Boys basketball: Benet comes out on fire, beats Naperville North to win Hinkle Classic
Benet made 7 of its first 8 shots including 3 of 3 from 3-point range and led 17-5 with 2:22 left in the first quarter in the Hinkle Holiday Classic hosted by Jacobs High School Friday night.
Game over.
Jayden Wright connected on a pair of 3s and Edvardas Stasys was 4-for 4 from the floor while Colin Stack, who had 2 dunks, also added 3 blocks and 5 rebounds in the opening run.
Benet, the defending 4A state champions, led 29-15 at halftime. Miles Okyne scored 7 and Will Harvey tallied 5 for the Huskies in the first half.
The powerful Redwings outscored Naperville North 31-13 in the second half and cruised to a 60-28 win to claim top honors.
"Our point of emphasis is to start the game fast offensively and defensively," said Benet coach Gene Heidkamp. “We have a high level offense and defense. We are a very unselfish team that shares the ball. We set the tone.
“This was a good tournament for us. We saw a lot of different defenses and coaching styles. We are ready for the Pontiac tournament next week.”
The Redwings (13-1) will play at the prestigious Pontiac Holiday Classic Dec. 29-31.
Stasys, who was 9-of-10 from the field, scored 18 points with 7 rebounds and 3 assists.
“I have great teammates who give me the ball in good position to score," said Stasys. ”This was a big win. We are capable of being one of the top teams in the state.“
Stack, the 7-1 senior center and 4-year starter, filled the stat sheet with 10 points, 5 blocked shots, 6 assists and 8 rebounds.
"I am a captain on the team and growing up I was a defensive player,“ said Stack. ”You can control defense with effort. I enjoy the pressure of defending our state championship. We want to play up to our own potential. We have never won the Pontiac tournament in 3 years. We are chasing that title. There are a lot of good teams, HF (Homewood-Flossmoor), DePaul College Prep and Curie.“
Wright scored 9 points on 3 treys for the winners.
Benet was 22-of-35 from the field for 63% and 4-of-8 from beyond the arc.
Harvey led the Huskies with 10 points including a pair of 3s and Skyne added 7.
“They (Benet) are a great team," said Naperville North coach Gene Nolan. ”Congratulations to them for winning the tournament. Their defense is great. Stack does a great job of altering shots. It is difficult to finish at the rim.
“I am very proud of the kids. We had a great tournament with a 3-1 record. It was a great experience to play a great team like Benet in the championship. We are 12-3 and looking forward to the second semester."