By Bobby Narang –
Consecutive losses are rare in the Gene Heidkamp era.
The Benet Academy boys basketball head coach has built a powerhouse in Lisle.
Since the 2009-2010 season, the Redwings have won at least 21 games every season, including five 25-plus victory seasons.
But the Redwings endured a tough stretch of games that led to a three straight losses, capped by Friday’s defeat at Carmel in the East Suburban Catholic Conference.
But Benet, on a snow-filled Saturday night in the fifth and final game of the When Sides Collide Shootout at Glenbard East, ended its losing streak with a 66-56 victory over Naperville North.
The Redwings, 17-6, received 20 points from Kendrick Tchoua, 18 from Will Engels, and 15 from Trevor Casmere.
“Everybody was playing more aggressively and the ball moved much better,” Heidkamp said. “We did a good job of making the extra pass and that led to open shots and the kids knocked them down…. We found out about our team (during this losing streak). We found out we what we have to do. We have to play with passion and urgency. If not, we are a below average team. If we do that (play with passion and urgency), we can compete with a lot of teams. If we don’t play with that, we’re not good enough to overcome.”
The Redwings have the talent to make another long run in the Class 4A State playoffs. Engels has become a solid fixture in the lineup. He runs the offense on many possessions and hits key shots. He made two clutch baskets in the fourth quarter to offset a big game from Naperville North’s 6-7 Tom Welch, with 19 points.
“We shared the ball well and everyone found each other in good spots, so everyone shot the ball with confidence,” Engels said. “It was a really good game for our offense to help get us back on track.”
Benet enters a key stretch in its schedule. The Redwings were tied with St. Viator, Carmel, and Notre Dame, each with a 4-1 conference record in second place, and Marian Catholic, 21-3 and 5-0, remains on top of the standings.
Heidkamp said Engels is a key part of Benet’s goal to make the State tournament in Peoria.
“Will played really well,” Heidkamp said. “We attacked offensively better than we have in a while. I thought Will was a big part of that. Not only did he make some big shots, but he was able to get in the gaps and was very active, got into the lane, got offensive rebounds, and created shots for other people. Will played really well on both ends of the floor.”