Mersinger and Briggs ‘bring it back’ to Benet

For Benet, the names change, but the result remains the same.

It was Thursday again, freshman guard Ava Mersinger and second grade center Emma Briggs They stepped up against the host Wildcats in the Class 4A Neuqua Valley Regional final.

“It was definitely frustrating, but it was fun,” Mersinger said. “The other team is really good, so we knew we had to bring it in and that’s what we did. We stayed solid throughout the whole process.”

Briggs and Mersinger played under pressure in the match where neither team was ahead by more than five points.

Briggs scored six of his career-high 16 points in the fourth quarter, and Mersinger came off the bench to score six points and two key assists to lead fourth-seeded Benet to a 47-44 victory over fifth-seeded Neuqua Valley.

It was the 10th consecutive regional championship for the top-seeded Redwings (23-6), who will play Bolingbrook (26-3) in the Oswego Regional semifinals Tuesday at 6 p.m.

“I told the kids, ‘It takes all of us to be successful in the tournament,'” Benet coach Joe Kilbride said. “Different nights, different people.

“We have some other kids who will probably have a great game on Tuesday, so you have to figure out what pieces are activated.”

Benet trailed by as many as five and trailed 38-34 in the fourth quarter. Mersinger scored from the baseline with 6:43 left, starting a 9-0 run.

senior guard affiliated with Hillsdale Emilia Sularski Then, with a steal and a three-pointer, the Redwings took the lead 39-38.

“We got into trouble, so I left the press,” Kilbride said. “So with six points to go, we went back to putting some pressure and trapping and were able to get some turnovers and transitions.

“Emilia hit a big three when they got to the zone and that gave us a little boost. I felt like those two minutes changed the atmosphere of the game. It seemed to me that there was a different atmosphere after that.”

Mersinger felt it too.

“After Emilia’s three, I felt like our energy increased,” he said. “After that I felt like we were playing together and we just kept going.”

Briggs scored on the next three possessions for Benet, starting with a turnaround shot near the lane. After Neuqua Valley (19-11) turned the tables, Mersinger started moving down the lane but stopped and sent a bounce pass to Briggs to make it 43-38.

“That’s the ideal play,” Briggs said. “I saw him drive and pull some defenders. If it’s open, he takes it. But it was perfect, ideal for our situation.”

Mersinger scored both baskets with a great shot through the defense, but this time he was thinking of passing.

“I was calling Emma because I knew they were going to pack the paint,” Mersinger said. “If I pulled one, his next pass would be there, so I was looking for it.”

After the senior guard Zoe Navarro Mersinger, who scored in Neuqua Valley, brought the ball up again. This time he passed the ball to Briggs at the foul line. Briggs turned and hesitated before making the shot with 2:27 left.

“I was actually thinking about driving,” Briggs said. “Of course I’m more of a driver, but I can shoot from mid-range. It was open. They didn’t want to put pressure on me, so I shot.”

But the pressure wasn’t on the Redwings. Navarro, who scored 12 of his team’s highest 14 points in the second half, converted a 4-point play to put the Wildcats ahead 45-44 and then stole the ball to give his team the chance to win.

But Neuqua Valley turned the tables with 12.8 seconds left. Benet young guard Aria Mazza He made two free throws with 8.8 innings left and the Wildcats missed a 3-pointer near the buzzer.

“(The Wildcats) didn’t give up and kept playing hard,” Neuqua Valley coach Mike Williams said. “We were lucky. “You feel bad about losing, but it was a great high school game, great atmosphere and a good time.”

Briggs made Benet have a better time.

“It was amazing,” he said. “Obviously we didn’t want it to be the last one. We knew it wasn’t going to happen, so it was great to be able to provide that for my team.”

Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter.