Boys basketball: Benet finds its shooting touch in trampling St. Patrick

CHICAGO – When Benet’s boys basketball coach Gene Heidkamp graduated from St. Patrick in 1988, it was the first season that the 3-point shot went into play.

Heidkamp was a excellent shooter in his day.

Some of his experience must have rubbed off on this current group of Redwings.

Benet connected on 12 three-point baskets including 6 of 9 shooting in the third quarter building a 45-32 lead to beat the host Shamrocks 61-39 on Tuesday night.

“This was our best game of the year so far,” said Heidkamp. “Different games bring out different things. Our guys did a good job and creating good shots. We did a great job tonight in sharing the ball. The shot selection and execution had a lot to do with the ball going in.”

Benet finished shooting 24 of 50 from the field. The Shamrocks were 16 of 30.

The Redwings upped their record to 9-0 and 5-0 in the East Suburban Catholic with Marist looming Friday night in Lisle.

St. Patrick fell to 6-3 and 2-2 in conference play.

“It’s always special to come back to St. Pat’s,” said Heidkamp. “I have a lot of great memories as a student, a player, and an assistant coach.”

Benet found three players with double figures in the win.

Sophomore guard Jayden Wright led the Redwings with 15 points all on 3-point baskets. Fellow sophomore Gabriel Sularski added 14 points to go with six rebounds and three assists. Daniel Pauliukonis scored 13 points to go with four rebounds.

“The third quarter shooting was one of the big differences in the game,” said Wright. “We work on executing our offense and if we work the ball we’re going to get our shots. We have to go out and play our game.

“We’re a different team than last year’s. We just come together as one and play to the best of our abilities. We know we have a lot of work to do but this win felt good.”

“Jayden struggled with his shot in the first half but played better in the second half,” said Heidkamp. “I thought our bench gave us a lift tonight. We have the depth. We can probably go 11 deep.”

The bench came up with 15 points.

Benet led 12-5 after the first quarter but the Shamrocks hit 4 of their 8 three-point baskets in the second quarter to keep it close at 25-17 at the halftime break.

St. Patrick pulled to 31-23 with 4:49 left in the third quarter but Benet got two 3-point baskets from Wright, and one each from Pauliukonis and Sularski, to go with a offensive rebound putback by Colin Stack to open a 45-25 lead.

The Redwings held the rebounding advantage of 26-18 with the height of Stack, Pauliukonis and Sularski.

“He (Sularski) is going to keep getting better,” said St. Patrick coach Mike Bailey. “It’s good for our league to have a player like that but tonight it was bad for St. Pat’s.”

Guards A.J. Thomas and E.J. Breland both scored 13 points for St. Patrick.