For much of the season, top-ranked Benet has steamrolled its opponents, with little resistance offered up.
Friday night in Arlington Heights, the Redwings, who entered play fresh off a thrilling victory over Warren last Saturday at their When Sides Collide Shootout, hoped to continue their stretch of dominance.
It became apparent from the opening tip, as St. Viator succumbed to 7-foot-1 Benet senior Colin Stack by not contesting for possession, the home faithful would not be treated to a monumental upset.
Instead, the No. 1 team in the state suffocated the Lions defensively, allowing just 12 points in each half on their way to a 52-24 East Suburban Catholic Conference victory.
“We had a little bit of a rough week in practice,” said Benet coach Gene Heidkamp. “We had some guys in and out sick, and some guys banged up a little bit. We really thought the defensive end was going to be something we were going to have to hang our hat on tonight if we were going to have a chance to come in here and get a win.”
Early in the contest, defensive shifts and intense effort from the Lions (15-7, 3-2) disrupted Benet’s offensive flow. However, as the Redwings (24-1, 5-0) adjusted, long balls began to find their mark.
Junior wing Perry Tchienge found Stack for a top of the key 3-pointer to open the scoring, while Aidan Renicker buried a pair of triples off the bench in the game’s opening frame.
Edvardas Stasys, a 6-8 junior, made his presence felt early for Benet, finishing the first-quarter with three points, four rebounds and an emphatic block.
Stasys, who ended with nine points and seven boards, spoke about the selflessness of his team following the win.
“Passing the ball is definitely one of our strengths,” Stasys said. “We truly believe that if we all share the ball, if we all play how we’re capable of, it’s a hard matchup for other teams.”
Dawson Charles and Jacob Only led the Lions with seven and four points, respectively. The loss snapped St. Viator’s seven-game winning streak.
“Benet’s No. 1 in the state for a reason,” said St. Viator coach Michael O’Keeffe. “If (Heidkamp’s) not the best coach in the state, he’s definitely No. 2.
“I think we did a lot of great things in the first half. You know, a couple shots didn’t fall, a couple paint shots didn’t fall … Our kids battled, they competed and we got two more games in the next 48 hours. So, we’re going to keep fighting, keep learning, keep improving and stay together.”
The Lions will head to Francis W. Parker Saturday afternoon, while Benet awaits De Smet Jesuit on its home floor.