PONTIAC — Basketball is a team sport like few others.
The smallest contributions can make the ultimate difference.
Benet junior guard Sam Hennessy took all of three shots Friday afternoon in the Redwings’ quarterfinal boys basketball game against Warren at the Pontiac Holiday Tournament on Friday afternoon.
But Hennessy connected on his two 3-point attempts, the second of which gave Benet its first double-digit lead of the game against the Blue Devils.
Benet advanced to the semifinals for the first time in three years with a 49-37 victory.
The Redwings will face top-seeded Bloom, which motored past Oak Park-River Forest behind its four Division-I recruits, on Saturday afternoon.
Colin Crothers and Jacob Snell, the Redwings’ twin posts on the low block, clogged the middle like none other as their combined presence at both ends was a fundamental element in the Redwings’ latest victory.
“Ever since the season has started, the coaches have told me to shoot with confidence,” Hennessy said. “With Snell and Crothers in the post, we get a lot of shots on the perimeter.”
Hennessy, who finished with eight points, drained his left-side 3-pointer almost three minutes into the third quarter to give Benet (8-2) a 43-32 lead over the Blue Devils ((4-7).
Warren did not score in the fourth quarter until Seamus Mellican converted with 1:47 to play.
The Redwings’ defense consumed Warren throughout the contest as the Blue Devils misfired on 35 of their 50 field-goal attempts.
Crothers (10 rebounds) and Snell (8) matched the entire Warren output on the backboards as a result.
“Defense is one of the best parts of our game,” said Snell, who finished with 7 points.
The Redwings’ primary offensive options – Crothers and guard Jack Prock – paced Benet for a second straight game.
Crothers missed a mere shot in leading both teams with 17 points to augment his game-high rebound totals.
Prock not only added 12 points but also blocked 3 shots to illuminate the Redwings’ intensity at both ends.
“It opens up a lot of things,” Snell said of the Redwings’ offensive attack that centers around an inside-out game with himself and Crothers at the helm. “It’s working really well.”
Warren had its last lead of the game dissipate when Snell and Prock had a 3-point play and a 3-pointer on consecutive possessions to give the Redwings a 23-20 lead at the half.
“We kept forcing up shots,” Warren senior forward Juan Delacruz said. “It’s open but it’s not really open. We have to run the offense.”
“They’re strong guys,” Mellican said of contending with Crothers and Snell in the paint. “We just weren’t finishing and that made it tough.”
Adnan Sarancic led Warren with 11 points; Delacruz and Mellican finished with eight each.