By Bobby Narang –
The Benet Academy girls basketball team experienced a two-game losing streak at the wrong time of the season.
After winning back-to-back Class 4A State championships in the 2015 and 2016 tournaments, the Redwings have become a State powerhouse under head coach Joe Kilbride. The Redwings had won 29, 28, and 28 games each in the three seasons.
Benet’s return trip to Normal at Redbird Arena on the campus of Illinois State University ended in frustration when the team lost, 48-38, to Mother McAuley in Friday’s State semifinals and fell, 43-39, to Rockton Hononegah in the third-place game Saturday.
Maine West went on to win the Class 4A championship and finished the season undefeated, by defeating Mother McAuley, 58-46, in the championship game. The Warriors, 35-0, received 19 points and five rebounds from Rachel Kent, 17 points from Dylan VanFleet, and 14 points and 11 rebounds from Angela Dugalic.
Meanwhile, Benet earned its third trophy in program history and along the way ended Oswego’s dream of a State tournament berth. Benet stunned Oswego, 55-22, in last week’s super-sectional at Lewis University in Romeoville.
“Being fourth in the State is still something to be proud of,” Benet’s Clara Prasse said. “Obviously, we are not ecstatic, but in the long run, not many teams get a chance to come down here. It’s something to be proud of.”
Before reaching the State semifinals, the Redwings, 28-7, lost two games in a row only once. They lost to Beaver Dam from Wisconsin and Mother McAuley in the first two days of December 2018.
Lauren Stack said the Redwings’ first State loss was due to the Mighty Macs’ strong defense.
“Their defense made it difficult,” Stack said. “We just didn’t play our best basketball and they outworked us.”
Kilbride gave credit to seniors Stack, Prasse, Ashley Konkle, and Kaley Liszka for leading the Redwings back to the State tournament.
“I thought our four seniors did a great job this year of bringing the group together and keeping them focused and getting us here, “ Kilbride said.
Konkle, a Metea Valley High School transfer, said her experience at Benet was memorable.
“I think being down here, even though we got fourth, to me it means so much,” Konkle said. “I wouldn’t want to play with anybody else.”
• Glenbard South took second place in Class 3A. Downstate Morton defeated Glenbard South in the championship game, 35-21. South won a semifinal game, 32-27, against Sacred Heart-Griffin of Springfield. Morton defeated Nazareth Academy of LaGrange Park, 65-51, in the other semifinal game. Nazareth took third place, 61-54, against Sacred Heart-Griffin. Glenbard South defeated St. Viator, 34-24, in the Elgin Academy Super-sectional last week.