With the 2023-2024 IHSA basketball season coming to an end, the Plainfield East Bengals varsity team will be heading into playoffs . The Bengals matchup against the Redwings of Benet Academy in the first round Wednesday, Feb. 21.

The Bengals went head-to-head with Benet early on in the season during the St. Charles East Thanksgiving Tournament. The Bengals would stick in the game for the majority of it but would fall 62-42 in the end. Since the start of the season the Bengals have dealt with a lot of adversity, beating top teams such as the St. Ignatius Wolfpack Feb. 10.

“Over the course of the season, I’ve grown a lot. I’ve always been able to score the ball, but the first 5-6 games, it wasn’t really flowing,” said Alijah Little, sophomore. “I’ve just been working on picking up ball handlers and working on my rebounding and defending.” 

With different teams coming with different game plans throughout the season, the Bengals have had to adjust. They now sit at 11-20 (6-10 in conference). Though the record may not show, the Bengals are a pretty talented bunch. 

“We lacked a bit of chemistry towards the beginning of the season having a new team,” said Daniel Thomas, junior. “I was new to the team, so I saw us grow and how I could fit in and help the team.” 

Having troubles in previous years, the Bengals look to make a deep run in the IHSA state playoffs. With new assets and additions at the start of the season mixed with experience, the Bengals look ready.

 “I feel like we’ve been through a lot,” said Ehi Ogbomo, senior team captain. “I feel that it has given us a lot of experience. Especially the guys that didn’t really get a lot of run last year.”

The Bengals have been really successful offensively this season, being one of the top-scoring teams in the Southwest-Prairie Conference. 

“Basketball is a game where sometimes the ball goes in the hoop, and sometimes it doesn’t, but I expect it to go in a lot,” said Kawerdeep Sarkaria, head varsity coach 

The Bengals have a lot in store moving forward.