Benet topples Glenbard East again
Ten months ago it was considered an upset.
Saturday night, Benet’s boys basketball team simply picked up where it left off.
In the main event of the High School Hoops Showdown at the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, the Redwings stayed unbeaten with a 75-51 victory over Glenbard East in a rematch of last season’s sectional final.
Beyond the impact of backing up that 14-point playoff win over last year’s No. 1 seed, Saturday’s win also marked the immense impact of Redwings point guard Dave Sobolewski’s return to the court. Hampered the previous three games with a back injury, the Northwestern-bound senior started and finished with 4 points, 3 assists and 7 rebounds.
“I need a little bit of rest, but it was nice to finally get back out there,” said Sobolewski, who estimated he played 30-plus minutes at about 60 percent health. “We had a walk-through this morning and I told coach (Gene Heidkamp) that I don’t think I can go.
“I talked to coach in between the walk-through and the time we met at Benet before we left and said, ‘Coach, I’m going tonight so don’t try to hold me back,’” he said. “I’m happy I chose to play, and I’m glad he let me play.”
Playing the self-described role of “floor general,” Sobolewski’s presence — combined with Glenbard East’s focus on limiting 7-foot Frank Kaminsky — allowed others to step up. Pat Boyle knocked down three 3-pointers while scoring a game-high 22 points, and Pat McInerney added 17 points.
Wisconsin-bound Kaminsky finished with 16 points, 4 rebounds and 8 assists.
“On any given night anyone can put up 20,” Boyle said. “We’ve got a lot of great players on this team, and when it’s not your night, people do a great job of passing the ball around and getting it to people who are hot.”
While Sobolewski’s return played a major factor in Saturday’s result, the absence of other key players dictated the pivotal first half.
Glenbard East leading scorer Johnny Hill, committed to Illinois State, missed much of the first half with foul trouble while Benet’s best shooter, Matt Parisi, did not play in the second quarter after flipping in the air and falling hard on the court.
Both players returned in the second half as Benet (21-0) extended a 16-point halftime lead to 57-34 late in the third quarter. Parisi scored 8 of his 10 points in that period.
Hill scored 17 of his 19 points in the second half while trying to rally the Rams (15-3). They came as close as 13 points away on 3-pointers by Hill and Northern Illinois-bound guard Zach Miller, but Benet finished strong.
“It was very frustrating, but that all falls on me,” Hill said of sitting with foul trouble. “The good thing is it’s early in the year and we can still make some improvements.”
After taking a 19-9 lead at the end of the first quarter, a 16-5 second-quarter run gave the Redwings their biggest first-half lead of 37-19. Benet never trailed.
“It’s a tough team to get behind against,” said Rams coach Scott Miller. “You’ve got to give them a lot of credit. They came out and knocked shots down, and we didn’t, and they were able to stretch it out.”