CHAMPAIGN — The dream was not quite fulfilled, but senior guard Brayden Fagbemi will sure remember the journey.
Fagbemi, a Johns Hopkins recruit, was one of the leaders all the way as Benet won a school-record 35 games and advanced to the Class 4A state championship game. But the bond he developed with his teammates will stick with him more than any victory.
“It’s definitely the family that we’ve built in the locker room,” Fagbemi said. “The nights we spent eating out, the days in the locker room, the practices and the games we played, that’s definitely the stuff that I’ll remember.
“Going 35-2, this was a special team, obviously. But just the brotherhood that we built, I’m very proud of that.”
Fagbemi scored 12 points on Saturday night, but those weren’t enough to stop Moline from winning its first state championship in the sport while denying the Redwings their first. Iowa recruit Brock Harding poured in 28 points to lead the Maroons to a 59-42 win at the University of Illinois’ State Farm Center.
Andy Nash also scored 12 points for Benet (35-2), which played without leading scorer Brady Kunka after he suffered an ankle injury during the semifinal win against New Trier on Friday. Niko Abusara added 10 points and five rebounds.
Kunka entered the game for three seconds in the fourth quarter and was hugged by several Moline players before getting a big ovation from Benet fans.
Owen Freeman, another Iowa recruit, had six points and nine rebounds for Moline (35-3).
“We had a hard time matching up with them,” Benet coach Gene Heidkamp said. “They got a lead, and they spread us out, which we knew they probably would. It’s very tough to play against.
“Brock Harding is an unbelievable player, and he has an ability to control the game. We got into foul trouble trying to chase him, and it got away from us in the second half. I’d say they controlled it more than it got away from us.”
Fagbemi, who averaged 11.6 points and 4.0 assists this season while running the show for Benet as the point guard, came out aggressively on offense against Moline. He scored all of his points in the first half, keeping Benet close as Moline led 32-25 at halftime.
“I just take what the defense gives me,” Fagbemi said. “I have great players around me that trust me and coaches that trust me. It’s about being able to play off my teammates.”
But Fagbemi was held scoreless in the second half amid foul trouble and fouled out with 6:04 left.
Moline went on a 10-0 run in the third quarter to pull away, outscoring Benet 12-5 in the quarter.
The presence of the 6-foot-10 Freeman made things tough on the Redwings, who struggled to score around the basket.
“He’s a good player, going to Iowa,” Abusara said of Freeman. “He blocks shots. He’s a versatile player. All credit to him. He’s probably one of the best defenders I’ve ever played against. He’s definitely a problem for anyone to deal with.”
It’s the third runner-up finish for Benet, all under Heidkamp. The Redwings lost to Young in 2014 and Curie in 2016.
“I couldn’t be prouder of these guys,” Heidkamp said. “They gave us an unbelievable season from start to finish. I’m not sure what the expectations were going into the season, but they easily surpassed whatever they were.
“These guys are hurting a little bit right now, but we lost to a great team. I want to congratulate (Moline coach Sean Taylor) and his team. They played a great game, they’ve had an unbelievable season and they’re worthy champs.”
Steve Millar is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.