CHAMPAIGN—Benet’s personnel was well-known heading into the season.
Seven-footer Colin Stack, 6-9 SIU recruit Daniel Pauliukonis and guards Blake Fagbemi and Jayden Wright are gifted, skilled future school basketball gamers.
Again in November it appeared unlikely that Mac Doyle, a 5-11 junior, would play a key position on this season’s Class 4A state championship recreation.
However within the remaining seconds of Benet’s 55-54 win at State Farm Heart on Saturday it was Doyle that wanted to cease Warren celebrity sophomore Jaxson Davis.
Doyle did the job. Davis had a two probabilities at a game-winning shot within the remaining seconds, however Doyle thwarted him on each events. Davis didn’t get a shot off. Warren had one final likelihood, inbounding the ball with 0.3 seconds left however Benet’s 6-7 sophomore Edvardas Stasys blocked the move.
Over the previous month Doyle emerged as Benet’s established defensive stopper. He restricted a number of the state’s greatest gamers through the Redwings’ playoff run.
Davis completed with 17 factors, eight assists, seven rebounds and 4 steals. However he couldn’t lead the Blue Devils (27-11) to the win.
Benet (33-5) doesn’t have a celebrity, however its measurement and steadiness greater than made up for that, particularly when the staff’s protection improved after Doyle turned a starter.
Stack, who is expounded to Jim Stack and Frank Kaminsky, and Pauliukonis each made three pointers within the first quarter. Cellular measurement that may shoot. And that’s simply one of many elements that helped the Redwings break the streak and at last win a state title after three tries.
Dynamic guards Blake Fagbemi and Jayden Wright battled foul bother within the first half however stepped up within the second, scoring and dealing with Warren’s stress.
Pauliukonis led the Redwings with 17 factors and 6 rebounds. Wright, a junior, had 12 factors and 7 rebounds and Fagbemi added 14 factors and 6 assists.
Benet misplaced the Class 4A title recreation in 2023, 2016 and 2014. The Redwings completed third in AA in 1979.
Test again later for response from the coaches and gamers.
