Benet finds next puzzle piece
Benet coach Peter Paul calls this Redwings team the deepest he's had in many years.
Providence wouldn't argue that point.
With leading scorer Sidney Prasse and others in foul trouble throughout the game, sophomore Christen Prasse came off the bench to match her season-high 13 points in a 62-39 win on Wednesday in Lisle.
Danielle Canulli scored 12 points and Ashley Veselik had 9 points and 5 rebounds for No. 8 Benet (15-6, 5-2 East Suburban Catholic), which won for the seventh time in eight games.
“We'd like to have a 6-foot-6 kid in the middle, that would help us tremendously,” Paul joked, “but other than that we have enough pieces to the puzzle that if somebody's in foul trouble or not having the game they'd like we can put someone else in. We don't lose much.”
Christen Prasse hit three of Benet's seven 3-pointers, six coming in the first half.
Prasse said Benet splits into three groups of five players each in practice scrimmages, winner stays on the court. That competitive spirit carries over to games.
“Everybody is always ready to come in the game and contribute,” Prasse said.
Benet as a team has made 135 3-pointers this year at nearly a 35 percent clip.
“We do a good job of being unselfish and giving whoever has the hot hand the ball,” Prasse said. “I'd rather be unselfish and give whoever is shooting good the ball and let them get the credit for it. I feel just as good passing the ball.”
Sidney Prasse and Canulli sat the entire second quarter with two fouls, Veselik the last three minutes. Without them Benet still maintained a 32-26 halftime lead.
The Redwings dialed up their defensive pressure after the break.
Providence (9-14, 1-5) managed just one made field goal in the second half. An 11-0 Benet run that started with a Christen Prasse jumper turned a 37-30 lead into a commanding 48-30 advantage after Nicole Valentine's bank shot in the lane.
“I thought the first half we were gambling a little bit too much. When we gamble we don't have someone in the middle who can swat things away,” Paul said. “The third quarter we started playing good defense and held them to 5 points.”
Valentine pulled down a game-high 8 rebounds, and the 5-foot-8 junior also had 5 of Benet's 16 offensive rebounds against a taller opponent.
Glenbard South 46, Wheaton Academy 27:
Nevena Markovic poured in 28 points for the fourth time this season and in the process scored her 1,000th varsity point for the 13th-ranked Raiders (17-3).