Benet went into the lion’s den to defeat St. Patrick during the recent high school basketball game between two top-10 programs in the state of Illinois. The rowdy crowd in Chicago was sent home sad.
It tried its best to will its team to victory but the more talented roster ultimately prevailed.
There are very few environments in high school basketball as electric as St. Patrick. The student section makes it incredibly hard to leave with a win.
St. Patrick shows out for high school basketball.
St. Patrick High School is a Catholic all-boys college prep high school in the Belmont-Cragin neighborhood on the northwest side of Chicago. It is one of the oldest high schools in the city at 165 years old with a total enrollment of ~600 students in Grades 9-12.
At the center of the urban campus is Kurland Court. Home to the Shamrocks basketball team, it recently underwent a facelift in 2024.
The school also redid the locker room in October.
St. Patrick is known for its student section. This was the scene when Benet Academy came to town:
A local Chicagoan who goes by ‘Glenski’ played against the Shamrocks in their gym 40+ years ago. He said it was “tiny,” “extremely intimidating” and “loud” back then. That continues to be true today.
Benet Academy silenced the crowd.
St. Patrick High School is currently ranked No. 9 in the state of Illinois. Benet Academy, which is located in Lisle, is currently ranked No. 1 in the state of Illinois and No. 17 in the country.
The Redwings entered the game with only one loss at 19-1. The Shamrocks had two losses at 14-2.
As you could imagine, the student section at Kurland Court was absolutely rocking. St. Patrick students take their job just as the Cameron Crazies. They berate their opponents as soon as they enter the gym. It is a really difficult place to play.
Benet did not care. The top-ranked high school basketball team in the state went into Kurland Court, used the hostile energy as fuel, and left with a win. They made sure to wave goodbye on their way out!
Chicago high school hoops is NO JOKE. 😳🔥
— SLOCHE (@sloche_o) January 17, 2026
No. 1 Benet traveled to No. 9 St. Patrick and found out why the gym is one of the hardest places to play in Illinois..👀 pic.twitter.com/i3a2quNLJ3
Unfortunately, these two teams will not play against during the regular season. However, they could still meet again during the postseason. That would be electric.