The impact that Benet junior forward Edvardas Stasys made during the first half of the Class 4A Bolingbrook Sectional championship game on Friday night didn’t leave an impression on the score sheet.
But it sure got the attention of Benet coach Gene Heidkamp.
“We talked at halftime,” Heidkamp said. “It was a point of emphasis. We’ve got to get Ed going.”
The 6-foot-8 Stasys went scoreless in the first half and didn’t even attempt a shot until midway through the third quarter.
Then Stasys came alive, scoring 13 points and recording seven of his game-high eight rebounds over the final 12 minutes to lift the top-seeded Redwings to a 51-44 victory over third-seeded Bolingbrook.
Defending state champion Benet (34-1), which is ranked No. 1 in 4A in the poll by The Associated Press, extended its winning streak to 31 games and will play Rockford Auburn (27-8) in the NIU Supersectional at 7:30 p.m. Monday.
“In the first half, I wasn’t getting too many open looks,” Stasys said. “I don’t have to force it. I’ve got a bunch of great players around me, so I let them handle it.
“Then, second half, I knew I had to step up a bit more, so I started attacking more on the glass, being more active around the rim, getting myself open more. It all worked out well.”
But not before some nervous moments. The Raiders (25-8) went on an 11-0 run to erase an eight-point deficit in the first half and led 30-28 before Stasys finally got off a shot. He converted a three-point play at the 4:00 mark of the third quarter, putting Benet ahead to stay.
Bolingbrook’s 6-7 center Elijah Anderson picked up his third foul on the play. Stasys drew Anderson’s fourth foul on the next possession, sending the big man to the bench.
“He’s at his best when he’s active, when he’s running the floor, on the glass, driving, a little bit of everything,” Heidkamp said of Stasys. “He made winning plays all the way through.
“He played with a lot of confidence. He played with a lot of toughness. He got big rebounds on both sides, and he scored some big baskets, and he made some big free throws.”
Stasys tallied eight points in the fourth quarter, starting with back-to-back baskets after the Raiders had pulled within 38-35. He then made a steal and raced the length of the floor. He missed the contested layup, but 7-1 senior center Colin Stack got the rebound and dunked to extend the lead to 44-35.
The Raiders again rallied, cutting the lead to 44-42, but Stasys scored on a power drive with 1:43 to go.
That’s the confident play the Redwings are accustomed to seeing from Stasys, who got a boost from his teammates at halftime.
“Just support from everyone,” he said. “That’s all I can ask for. I know how I can play. We were just bringing more energy, more intensity second half, and got the win.”
Stasys wasn’t the only one bringing the energy. Stack, a North Dakota State commit, finished with a team-high 14 points, including a buzzer-beating 3-pointer at the end of the third quarter, and Eastern Illinois-bound senior point guard Jayden Wright added nine points and four assists.
But junior forward Perry Tchiegne got the biggest ovation from Benet fans, who chanted “MVP” as the Redwings cut down the nets after the game. He made 6 of 8 shots, including his last four, to go with seven rebounds and four steals.
Tchiegne and Stasys scored the final seven points for Benet, with Tchiegne’s steal and basket with 16 seconds left capping the scoring.
“Perry played amazing,” Stasys said. “He had a phenomenal game, great energy. He was really aggressive today. I’m really proud of him.”
Tchiegne’s impact wasn’t limited to scoring. The Raiders were held to their third-lowest point total of the season, with Tchiegne guarding star Brady Pettigrew throughout. Pettigrew, who scored 25 points against Neuqua Valley in a sectional semifinal game, was held to 15 points on 4-of-13 shooting.
“I just tried to make Brady’s life as hard as possible, really just making every shot difficult, pressuring him, making him uncomfortable,” Tchiegne said. “That’s pretty much it.”
That was it for Bolingbrook’s season, which ended in front of a sold-out crowd.
“I never thought for a second that we were going to lose,” Stasys said. “We’ve been in situations like that before. I think it just comes with experience. We just got to keep on pushing and just got to come out on top.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter.
