Benet ousts Waubonsie Valley again
Christen Prasse is clearly not ready to stop playing basketball with older sister Sidney.
With the hot streak they’re on, can you blame her?
Sidney Prasse poured in 23 points and Christen Prasse 21 — the two combining for nine of Benet’s 10 3-pointers — and the Redwings ousted Waubonsie Valley from the playoffs for the second straight year, this time 68-53 at the Class 4A Neuqua Valley sectional.
The sizzling shooting exhibition came on the heels of the Prasses’ combined 42-point, eight 3-pointer effort in a regional win over Plainfield East. Next up? A rematch with three-time defending state champion Bolingbrook in Thursday’s sectional final. Benet lost to Bolingbrook 64-44 last year, a game close for a half.
“I don’t want to stop playing with my sister,” said Christen Prasse, the lone junior in Benet’s starting lineup. “I’m not ready for that.”
Benet (25-6) also beat Waubonsie 56-37 at the McDonald’s Shootout in January, and it’s no secret why the Redwings seem to have the Warriors’ number. Benet shot 9 of 20 from 3-point range in that game, and made 10 of 22 Tuesday. That kind of shooting makes up for deficiencies the Redwings might otherwise have.
“That is us,” Benet coach Peter Paul said, “and we have to shoot the ball that well on Thursday night. If we shoot the ball well, we’re going to be in ballgames. We can’t rebound — we’re just not that big of a team — but we do certainly shoot the basketball.”
The Prasses took turns carrying the load. Sidney scored 16 in the first half with four 3s, more than one of them long and contested. Sidney followed her own miss to give Benet the lead for good at 16-15, and Christen threw in an off-balance, falling out of bounds 3 as time expired in the first quarter to make it 19-15.
“We came out ready to play, we set good picks and there were good passes,” Sidney Prasse said, “and we were fired up for this game. None of us wanted to lose. We wanted another chance against Bolingbrook.”
“I can’t say enough about (the Prasses),” Paul said. “When we shoot it that well, we’re almost unbeatable.”
Benet closed the first half on a 13-2 run to go ahead 37-27, and Christen Prasse further deflated the Warriors with a 3 to start the third quarter. The 68 points were the most given up by Waubonsie this year, nearly doubling its average allowed. Playing from behind isn’t a familiar, or an ideal spot for the methodical Warriors.
“That was a huge test for us, when she hit that shot,” Waubonsie’s Becky Williford said. “It put all the weight on our shoulders, to see how we would respond.”
Waubonsie (25-3) got within 43-35 on an Erica Jordan runner, but Christen Prasse answered with a leaning jumper and a pull-up 3. Christen Prasse scored 13 of her 21 points in the second half
“All of us feed off each other,” Christen Prasse said. “When we’re shooting like that, we feel like nothing can stop us.”
Williford and Gratia Brooks scored 14 points each for Waubonsie, Rachael Ross 12 and Erica Jordan 10.
It was undoubtedly a bitter end to a great four years for Williford and Waubonsie’s three other senior starters, which won four regional titles and went to one sectional final.
“It’s been great — I’m glad I transitioned over here,” said Williford, who came to Waubonsie with Ross and Jordan from Neuqua Valley after their freshman year. “The people have been nothing but great to me.”