Benet had four starters score in double-figures and held off a late rally when it hosted Hinsdale Central Thursday night in Lisle.
Hinsdale Central tied the game at 61-61 with 1:26 remaining, but the Redwings answered with a 9-0 run to claim a 70-61 victory.
Benet (6-2) ended the Red Devils’ comeback attempt by hitting seven-of-eight free-throw attempts in final 65 seconds of the game.
“I was confident in our team and that we were going to keep it (intensity) up,” said junior Eden Olson, who had 12 points. “It was very critical that we made those free throws, otherwise we would not have been in that game.”
Christen Prasse led Benet with 20 points, while Emily Schramek and Kathleen Doyle each finished with 14 tallies apiece.
A basket by Prasse with 1:07 left in the contest halted a 12-4 run by Hinsdale Central, which tied the game on a steal and basket by Lauren Zapka (12 points).
“Actually, I definitely thought we were going to come back and take the win,” said Zapka. “It is nice to play as a team and it shows that we can do it.”
Both teams traded leads throughout much of the first-half. The score was tied six times before the intermission, when Benet took a 30-29 lead.
The Redwings pieced together a 16-4 run between the third and fourth quarters, taking a 59-47 lead after a Prasse free throw with just over five minutes left in the final stanza.
Sophomore Gabrielle Rush led Hinsdale Central with 20 points, while Lily Sarros (12 boards) scored nine of her 19 points in the fourth quarter.
