At halftime of the Class 4A Bolingbrook Sectional championship game on Friday night, Edvardas Stasys hadn’t attempted a shot, and Benet trailed the host Raiders.
That changed midway through the third quarter, when the 6-foot-8 junior forward’s first shot resulted in a three-point play that put the defending state champion Redwings ahead for good.
“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, and then in the second half I knew I had to step up a bit more.”
Stasys ended up scoring 13 points in the final 12 minutes as Benet defeated Bolingbrook 51-44.
“We talked at halftime,” Benet coach Gene Heidkamp said. “It was a point of emphasis. We’ve got to get Ed going. He’s a big part of our team. He made a huge difference down the stretch. He made winning plays all the way through.”
Stasys also had eight rebounds for the Redwings (34-1), who are ranked No. 1 in 4A in the poll by The Associated Press, have won 31 games in a row and will play Rockford Guilford or Rockford Auburn in the NIU Supersectional at 7:30 p.m. Monday.
Junior guard Perry Tchiegne added 13 points, seven rebounds and four steals against the Raiders (24-8), and senior guard Jayden Wright, an Eastern Illinois recruit, had nine points and four assists.
Freelance reporter Matt Le Cren contributed. This story will be updated.



