Benton coach George Ross has been challenging senior forward Tyler Fredrickson all season to be more aggressive.

The 6-foot-5 big man answered the call late in the third quarter Friday night.

Benton’s Lucas Powers drove into the middle of the Bishop LeBlond defense, drawing two defenders and leaving Fredrickson unguarded on the baseline. Powers made a no-look bounce pass between the two defenders to Fredrickson who took it up for a two-handed dunk.

The Cardinals’ bench exploded and they carried the momentum to a 66-45 victory at Grace Gymnasium.

“It just felt nice,” said Fredrickson, who finished with a double-double of 12 points and 13 boards. “We’ve been working hard all season and just haven’t gotten the wins and it feels good to get another win.”

The victory was just the second for Benton this season, both coming in Midland Empire Conference games.

Benton’s outside shooting in the first half allowed Fredrickson and the other post players more room to work with in the second half.

The Cardinals knocked down seven treys in the first quarter, forcing the LeBlond defense to focus on the perimeter game.

“We knew that eventually (LeBlond) was going to have to come out and rush our shooters,” Ross said.

Frederickson tallied eight of his 12 points in the third quarter, all in the paint.

Despite the Cardinals’ lackluster record, LeBlond knew that it would face a tough opponent.

The Golden Eagles (9-15, 1-6 MEC) had to match an inspired Benton squad’s intensity, but never could.

The Cardinals (2-22, 2-5) used the transition game to limit LeBlond’s ability to shut down the Benton offense with its 1-3-1 zone.

Powers and sophomore Brad Steltenpohl forced the issue on LeBlond on several occasions, leading to hectic possessions for both teams.

“We had to match (Benton’s) intensity tonight,” LeBlond coach Steve Vertin said. “They are a good team, their record just doesn’t show it.”

The Eagles made an effort to cut into the Benton lead late in the game, but a 19-for-33 performance from the free throw line limited LeBlond’s opportunities.

Junior Grant Gillaspie knocked down 5-of-6 free throws in the final frame and until the 3 minute mark the 6-foot-2 guard was the only LeBlond player to score in the quarter. The Eagles misfortune continued when they failed to convert three consecutive lay-ups that could have turned into three-point plays.

Not everything went wrong for LeBlond. The Eagles have struggled with turnovers all season, but only committed 10 against their city rival.

LeBlond started senior Chuckie Kempf, who has missed most of the season with a torn ACL, to start. Kempf, wearing a brace on his left knee, played the first 2 minutes of the game — missing his only shot — before exiting to a standing ovation.

Matt Gleaves can be reached at matt.gleaves@newspressnow.com. Follow him on Twitter: @SJNPSports.