The Benet Academy varsity boys' basketball team ended their season with a 46-44 loss to Whitney Young High School in the IHSA Class 4A State Championship Game at Peoria's Carver Arena. The Redwings finished the year with a record of 25-8, and the second-place finish is the highest in school history.
Benet started slowly in the championship game and trailed by double digits for most of the first half. However, the Redwings cut a 10 point halftime deficit to five by the end of the third quarter and closed the gap to three early in the fourth. Whitney Young responded with an 8-0 run to extend its lead to 42-31 with 3:07 left and held a 44-34 lead with just over one minute remaining in the season. The Dolphins missed two one-and-one opportunities after Benet fouls, and two Collin Pellettieri threes cut the deficit to 44-40. Sean O'Mara then collected an offensive rebound and scored a layup with about 20 seconds left. However, Whitney Young's Paul White drained two free throws after a Benet foul, and the Redwings' final score came with under five seconds remaining, so Whitney Young was not required to inbound the ball. Benet fell in the school's first-ever basketball state championship game 46-44 to the #12 team in the country. Young's Duke-bound Jahlil Okafor scored 8 points and grabbed 6 rebounds, the Georgetown-bound White also scored 8 points and added 7 rebounds, and St. Louis-bound Myles Reynolds scored a game-high 19 points for the Dolphins. Xavier-bound O'Mara scored 8 points and collected 8 rebounds, Colin Bonnett scored a team-high 12 points with 6 rebounds, and Pellettieri contributed 11 points.
This was a fantastic weekend to end the best season in Benet basketball history. Congratulations to the players and coaches, and good luck to the graduating senior class.
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