NORMAL — Of all the talents Benet star Lenee Beaumont brings to the basketball court, cheerleading would not be her first option.
But it was the only one she had left after fouling out Friday afternoon against Stevenson in the Class 4A state semifinals at Illinois State University’s Redbird Arena.
Beaumont picked up her fifth foul on a controversial charging call with 3:14 left in the fourth quarter and the Redwings trailing by two points.
“Definitely, it was very frustrating,” Beaumont said. “I had some stupid fouls that I should have been smarter on.”
Just 28 seconds later, Navy-bound senior center Morgan Demos also fouled out, leaving Benet’s two best players to stand and watch as Stevenson went on to win 36-28.
It was a season-low point total for both teams.
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“I kind of felt helpless because, obviously, you want to do anything you can to help your team,” Beaumont said. “But even when me and Demos were out, we both said we have trust in our team, that they have opportunities to make plays.
“They did a very good job toward the end, just kind of struggled offensively.”
The entire game was a struggle as both sides got into early foul trouble, limiting the impact of the standout players.
Beaumont picked up two early fouls and finished with seven points, while Demos had three points, six rebounds and two blocked shots.
The Redwings (30-5), who lost to Bolingbrook 57-54 in the third-place game late Friday night, shot just 12-for-45 from the floor and 4-for-11 at the free-throw line while committing 24 turnovers.
Stevenson (35-2) wasn’t much better either, shooting 12-for-40 from the floor and 11-for-19 at the line as Benet’s defense kept the Redwings in the game.
“We played great defense throughout,” Benet coach Joe Kilbride said. “We just struggled to score, particularly in the first half.
“But I told the girls I was very proud of the fight they demonstrated. We’ve been a very gritty team. I thought they were gritty again.”
Indeed, after scoring only 11 points in the first half and going scoreless for exactly 13 minutes bridging halftime, the Redwings began the fourth quarter with a 10-0 run to force a 25-25 tie.
Beaumont scored five points during the run, which sophomore guard Maggie Sularski capped by sinking the game-tying free throw with 5:25 remaining.
Junior forward Samantha Trimberger was a major reason why Benet had a chance to win. She recorded seven points, a game-high 10 rebounds and three steals.
“I’m happy to do my part, whatever that may be,” Trimberger said. “Obviously, that changes from game to game. (Friday), my points helped a little bit more than other days.”
Trimberger epitomized Benet’s grit, especially when Demos was on the bench. Trimberger rose to the occasion in her debut at Redbird Arena.
“I’ve gained confidence over the season, which is huge,” she said. “I’m happy to fight with these girls every single day, so that’s what we did (Friday).”
Ultimately, it wasn’t quite enough. Benet scored just one basket in the final six minutes, a layup by senior backup center Tioluwani Okubanjo that cut Stevenson’s lead to 32-28 with 1:21 left.
Stevenson guard Ava Bardic, who led all players with 16 points, made her final seven free-throw attempts, including six in the last 1:45. That put the game out of reach.
The loss left Beaumont wanting more.
“We’re going to be very hungry for next year,” Beaumont said. “Just being down here is a great learning experience, no matter what happens, and we’re very grateful for this opportunity.
“That’s just going to be more fuel for us.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.