Sports
Bench Sparks Plainfield East's Bennett to Big Finish Over Geneva
Senior scores final seven points during 49-44 regional quarterfinal win.
There’s something about the bench that usually brings out the best in a player.
Case in point was ’s Brian Bennett.
After a slow start Monday, Bennett spent most of the second and third quarters on the bench during the Bengals Class 3A Naperville North regional quarterfinal game against Geneva.
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“When I was on the bench, I was trying to get my head focused again,” Bennett said. “I struggled with that a little bit in the first half. I missed a few shots and felt cold.”
“We felt like we could have gotten more from him in the first half,” Plainfield East coach Branden Adkins said. “We talked to him about being more aggressive and being a factor.”
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The 6-foot-8 junior center was a factor down the stretch. He scored the final seven points in a 49-44 win, giving the Bengals the program’s first state-tournament victory.
“I had to step up for my team real big,” Bennett said. “We didn’t want to go home in the first round like last year. We want to play bigger and better teams.”
“We gave him another opportunity in the fourth quarter and it was good to see him step up and play the way we and he knows he can,” Adkins said.
No. 17 Geneva (11-17) hit a pair of free throws to take a 42-40 lead over No. 16 Plainfield East (15-12) with 5:26 to play in the game.
With the team’s scoring and steals leader, junior guard Deontre Brown out with a broken hand, Bennett came to life.
“I came in there and played aggressive,” Bennett said. “That’s how I need to play all the time.”
“If you don’t get every rebound, that’s OK,” Adkins said. “Be a factor, post up, be a threat offensively because you are going to draw attention and that opens up other people.”
Bennett hit a pair of free throws, a layup from Drae Shelton’s assist, a baby hook from a nice feed by Myles Walters and another free throw to send upstart Plainfield East into Wednesday’s regional semifinal against No. 1 Benet Academy (26-0).
The Redwings are the No. 1 team in the state.
“We’ve got nothing to lose,” Bennett said. “That’s how we have to look at it. Nothing but good things can come out of it if we play great and play for 32 minutes.”
