PONTIAC, Ill.—Shortly after Jayden Wright made the buzzer-beating three-pointer that sent the game to double overtime, Benet’s trio of sophomores—Wright, Gabe Sularski and Colin Stack—gathered near center court to celebrate the shot.
As they yelled and hugged it became clear that it isn’t only the future that is bright for the Redwings. The present is special.
Then, quickly, it was back to business against Bloom. Four minutes later, after Sularski made one of two free throws with two seconds left, the Redwings had a 59-58 win against Bloom on Saturday and a spot in the championship game of the 92nd Pontiac Holiday Tournament.
“There are highs and lows in this game,” Wright said. “I don’t think I played my best game but I just tried to do whatever it took to win. And we got the job done. That’s all that matters.”
The young Redwings trailed by five points with three minutes left in regulation. Sularski and junior Daniel Pauliukonis made buckets and Sularski made a free throw to send the game to overtime. Bloom had a three at the regulation buzzer that missed.
Then Wright’s heroics, with a defender in his face, sent the game to double overtime.
“I wanted the shot,” Wright said. “I was trying to hopefully get him in the air but he didn’t jump. So I just put it up and trusted I was going to make it.”
Wow. Benet soph Jayden Wright nails a three at the buzzer with a defender in his face.
— Michael O'Brien (@michaelsobrien) December 30, 2023
Bloom and Benet heading to double overtime in the Pontiac semis. pic.twitter.com/aB29yUnJRF
Sularski had never been at the free-throw line in a game-deciding moment before.
“First time,” Sularski said. “Pontiac semifinal was the first time. It was a great feeling. A lot of pressure a little bit. But I settled down.”
Sularski led Benet (14-0) with 18 points. Pauliukonis added 11 and Blake Fagbemi contributed five points and seven assists.
“There were times where we could have been dead in the water and we just kept playing and found a way to kind of grind it out,” Benet coach Gene Heidkamp said. “Just a great high school game and semifinal at Pontiac. It’s a great experience for our kids, no doubt.”
Sophomore Amare Pryor led Bloom (8-4) with 15 points and junior Elijah Lovemore added 14 points, four assists, four rebounds and four steals.
Blazing Trojans coach Dante Maddox was sitting on the steps outside his team’s locker room shortly after the game, looking over the stats and wondering how a spot in the Pontiac title game had slipped through his team’s fingers.
“We just have to execute better at the end,” Maddox said. “They need to listen to the coaches. I hope we learn from this.”
Benet has never won the tournament. The Redwings finished second last season and in 2016 and 2014.
“We are getting the title,” Sularski said. “No doubt.”
