Boys Basketball: Plainfield North bows to Benet
By Blake Baumgartner For Sun-Times Media February 27, 2013 10:56PM
Updated: April 1, 2013 11:54AM
Receiving an extra day off because of inclement weather before its postseason opener, Benet didn’t seem at all fazed.
Jumping all over 15th-seeded Plainfield North, second-seeded Benet cruised to a 63-39 victory Wednesday night over the Tigers in the first semifinal of the Class 4A Benet Regional.
With four different players scoring the Redwings’ first four baskets on the night, their offense looked extremely sharp early and often.
Scoring the game’s first six points en route to taking a 29-10 lead early in the second quarter, it quickly became a pick-your-poison proposition for the Tigers.
“I thought we were really, really focused at the start of the game. I thought we executed well on both ends of the floor,” Benet coach Gene Heidkamp said. “I thought our kids did a good job of coming out and getting off to a good start defensively. We did a good job of moving the ball on offense and we got (center) Sean (O’Mara) some touches early in the game. We executed pretty well.”
O’Mara posted a double-double with game-highs in both points and rebounds with 24 and 10, respectively, while five players combined to hit on Benet’s six threes.
“If our guards are hitting, it opens up the inside for me and then I’ll do my work inside,” he said. “It’s just pick your poison.”
The Redwings led wire to wire, were up by as many as 34 points and had nine different players score.
Three different Redwings accounted for their four threes in their first-quarter blitz, which saw them lead by 18 points eight minutes into the game.
“It was one of the best first quarters we’ve had all year,” Heidkamp said.
Armed with its eighth postseason win over the course of the last four years, Benet (25-5) advances to Friday’s final looking to win its third regional title in four years. Awaiting the Redwings will be either seventh-seeded Naperville Central or 10th-seeded Naperville North.
Benet split with Naperville Central in the teams’ two meetings, while it opened up the season Nov. 19 with a win at Naperville North.
“It’s gonna be a good game,” O’Mara said of Friday. “I mean, no matter what team it is — it’s gonna be a good game. It’s always tougher to beat the team the second time around, third time if we play Central. I’m excited. We’re looking forward to it.”
Plainfield North (14-14), which lost to Benet 55-35 on Dec. 11 in its own holiday tournament, was led by Marcus Fair’s nine points.
“They overwhelmed us early and they just kept riding that wave,” Tigers coach Nick DiForti said.
