Benet’s fans were already in full throat.
Junior forward Nikola Abusara then gave them something to really shout about.
Abusara made a steal at half-court and raced in for an acrobatic, two-handed jam midway through the first quarter of Monday night’s East Suburban Catholic Conference game against St. Viator.
It was an early declaration that this would be a slam-dunk victory for the host Redwings, who rolled to a 64-40 victory.
“It was really good, that feeling of just dunking,” Abusara said. “It just brings the whole crowd and team together and gets us really good momentum.”
The Redwings (21-5, 9-0) had momentum from the start as 6-foot-9 senior center Kyle Thomas scored the game’s first five points and senior guard Brennan White converted the first two of his five consecutive 3-pointers.
Next came the dunk by the 6-4 Abusara. White and junior forward Brady Kunka followed by sinking 3-pointers for a 19-3 lead.
The early eruption was a continuation of what transpired Saturday, when the Redwings routed the Lions 73-44 in the first round of the ESCC Tournament. Monday’s game was originally scheduled for Dec. 10 but had to be postponed due to COVID-19 protocols.
Playing a team twice in three days at the high school level is rare, but St. Viator (9-15, 2-7) proved no match for Benet.
“It was very strange,” Abusara said. “I’ve never experienced anything like that in my life, but we just came out and did the job like we did Saturday.”
Abusara’s primary job is to play defense and start the transition. He handled both tasks well against St. Viator, scoring eight points on 4-for-5 shooting to go with three rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocked shots.
“He’s a big part of the team,” Thomas said of Abusara. “He’s done what he’s supposed to do — made big plays down the stretch, and especially today, a lot of momentum plays.
“He’s just all-around great. Couldn’t ask for anything more.”
The Eastern Illinois-bound Thomas was dominant in the lane against the smaller Lions. He had a double-double by halftime and finished with a game-high 19 points and 11 rebounds.
Thomas and Abusara really put on a show in the third quarter as the Redwings extended a 37-17 halftime lead to 57-29. Thomas scored the first eight points of the quarter and Abusara followed with four more.
The duo combined to throw down four dunks in a five-possession span. Each finished with three dunks.
Thomas, of course, is no stranger to dunking.
“Not to sound cocky, but I’ve been doing it for a while, so a dunk to me is just another two points,” Thomas said. “But it definitely feels really good.”
Abusara is five inches shorter than Thomas, so he has to elevate a little higher to get to the rim, which he does with surprising regularity.
“He’s very athletic,” Benet coach Gene Heidkamp said of Abusara. “When he gets a chance to get around the rim, he’s a great finisher.
“He makes a lot of plays for us. He’s able to create off the dribble, not only create for himself but create for others. That’s how it’s gone all year.”
The victory capped an undefeated run to the ESCC regular-season championship for the Redwings. The only other teams in program history to accomplish that feat were in 2010 and 2011 led by Frank Kaminsky and David Sobolewski.
“It means a lot,” Abusara said. “The history behind this school is really crazy, so being up there with those teams is insane.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.