Top-ranked Benet takes Bolingbrook’s best shot and survives

Everything was going against top-ranked Benet on Friday.

Bolingbrook’s sold-out gym provided an intense atmosphere. Raiders guard Brady Pettigrew showed the crowd why he’s one of the country’s best sophomores. Senior TJ Williams, a long and athletic 6-3 guard, defended Benet star Jayden Wright better than any player in the past two seasons. And the Raiders were even outrebounding the Redwings, something that hasn’t happened all season long.

It was the kind of game that very good teams lose on the road in the playoffs. But the defending state champions may be a great team. And they found a way to win.

Wright battled through the defense, 7-1 Colin Stack made a key pair of three-pointers, and 6-8 junior Ed Stasys came alive in the second half as Benet knocked off No. 8 Bolingbrook 51-44 in a Class 4A sectional final.

“The first half I wasn’t playing like myself,” Stasys said. “My teammates picked me up and supported me. I had to do what I had to do to win. I had to start pushing it.”

Stack led the Redwings (34-1) with 14 points, and Stasys added 13 points and seven rebounds.

“I was proud of our guys just gutting through it,” Benet coach Gene Heidkamp said. “Bolingbrook is a heck of a team. The game was never comfortable, and we were lucky to pull it out in the last minute and a half.”

Bolingbrook (25-8) led 25-24 at halftime. Stasys had no points and one rebound at the break.

“Ed did a heck of a job rebounding [in the second half],” Stack said. “He was all over the glass and made sure whoever he was guarding was stopped.”

A three pointer from Stack at the third quarter buzzer put the Redwings ahead 38-33 and that lead increased to 44-35 on a Stack dunk with 4:59 left.

Pettigrew asserted himself at that point, scoring or assisting on the Raiders’ next nine points. Bolingbrook cut the lead to two points with 2:11 left but that was as close as it would get.

Perry Tchiegne, a 6-5 junior, sealed the win with a steal and dunk with 12 seconds left.

“We have a bunch of great players,” Stasys said. “Perry had a heck of a game. If someone is being taken away, we have other guys that can score.”

Tchiegne had 13 points and seven rebounds. His offense helped fill the void created by Williams’ impressive defense on Wright, who finished with nine points.

“[Williams] is an unbelievable defensive player,” Heidkamp. “His length and athleticism really make Jayden work for everything. Nothing was easy.”

Pettigrew finished with 14 points and 6-7 senior Elijah Anderson added 13 points and six rebounds for the Raiders.

“They are the No. 1 team for a reason, and they made some plays down the stretch,” Bolingbrook coach Rob Brost said. “We had a couple of opportunities that we missed. But give [Benet] credit. They are good at what they do.”

Benet will face Rockford Auburn in the NIU Supersectional on Monday.