The pillars for Benet the last six-plus years have been simple – defense and rebounding.
Through five games, Benet’s stingy defense had been evident as it had held all five opponents to 45 points or less – with the last three opponents not even breaking 37 points.
On Tuesday against York, the defense and rebounding picked up after a slow start as Benet scratched and clawed its way to a 51-46 victory – its sixth straight to start the season.
Down by as many as 13 points in the first quarter, the Redwings didn’t take their first lead until late in the fourth quarter.
Getting back to basics after surrendering 17 points in the first, the Redwings allowed a combined 17 points over the course of the next 16 minutes to get back into the game.
“I think we played better defense, obviously, in the last three quarters,” Benet coach Gene Heidkamp said. “We played with more toughness. (York’s Nick Trapani) is a very good player. We allowed him to get some space to get some shots off and he made us pay. … I thought they also out-toughed us on both ends of the floor early in the game and that was part of the reason why we were down so big early on in the game. I give them a lot of credit. They were ready to play.”
James Dockery’s presence certainly helped, as well.
Dockery reached double figures for the fourth time in six games with his game-high 17 points – highlighted by a 14-point second half.
“We came out really flat,” Dockery said. “We started to try to shoot our way through the whole first half and we were just not knocking down shots. Then the second half, we started hitting the boards harder, taking it to the hole, kicking out shots, sharing the ball. Everyone stepping up hitting threes. It was big.”
With Dockery’s three-pointer with three seconds left in the first giving them their first field goal, the Redwings combined for eight three-pointers on the night to help counter Trapani.
Trapani hit three triples during the Dukes’ 17-point first but was held to just five points the rest of the way to lead the team with 14 points.
“We didn’t play the personnel very well,” Dockery said. “We were letting kids hit threes, leaving the shooters open. Then in the second half, we knew what we had to do – get out on the shooters. We had to beat them up on the boards.”
Benet (6-0) got contributions from sources outside Dockery to help turn away a game Dukes’ squad.
The first of two Jack Nolan fourth-quarter triples helped put the Redwings in front for the first time at 42-41 with 3:55 left to play.
After a Jack Morrissey basket for York and Danny Sobolewski splitting two free throws to tie the game at 43-43, Nolan’s three-pointer with 2:39 left in regulation put Benet up to stay.
“The fourth quarter – the two shots that I hit – my teammates just found me when I was open,” said Nolan, who finished with 11 points. “I took the shots in the flow of the offense and I knocked them down. That’s all it was – just my teammates finding me at the right time. I was open and I shot them in the flow.”
While Dockery and Nolan were the only two Redwings to reach double figures, Sobolewski and Justin Enochs each chipped in with eight points.
