Schramek, Role Players Lead Benet to Sectional Championship

In Tuesdays Sectional Semifinal win over Whitney Young, Benet JR Guard <strong>Kendall Holmes</strong> dropped 24 points to lead her team. For Thursdays Sectional Championship against Montini, the Redwings were forced to play without their star player, and needed some help making up those points and playing solid defense. Initially, it was Sophomore <strong>Kendall Moriarty</strong> to get a chance to make an impact. Moriarty is a 6’ Guard who possesses all the tools of a dynamic offensive player. She is very smooth with the ball in her hands and uses a quick first step and long strides to get by defenders. Not only can she drive with ease, but Moriarty can knock down spot-up shots from beyond the arc as well. Next, it was <strong>Lindsey Rogers</strong>. Rogers, a 6’1’’ JR, was the key piece for Benet’s 7-0 run to start the game. She knocked down two threes and collected a handful of rebounds in the first half. While Rogers’ smooth stroke remained consistent outside, her size and rebounding really helped fill a void with Holmes not present. Third came <strong>Ashley Berry</strong>. The 5’7’’ Junior Guard with quick feet drew the tough assignment of guarding Montini’s Freshman PG, Sophie Sullivan, for much of the game. Berry picked up Sullivan at three-quarters court and didn’t let her get much space to make plays. Berry definitely stood out on the defensive side, but I was also very impressed with her ability to handle the ball and evade defenders in the open court. Lastly it was Sophomore <strong>Molly Sheehan</strong> to show what she can do on the big stage. The 5’8’’ PG tends to have a pass-first mentality and its easy to see just how creative she is when you watch her. Sheehan is quick and composed with the ball and uses her swift crossover to get her defender off balance. From there, she can drive in the lane, step back and hit the open shot, or find a teammate open in the lane. Sheehan finished with 5pts, 3reb, 2ast and a steal. While these role players were fantastic, and a big part of Benet’s success Thursday night, they had two reliable upperclassmen leading the charge in <strong>Brooke Schramek</strong> and <strong>Ashley Konkle</strong>. Schramek, a 6’1’’ JR Forward, made a living finding an opening at the bottom of the Montini zone. With at least 3 talented guards on the floor at all times to get her the ball, she was nearly unstoppable. Like Schramek, Konkle was also able to use her 6’2’’ frame to assert herself down low and make it tough for any Montini forward to match up with her. What really impressed me with these two, as well as 6’2’’ SR <strong>Lauren Stack</strong>, was their work in the high-low game, which led to a ton of mismatches in the post. &nbsp; Benet will take on Oswego High School in the Lewis University Super-Sectional on Monday at 7pm.