Just over a minute remained when Zion-Benton’s Damarquis Henry took a pass from his brother, Rod Henry-Hayes, a step and a half behind the 3-point line.
The Zee-Bees were clinging to a one-point lead over Warren on Saturday. Everything about the situation felt right for Henry, from the catch to the space separating him from the nearest defender.
“If I am open, I feel like I can shoot it,” Henry said. “My brother found me in the right spot at the right time and it was an open look, so I took it.”
Henry drilled his sixth 3-pointer with 1:15 to play and finished with a season-high 28 points in Zion-Benton’s 59-56 North Suburban road win.
Henry, a senior guard, scored 20 points in the second half. He added three assists, two rebounds and two steals. His two free throws with 16 seconds remaining sealed the victory for the Zee-Bees (14-7, 4-2).
He was at his best with the game on the line, scoring 12 points in the fourth quarter. He converted 4-of-6 from 3-point range in the second half. His first basket, a 3-pointer from the right wing, sparked a 11-2 surge that provided the Zee-Bees a lead they never relinquished.
“I can’t say enough about him,” Zion-Benton coach Bob Worthington said. “He’s been on the varsity for three years. He did what seniors are supposed to do. Warren’s zone was tough tonight. We showed great poise, being patient and getting the shot that we wanted instead of the shot that they are going to give us.”
Henry-Hayes, another senior, hit three 3-pointers en route to scoring 15 points in support of his brother.
Henry-Hayes is bigger and gets to the rim. Henry is more explosive off the dribble.
“That’s my brother, and there’s nothing better than playing with him,” Henry-Hayes said. “I can give him shots and he can give me shots.”
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Zion-Benton’s Joshua Meeks, a 6-4 junior, also played a significant role with eight points, seven rebounds and four blocked shots.
His weak-side denial of Warren center Declan O’Connor underneath the basket preserved Zion-Benton’s late one-point advantage.
Senior guard Juwan Perry scored a team-best 18 points, and O’Connor added 17 points and nine rebounds for the Blue Devils (7-10, 1-5).
Perry’s 3-pointer pulled Warren within 57-56 with 55 seconds left. Down three late, Warren had a 3-point attempt from the corner hit off the back of the rim.
“They knocked down some shots and we did not,” Warren coach Jon Jasnoch said.
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance writer for the News-Sun.