Sobolewski, Benet get the bounce

After it left his hands Dave Sobolewski had plenty of time to ponder his last-second 3-point shot.

Maybe too much time.

The ball jumped off the rim, hung in the air and rattled around the iron before agonizingly dropping through the net.

The result was Benet's 45-42 come-from-behind nonconference boys basketball win Tuesday at neighborhood rival Naperville North, a shot that sent the Redwings into a wild celebration on the court with their student section.

"Originally I thought it was right in, and then I saw it rattle around and drop back in," said Sobolewski, a junior guard who led all scorers with 18 points. "It was great. I credit the rest of my team for fighting back. We got it done."

An 11-0 burst by the previously unbeaten Huskies (5-1) helped them build a 27-15 lead at the half. They matched their biggest margin twice in the third quarter before taking a 37-27 advantage to the fourth.

Benet (5-0) made its move at the start of the final quarter, sparked by defensive intensity and a pair of 3-pointers from Dylan Flood, who hit four for the game to finish with 15 points.

A 10-0 Benet run knotted the score at 37-37, then Flood's 3-point play put the Redwings ahead 40-38 with 3:43 left - their first lead since the final two minutes of the first quarter.

"We settled down on defense, we held them to 15 points in the second half," said Benet coach Gene Heidkamp. "Our defense kind of sparked our offense."

Joe McNicholas scored two straight baskets as Naperville North claimed a 42-40 lead with two minutes left, but Frank Kaminsky's putback tied it for Benet a minute later. Following a Naperville North miss, the ball went back to the Redwings for their final possession.

The Huskies used a few fouls to drain the clock down to 3.4 seconds, setting up Benet's inbounds pass to Sobolewski and his clutch shot on the right wing.

Matt Hasse scored 10 points to lead Naperville North. McNicholas and Jovonn Griffin each added 9 points.

"We had a 12-point lead and just kind of fell apart," Hasse said. "We just didn't finish it up. They did a good job coming back and winning that game.

"We'll definitely learn a lot from this loss," he said. "Hopefully, we'll start another winning streak."