advertisement

Benet comes back from 10-point deficit

Benet teachers will be happy to hear the Redwings girls basketball players had their minds on their upcoming finals for the first 20 minutes of Wednesday's game.

Benet coach Joe Kilbride was relieved to see his players shift their focus back to Joliet Catholic for the final 12 minutes or so.

Despite trailing by 10 points in the third quarter, the Redwings rallied to post a 69-55 East Suburban Catholic Conference victory in Lisle.

"We have finals coming up, so that might be one thing," Benet junior center Katie Jaseckas said of the team's slow start, "so we're up studying late. It's a tough week, but I'm glad we got the win."

A pair of Nicole Ekhomu free throws midway through the third quarter put the Angels ahead 47-37. Benet (14-2, 3-0) rallied to cut the lead to 49-46 by the end of the period, the start of a 32-8 run to finish the game.

"We had better shot selection," Kilbride said. "We got on the glass a little more and I think part of it was they started wearing down."

Jaseckas tied the game at 49 with a pair of free throws. Junior Kendal Schramek gave the Redwings a 10-point lead with a basket with 47 seconds to play, and the Redwings hit their free throws down the stretch.

"We just played amazing at the end," Jaseckas said.

Ekhomu, a Florida State recruit, finished with 18 points, 5 assists, 4 blocks, 3 rebounds and 3 steals. Mia Farrell and Kaitlyn Williams scored 10 each for the Angels.

Elise Stout led Benet with 20 points, adding 6 assists, 4 rebounds and 4 steals. Jaseckas finished with 15 points, 13 of them in the second half. Senior guard Kathleen Doyle, a Nebraska recruit, also scored 15 points, adding 8 rebounds. But Kilbride was most impressed with her defense on Ekhomu, who poured in 35 points against Benet last year.

Follow Orrin on Twitter @Orrin_Schwarz

  Emma Ehrsam of Joliet Catholic,left, watches Sami Valentine of Benet take one to the net during game action at Benet Wednesday. Paul Michna/pmichna@dailyherald.com
  Kathleen Doyle of Benet takes a long shot during game action at Benet Wednesday, Paul Michna/pmichna@dailyherald.com
Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.