Logically, baskets attempted closer to the basket have a higher probability of being successful.

That, when coupled with a size advantage, made for a lethal combination for Benet in its quarterfinal round matchup with the Pontiac Holiday Tournament.

Benet attacked the rim with authority, particularly in the third quarter, allowing them to break away from Peoria Manual for a 61-38 victory.

The win lifts Benet (15-1) into the tournament semifinals where it will face either Chicago Curie or Lockport at 2:30 p.m. Benet is trying to claim its first title at Pontiac after finishing in the runner-up position each of the last three seasons.

“Their pressure bothered us a little bit in the first half,” Benet coach Gene Heidkamp said. “But we made a couple of adjustments and some kids came off the bench and gave us some huge minutes and allowed us to space the floor.”

That floor spacing allowing Benet to create a lot of scoring opportunities close to the basket. Five different Redwings scored at least eight points and a grand majority of those points came on lay-ins or dunks.

“Defensively we just got after it a little bit harder and that led us to get out in transition,” Benet’s Edvardas Stasys said. “It also allowed us to get other people open as well.”

Benet scuffled through the first half and after a solid first quarter where it led 15-7, the Redwings scored just six points in the second quarter and went into the halftime break with just a 21-18 lead.

It looked like a different Benet team in the third quarter as the Redwings got points from six different players, outscored Manual 23-8 and took total control of the game.

Jayden Wright was the catalyst, scoring nine of his team-high 15 points. Stasys, who finished with 12, also got six points in the pivotal frame.

“I think we weren’t really ready for their speed and physicality,” Stasys said. “But we definitely adjusted really well.”

“We got to the rim a lot better in the second half,” Heidkamp said. “The first half was more of a half court game and we didn’t attack like we wanted to. We were able to make it more of an open court game in the second half.”

Benet has reached the semifinal round of the tournament for the fourth consecutive year. The format of the tournament requires semifinalists to win a game in the afternoon and return to play in the title game just a few hours later. Each of the last three years, Benet has come up just a bit short from taking the big prize.

If that’s going to change this year, Heidkamp knows how it has to happen.

“We’ve got good balance across the board; different games call for different things,” Heidkamp said. “I don’t even know who scores to be honest, I just get caught up in the flow of the game.

“We played 10 guys tonight. Everybody is in the same boat down here. If you want to win this tournament you’ve got to win four games in three days. We’ve been here before we know how to handle it. If we don’t and it doesn’t go the way we want to go it won’t be because we are tired. This is what we play for and this is where you want to be. We’ll be ready.”

https://www.shawlocal.com/my-suburban-life/2025/03/11/benet-puts-the-clamps-down-on-quincy/