It’s sectional time for girls’ basketball as we hit the courts at East Aurora. Top-seeded Benet Academy is back in the position after a 58-50 win over Oswego East, but now takes on a 25-4 Bolingbrook squad. The Raiders are seeking revenge after falling to the Wings in the 2024 sectional semis. This highlight is sponsored by BMO.
The Benet six-footers go to work, starting with Emma Briggs getting the Bridget Rifenburg miss and put back.
Rifenburg redeems herself by connecting on the and-one shot. It’s a 15-8 lead for the Wings.
The Raiders being their transition with former Naperville North standout Natalie Frempong hitting a much-needed three to get a spark going.
The Raiders’ early game plan is to let Frempong do her thing as she buries another three for Bolingbrook.
Megan Sedillo caps off a high-scoring first quarter
As the first winds down, Ava Thomas locates an open Megan Sedillo, who nails the trifecta. Benet leads 20-16 after the first.
Ava Mersinger finds Lucy Tierney on the wing, but she takes advantage of an opening and drops it in with another basket for Benet.
Mersinger looks for another target, which happens to be Emma Briggs. Her shot from beyond the arc makes it 28-21 in favor of the Redwings.
Bolingbrook responds with A’Mya Simmons finding a cutting Syndey Dodd, who hits the open lay in.
Then the Raiders get a stop on defense with a steal from Simmons. She kicks it out to Kennedy Williams, who drives and scores. Despite the late surge, Benet still leads at halftime 32-31.
The Redwings go on a 7-2 run to begin the third as Rifenburg corrals the board and hits the shot plus the foul. It’s 39-33 Benet.
Bolingbrook has momentum heading into the fourth
The Raiders have an answer to every swing. After Williams stares down her defender, she carves the rest of the defense with a drive and score.
We are tied at 42, and it’s Raider ball. Frempong finds Skylar Wakefield, who hits the jumper to give the Raiders their first lead of the game at 44-42 heading into the fourth.
48-45 Bolingbrook, but don’t count out the Wings. Bridget Rifenburg will do it all by splitting the defense and hitting the runner.
Senior leader putting her team back on track
Benet gets it back, and this time, Briggs puts the team on her back. Her right-handed lay-in is good, and Benet retakes the lead 49-48 with less than two minutes left.
The Raiders hope to take the lead back until Mersinger earns a floor burn by diving on the ball, and the Redwings gain possession on the steal.
The Wings try to milk the clock, but turn the ball over. Here’s Frempong with a chance at the rim, but Briggs helps force the miss, and Tierney secures the board. Disaster avoided for Benet.
Benet Academy survives and advances in girls’ basketball sectional
The Raiders have one last chance after Ava Thomas misses on two free throws. Simmons brings the ball down the court, but she loses control. Time runs out, and this ball game is over. Benet Academy is alive to play another day with a 49-48 win over Bolingbrook. They will move on to the sectional final, where the Redwings will face Waubonsie Valley for a sixth consecutive postseason matchup.
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