Lincoln Goodwin’s milestone, Benton’s defense lead to blowout victory over Bishop LeBlond

Local high school boys basketball teams are making their mark this season, with multiple programs gaining recognition across the state. Thursday night featured a marquee matchup between two of the area’s best, as Class 3’s third-ranked Bishop LeBlond Golden Eagles made the short trip to the South Side to face Class 4’s third-ranked Benton Cardinals.

Despite a strong second quarter from the Golden Eagles, the Cardinals’ size and athleticism proved too much to overcome. Benton secured its 20th win of the season in dominant fashion, cruising to a 77-49 victory.

The Cardinals struck first, feeding off the energy of their home crowd. After a steal, Mach Mayom pushed the pace in transition and found Myles Bachali near the basket for the game’s opening points. Benton capitalized on its early momentum, jumping out to a 6-0 lead in the first four minutes. That stretch was finally broken when Trey Icke knocked down a pair of free throws for LeBlond.

Benton extended the advantage to 9-2 after Lincoln Goodwin cleaned up a missed shot for a putback, but on the next possession, Chris Miljavic buried a 3-pointer to cut the deficit back to four. That, however, would be LeBlond’s last bucket of the quarter, as Benton closed on a 5-0 run to take a 14-8 lead after one.

The Golden Eagles came out firing in the second quarter. Jacob Winkelbauer curled off a screen and drained a 3-pointer, cutting the deficit to three. LeBlond locked in defensively, stringing together stops before Cooper Waterman hit another three to tie the score at 14 with five minutes left in the half.

LeBlond briefly took a 16-14 lead when Winkelbauer received a bounce pass in the lane and shielded his defender for a layup. But Goodwin quickly answered, driving into the lane and then sinking a 3-pointer, a milestone bucket that pushed him over 1,000 career points.

Goodwin’s shot ignited a Benton surge before halftime, as the Cardinals rebuilt a double-digit lead. By the break, Benton was in control, leading 38-26.

The second half was all Cardinals, as they overwhelmed LeBlond with a 39-23 scoring advantage to pull away for the win.

Benton will be back in action next Wednesday at Pembroke Hill, while LeBlond shifts its focus to the Class 3 District 15 Tournament.