play."
Hayward was a unique find for Stonehill. Trisha Brown believes the 5-foot-6-inch junior guard might be the first international player she ever recruited in 23 years as head coach. Basketball is booming in Australia, but Tasmania, the island-state with a population of about 570,000, is still early in its rise as a talent hub.
Brown found out about Hayward from a coaching connection at Columbia, and Hayward has been rewarded for making the courageous journey to the United States.
"We all kind of took a chance, and it's worked out beautifully," Brown said. "She is just such a phenomenal person and leader. She's our captain, and her family is just phenomenal, so we really got very lucky."
Penguin is a small town of about 6,800 people, but Hayward received an early entry into basketball because her father, Shane, was a local professional player.
As in Europe, Australian youth sports are built around local clubs and development teams instead of a scholastic and AAU structure. Hayward played for the Penguin Basketball Association, as well as Tasmania state teams that competed in Australian national tournaments.
As Australian basketball continues to flourish — Alexandre Sarr, the potential No. 1 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, plays in the country's National Basketball League — Hayward is watching the success impact her home state.
"There's definitely a lot of momentum moving forward," Hayward said. "We now have the [NBL] team in Tasmania, which is huge for our state. Going forward, there is talk of getting, hopefully, a WNBL team local to our state, which would be amazing for Tasmania and basketball in Australia."
When Brown watched film, Hayward's long-range marksmanship and hustle immediately popped. Hayward used to wake up as early as 5 a.m. for recruiting Zoom calls with Stonehill because of the time difference.
The COVID-19 pandemic threw a wrench into Hayward's decision process. Australia's travel restrictions meant she had to apply to fly out of the country, and her family couldn't come with her. Hayward didn't see Stonehill in person until she started school. Though her parents brought her from Tasmania to Sydney, Hayward had to make the flight across the globe by herself.
"Looking back now, I still wonder how I did it some days," she said, "just with the courage to be able to say goodbye to my parents in a highly emotional situation, and then get on the plane to really come somewhere that I had never seen before in real life.
"So it was a very surreal moment, and looking back, I think, just crazy to think that I did it. But now being in the place that I am, I wouldn't have had it any other way."
The US didn't shock Hayward so much as the new reality of college life. And last year, Stonehill made the jump to Division 1, and Hayward had to adjust again.
She and the Skyhawks are finding their rhythm after an 0-15 start to the season. Hayward has reached double figures in each of her last five games and made 57.5 percent of her 3-pointers; Stonehill has gone 3-2 in that stretch.
"She's definitely playing with a different level of confidence, and I think that's her whole game, not just her ability to shoot," Brown said. "She's running our offense well. She gets our group organized because we're really new this year."
Hayward tries to call her family every day after dinner. When she's back in Penguin, she is often overwhelmed by the local support. Young girls frequently reach out to ask her about her basketball journey and seek advice.
"It's so special to me, just to have people not only look up to me, but trust in me to be able to give them advice and help them along their journey as well," Hayward said.
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