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Benet finishes up 4A repeat

NORMAL - It wasn't exactly the start Benet envisioned - but as the saying goes, it's not how you start, it's how you finish.

The Redwings finished as champions - again.

Shaking off a sluggish first quarter in which its only points came via a 3-pointer from senior Sami Valentine three minutes into the game, Benet heated up in the second quarter and never let up, defeating top-ranked Fremd 42-39 for the Class 4A girls basketball championship at Redbird Arena.

Sixth-ranked Benet (32-3) became the first school to win back-to-back Class 4A titles since Bolingbrook in 2010 and 2011.

Fremd, which finished second to Benet for the second straight year, finished the season 30-3.

"I've just got great kids," said second-year Benet coach Joe Kilbride. "When I took over I thought we'd be good, but to come down here and do this two years in a row … no, I never would have dreamed that."

Senior Kathleen Doyle again led the way for the Redwings, scoring a game-high 24 points, including two huge 3-pointers in the fourth quarter, one with 4:46 left after Fremd had taken a 35-31 lead and another with 2:26 to play that put Benet ahead for good at 38-37. On that dagger Doyle stepped back from defensive pressure and made good from 22 feet.

"I sensed our offense was struggling a little," Doyle said. "We just had to settle down and I was able to get a couple open looks. On the second one I was trying to drive the gap and it wasn't there so I just stepped back and shot it."

Fremd led after one quarter 6-3, but Doyle said she and her teammates knew there was a lot more basketball to be played.

"We knew things would change," the Nebraska signee said. "We just had to stay the course."

Things did change. Doyle hit two 3-pointers and scored 10 points as Benet outscored the Vikings 18-7 in the second quarter to take a 21-13 halftime lead.

But unlike 2015, when the Redwings dominated the second half in their 61-39 win, Fremd came out with a purpose in the third quarter. The Vikings got 10 points from Northwestern-bound Bryana Hopkins and held Benet to just 7 points in the quarter, grabbing a 30-28 lead heading into the final period.

"The first half we didn't perform as well as we could have," said Hopkins, who finished with 18 points and 8 rebounds. "Coach (Dave Yates) just told us at halftime we had to come out and control the tempo and we were able to come back."

Fremd maintained its lead in the fourth quarter as Hopkins twice drove the lane with spin moves to the basket and scored off the glass, the second of those coming with 2:51 left to play that gave the Vikings a 37-35 lead.

But then Doyle hit her step-back 3 to give Benet the lead for good, one that was secured by stellar defense from senior Elise Stout, who twice in the final 1:07 had deflections that helped take possession from Fremd.

"I was just playing off the ball and trying to keep on 23 (Fremd's Brianna Lewis) because she is so quick," Stout said, "and both times I just turned around and found the ball."

"Elise Stout is the most underrated player in the state," Kilbride said. "She has the heart of a champion."

It was Stout who found herself at the free-throw line with 12.8 seconds left and the Redwings ahead 41-39. She made the first of two and even though she missed the second, Fremd was forced into a 3-point attempt to tie. Junior Grace Tworek (13 points, 10 rebounds) grabbed the rebound and dribbled the length of the court, but her contested 3-point attempt with one second to go hit the front of the rim. Benet's Kendal Schramek grabbed the rebound and the Redwings' celebration was on.

"Kathleen took over the game on both ends," Kilbride said of Doyle, who added 3 assists. "We put her on Hopkins the last four minutes and she did an unbelievable job."

Doyle heaped praise on her teammates and coaches - including retired Benet coach Peter Paul, for whom she played for her first two years in the program.

"Playing basketball for Benet has been something special," she said. "My teammates have been amazing and my coaches, first coach Paul and then coach Kilbride, have been special. I love everybody in this program and it's just been a real pleasure to play for Benet."

While Fremd came short of winning the Mid-Suburban League's first state championship since Buffalo Grove in 2000, Yates left the arena as proud as ever, as did Hopkins.

"I'm just really proud of our response tonight (in the second half)," Yates said. "We got out of the hole and got the lead but Doyle hit that huge 3. She's such a great player and it's been an honor to coach against her. The last 2-3 possessions, they made a few more plays than us.

"But I couldn't be prouder of our team to get to the state championship game back-to-back. I'm just really proud of our kids. Our seniors have changed our program and they've put us on another level. We're now a known commodity in the state of Illinois. A lot of people wrote us off when Haley Gorecki graduated, and these kids got us back to the championship game."

Added Hopkins: "We're just grateful to be here two years in a row. Even though we didn't win this experience has been amazing and finishing second is amazing."

Mark Welsh/mwelsh@dailyherald.comBenet Academy celebrates their victory over Fremd in the Class 4A girls basketball championship in Normal on Saturday.
Mark Welsh/mwelsh@dailyherald.comBenet Academy celebrates their victory over Fremd in the Class 4A girls basketball championship in Normal on Saturday.
  Fremd's Erin Lenahan drives with Benet Academy's Kathleen Doyle defending during the Class 4A girls basketball state championship game in Normal on Saturday night. Mark Welsh/mwelsh@dailyherald.com
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