Benet win streak hits 14

Time was ticking away on Benet's last possession of the first half Tuesday, until Taylor Valentine threw in an off-balance shot that banked in.

That is the kind of roll the Redwings are on.

No. 2 Benet led No. 20 Downers Grove South by as many as 22 points in the second half and coasted to its 14th straight victory, 52-41 in Lisle.

"We've been playing pretty well," Benet coach Peter Paul said. "This was the last game before the (playoff) seeding meeting. I think this win kind of secures the No. 2 position for us."

Benet (18-4) trailed 4-0 early, then hit Downers Grove South with a barrage of three straight 3-pointers by Christen and Sidney Prasse to take the lead for good. The Redwings hit four 3s in the first quarter and 8 of their first 15 shots from distance.

Christen Prasse scored 15 points and hit four of Benet's eight 3s.

"I think we played four or five different junk defenses trying to make something work," Downers Grove South coach Ellen O'Brien said, "but Benet's got an answer to a lot of different things. They have outside shooting, but they also have kids who can drive to the basket. That's the difference between good teams and great teams, and I think Benet's on the verge of being that."

Downers Grove South (13-7), like most of Benet's opponents, featured a bigger lineup than the Redwings' starting five. But Benet's swarming pressure defense in the first half neutralized that advantage.

Benet forced 10 turnovers in the first quarter, 15 total in the first half, and Emily Schramek's basket off a turnover gave the Redwings a 27-10 lead midway through the second quarter.

"We're a quick team, so we used that to our advantage," Christen Prasse said. "We were able to get out and run on them. They don't have as many ballhandlers as us, and getting those steals helped us out."

When Downers Grove South broke Benet's pressure, it got good shots. And the Mustangs did settle down in the second half, Sarrah Ludwig finishing with 15 points and Alison Dec 8 points and 7 rebounds.

Too little, too late.

"We were a little timid at first, just too tentative," O'Brien said. "We were just second-guessing, getting rid of the ball too quickly instead of turning and heading down the floor. They put pressure on us. That's part of their bread and butter. We got away from some things that work for us."

Benet also got a nice lift from its bench players. The Redwings got 20 points off the bench, 16 of that total in the first half and 10 coming from promising 5-foot-11 freshman Schramek.

"Everybody got a chance to play," Paul said. "We're very happy with that."

Sidney Prasse added 8 points for Benet.