Benet edges WW South
Benet's last two games are providing its fans with plenty of last-second thrills.
And its coaches are paying the price.
"I'm getting his gray hairs," joked Redwings assistant Joe Kilbride, pointing to head coach Peter Paul.
For the second straight game a Benet win or loss came down to the final seconds. In this one a Wheaton Warrenville South missed shot and 2 turnovers in the final 10 seconds allowed No. 8 Benet to hang on against the previously unbeaten and No. 6 Tigers 61-58 at the Benet/Naperville North Tournament.
It is Benet's fourth straight win, coming on the heels of a 67-66 win over Fenwick last Saturday on Madeline Eilers' last-second 3-pointer.
"We like to keep it close at the end and make it exciting I guess," said Benet junior Christen Prasse with a smile.
Benet (8-4) never trailed in the second half but rarely had breathing room. Prasse was a big reason why her coach could exhale, scoring 10 of her 14 points in the fourth quarter. Benet's point guard also dished out 7 assists with 0 turnovers, although she did miss 3 free throws in the final minute.
Prasse's 3-pointer with 6:04 left, Benet's ninth of the game, gave the Redwings the lead for good at 48-45.
"We wouldn't have won this game without her," Paul said.
WW South (9-1), which had beaten its first nine opponents by at least 15 points but lost to Benet in last year's regional final, trailed by as many as 7 in the second half but clawed back. A Sierra Bisso 3-pointer with 24 seconds left made it 59-56, and Dana Miller's steal in Benet's backcourt led to a Melinda Franke layup and 59-58 game.
Prasse split two free throws, but WW South stepped on the sideline dribbling up the court. After two Prasse missed throws, the Tigers missed a 3 for the possible win.
WW South made just 8 of 16 free throws and allowed an opponent to break 50 points for the first time this season.
"Lack of execution from the opening tip," Tigers coach Rob Kroehnke said. "All the things we've been doing well we didn't do tonight. We hung in there, but you can't make the mistakes we did tonight and expect to beat a good team."
Sidney Prasse scored 21 points for Benet, her 3-pointer early in the third quarter giving Benet its biggest lead at 35-28. Prasse hit five 3s and Eilers three for the Redwings, who were a sizzling 9 of 18 from 3-point range.
"They are a heck of a team with some great shooters," Kroehnke said. "We can't leave them open like we did, let's put it that way."
Meghan Waldron had 19 points and 10 rebounds, Maggie Dansdill 11 points and Kasey Gassensmith 10 points for WW South, although Gassensmith was hampered by foul trouble much of the game. Franke added 9 points, all in the second half.
Benet did a good job physically disrupting WW South's motion offense in the halfcourt.
"Their offense is a lot like ours," Christen Prasse explained. "It made it easier to prepare for them."
Benet is 3-2 in games decided by 4 points or fewer, and it doesn't get any easier tonight with Geneva.
"Down the stretch we're getting smarter," Paul said.