Benet junior guard Perry Tchiegne checked back into the game and slapped hands with teammate Ethan MacDermot.
Tchiegne also heard the cheers from the raucous home fans.
“It feels great because it shows that my team loves me, the school loves me, and I love them back,” he said.
Three minutes earlier, the 6-foot-5 Tchiegne had to be helped off the court with what looked like a serious leg injury. The Redwings, who are ranked No. 1 in Class 4A in the poll by The Associated Press, had a seven-point lead over No. 5 Warren with 5:53 left in the fourth quarter Saturday night, and the crowd in the packed gym in Lisle went silent for a moment.
But there was no cause for worry.
“It was just a little cramp, so I just got water, did some stretching,” Tchiegne said. “I’m all good.”
So were the Redwings, who defeated Warren 67-60 in the marquee game of the When Sides Collide shootout. It was a rematch of the 2025 4A state championship game, which Benet won 55-54.
Tchiegne was not on the varsity team last season. But he played a huge role in this victory, contributing 10 points, nine rebounds and two assists, as the Redwings (23-1) extended their winning streak to 20 games.
“We were frazzled early,” Benet coach Gene Heidkamp said. “I think our kids were so excited to play that we came out a little wild and a little out of control, and I think Perry stabilized that with a couple big plays in the first quarter.
“So I give him a lot of credit. He was a huge part of the win on both sides of the floor.”
Indeed, Tchiegne scored on two consecutive powerful drives in the first quarter that set the tone. After returning from his injury, he scored Benet’s final basket of the game to give the Redwings a 65-56 cushion with 2:05 left.
In between, Tchiegne was a force at both ends. He made 5 of 7 shots and also spelled senior guard Jayden Wright, an Eastern Illinois commit who scored 21 points, to defend Warren star junior guard Jaxson Davis at times.
Davis, the state’s consensus best player, scored a game-high 28 points, but he made only three baskets after halftime even though the Blue Devils (17-2) trailed for the entire second half. That happened after Heidkamp switched Tchiegne onto Davis.
“We had to,” Heidkamp said. “Perry is a little bit longer than Jayden, and (Davis) is so strong, and he creates so much space for himself that we were just hoping we could do a better job to contest those 3-point shots.”
The strategy worked. Davis attempted only three 3-pointers in the second half, making one. Tchiegne blocked one of the other two.
“He’s a pretty tough matchup,” Tchiegne said.” He can shoot, he can drive, so you’ve got to respect all he does, really kind of force him to our bigs and not let him shoot the ball.”
Tchiegne has made the most of his first shot at playing varsity basketball. He has started every game alongside Wright, senior guard MacDermot, North Dakota State-bound senior center Colin Stack and junior forward Edvardas Stasys.
MacDermot speaks highly of Tchiegne’s efforts.
“I feel like on defense, he’s the main player,” MacDermot said. “He had to guard Jaxson Davis, the best player on the court, and I feel like he did a great job on him.
“I also feel like he’s a secure player on the court. So when I give him the ball, I know something good is going to happen with it.”
Which is why Wright was relieved that Tchiegne avoided a major injury.
“It was awesome to have him back,” Wright said. “He was a very important piece of this win.”
Wright suggested more is to come from Tchiegne.
“Coach is on him pretty hard,” Wright said. “He’s getting better every day, and we all have confidence in him. It’s awesome playing with him. I love that he’s a great teammate.”
Tchiegne loves playing in front of big crowds.
“It was a great environment,” he said. “I love the crowd, love the fans. I think I play better in tougher games.”
Heidkamp said this is only the beginning for Tchiegne.
“He’s a very good slasher,” Heidkamp said. “He can get to the rim, and he’s a good passer, so his potential is in front of him. He’s just scratching the surface of how good he can be.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter.