Benet Rolls to Sixth Straight Victory

Benet’s girls basketball team is flying high after winning six consecutive games in a span of 12 days.

The Redwings improved to 10-4 by knocking off York 60-37 Saturday night on the final day of pool play at the Benet/ Holiday Tournament in Lisle.

That was the third victory in as many days for Benet, which clinched the championship of its own pool to advance to next Thursday night’s tournament semifinals.

The Redwings understandably had a mental letdown and started slowly against the Dukes (7-7), who have lost their last five games. York led by as many as five points in the first quarter and was ahead 23-21 late in the second quarter before the hosts closed the first half on an 8-1 run to take a 29-24 lead at intermission.

“Everyone else had beaten them so we weren’t underestimating them, but we came out a little slow,” Benet point guard Christen Prasse said. “But as the game went on we came back and we started working as a team and we didn’t let up.”

No, they didn’t. The Redwings started pressuring the ball in the third quarter and surrendered only four baskets in the second half.

Prasse scored six of her game-high 12 points during a 12-0 third quarter run that extended the lead to 43-26. All three of those baskets came off turnovers.

“[The key] was definitely defense because we came out and they scored a lot in the first half, got a lot of drives and we realized that we needed to force them left to their weak hand, pressure them and try to force turnovers,” Prasse said. “That’s all we did and I guess it worked.”

The Redwings kept working even after Benet coach Peter Paul put in his reserves late in the third quarter.

“I think once we turned it on in the third quarter, I will say that we didn’t give it back,” Paul said. “We have a tendency sometimes to relax a little bit once we have the lead and I think we’re learning.”

Sidney Prasse, Christen’s older sister, had 10 points for Benet, while Nicole Valentine and Madeline Eilers each scored nine points. Valentine added six rebounds, three assists and three steals and Lauren Malley and Emily Schranek both contributed six points.

Benet’s winning streak began Dec. 6 with an 82-54 rout of Plainfield North. Eilers sank a school-record 11 three-pointers in that contest, just one shy of the state record.

But the big victory came four days later, when Eilers made a three at the buzzer to knock off state power Fenwick 67-66. It was Benet’s first victory over Fenwick in 14 years.

“To be honest, that Fenwick game did something to us,” Paul said. “It set the tone that we were able to beat a very good team and I think we have not stopped since.”

Indeed, the Redwings opened tournament action by upsetting two previously unbeaten teams on consecutive nights, edging Wheaton Warrenville South 61-58 on Thursday and defeating Geneva 65-55 on Friday as Prasse poured in a career-high 30 points. It was Geneva’s
first loss in the tournament in four years.

“We kind of came out in the beginning of the season a little shaky, just kind of testing the waters or whatever,” Christen Prasse said. “Then after that Fenwick game we really clicked as a team and since then we’ve been improving every game.”

The play of Christen Prasse, a 5-10 junior who is in her first year as the starting point guard after backing up the graduated Danielle Canulli last year, has been one of the main reasons behind that improvement.

“She’s done a very nice job for us,” Paul said. “I think the opportunity to play more [is behind it] and I think she’s kind of figured out that ‘I’m the leader out there and I’m going to dictate how things go,’ and she has certainly done that.”

Prasse has excelled at driving to the basket, causing defenses to collapse on her. That has opened up plenty of opportunities for deadly shooters like Eilers and Sidney Prasse.

“I think that’s probably my No. 1 thing that I’ve improved on this year is taking the ball to the basket,” Christen Prasse said. “If I miss it then I’m just going to get it back on defense and work as hard as I can. [Having teammates who can shoot from outside] definitely makes it easy because if I’m driving and I don’t have a shot, I have a bunch of shooters on the corners.”