By Bobby Narang
Benet’s quest for a second straight Class 4A State championship hit a small snag Saturday, March 14.
Playing a familiar foe in East Suburban Catholic Conference member Marist, Benet struggled scoring points in the first half.
Marist relied on its athletic guard to gain a lead in the first half, spreading the floor to utilize a four corners stall to shrink the game.
The RedHawks seized control of the game and cruised to a 44-28 victory over Benet to win the program’s first state title at the State Farm Center in Champaign.
The RedHawks (33-5) held Benet scoreless in the second quarter. Charles Barnes scored 13 points and Stephen Brown added eight points and eight rebounds to power Marist. Benet senior center Colin Stack, a North Dakota State recruit, finished with nine points and five rebounds to lead Benet (36-2).
“The second quarter really hurt us,” Benet coach Gene Heidkamp said. “We couldn’t score, and once we got down they spread us out. We are not designed to play from behind. It’s just not something we do all that well. They executed their plan really well.”
Heidkamp admitted the slow pace of the game was difficult for his team, but after the IHSA institutes a 35-second shot clock for next season, it won’t be an issue. Overall, Benet has finished second in Class 4A four times since 2014.
“We are disappointed with the outcome. They are a deserving champ. It was frustrating to not play better. It just seemed we couldn’t put the ball in the basket to get any momentum.”
York finished in fourth place in 4A, while Kaneland managed third in 3A. The Dukes made their first state tournament appearance in 59 years, filling the stadium with green. The Dukes lost to Marist in the state semifinal and dropped a 56-46 decision to DePaul College Prep in the third-place game.
The Knights (36-1) saw their undefeated season end in a tough 49-48 overtime defeat to Deerfield in the state semifinal. Kaneland, which won the Interstate Eight Conference, was the only team in the four-class system to enter the state semifinal with an undefeated record.