Lyman does yeoman’s work for Benet
Benet’s Liam Lyman had a difficult assignment Tuesday. The 6- 4 senior had to guard high- flying Justin Smith of Stevenson.
Lyman passed the test with flying colors. He did just enough to make life difficult for Smith, an Indiana recruit, and also scored a game- high 24 points to lead the No. 17 Redwings to a 69- 53 victory against the Patriots in Lisle.
“I didn’t care how many points I scored; I just knew I had to do the job on Justin,” Lyman said. “I’m not gonna lie: I got tired at the end. I just did whatever I could to slow him down. He’s a really athletic player. I had to try to be physical with him, but he did a really good job around the glass and on the boards.”
Smith had 17 points and 11 rebounds. Willie Herenton led Stevenson ( 15- 4) with 18 points.
“Liam played really well,” Benet coach Gene Heidkamp said. “We knewthat he had a difficult match up against Justin Smith. And we knew that he’d give it everything he had.”
The Redwings ( 17- 6) led by 10 at the half and nine after three quarters. Stevenson never seemed to get into an offensive flow.
“We were really proud of our defense in the first half,’’ Lyman said. ‘‘ We held them to 14 points, which is huge for us.’’
Senior Jack Nolan scored 22 for Benet. He was terrific over the holidays at the Pontiac Holiday Tournament and has been one of the season’s dynamic breakout stars.
“This was a huge win,” Nolan said. “We really came together as a team.
‘‘ It was important to get a huge win at this point in the season and really build some momentum.’’
Matthew Teglia scored eight and grabbed six rebounds for Benet, and Justin Enochs added seven points. Colin Crothers, a 6- 7 freshman, continues to improve. His presence in the post was a significant factor in slowing down Stevenson’s attack.
“[ Crothers’] presence made a difference; he was a big part of this win,” Heidkamp said. “They are so athletic. Justin and Willie Herenton are a force going to the rim.”
Stevenson or Benet has played in the last four Class 4A state title games. The Patriots finished second in 2013 and won the title in 2015. The Redwings finished second in 2016 and 2014.
“This is a win that we needed badly, just because of some of the difficult losses we’ve had in the second half of the year,” Heidkamp said.“We’ve been in just about every game and lost some tough ones.”
The Redwings’ record is deceiving. They’ve played one of the most difficult schedules in the area.
“It can be a grind at times,’’ Heidkamp said. ‘‘ I hope we will be battletested for the state tournament. It doesn’t guarantee anything. Just because you play a tough schedule doesn’t mean you’re going to play well when the time comes.”