Broncos turn up defense, unravel Rams
Junior guard Nikki Kerstein tapped the ball loose from behind Monday night, diving for it before a Montini teammate grabbed it and passed it ahead to junior guard Lily Spanos for a fastbreak score.
In that one play, the Broncos’ alertness, unselfishness and aggressiveness were on display. They dictated the pace throughout the night, goading overwhelmed Grayslake Central into several miscues on their way to a 44-25 win in a Class 3A supersectional.
Next up for the Broncos (29-7): the state semifinals in Normal.
“It means a lot because it’s my first time,” said senior forward Victoria Matulevicius, who scored 15 points and grabbed five rebounds. “I’m so happy we can get this chance to get the job done.”
The Broncos were relentless defensively, swarming Rams who seemed a step slow and frequently tipping the ball loose. Grayslake Central (27-7) committed 17 turnovers, including 10 in the first half. Montini came in focused on neutralizing junior forward Madison Hoffmann and her sister, freshman forward Peyton Hoffmann.
“We dropped down on the two big girls,” Kerstein said. “That was super important, knowing that they were the two most effective players, and once we took them away, it was up from there.”
Madison Hoffmann finished with 12 points, almost half her team’s scoring total.
“It was a nasty game for us offensively,” Montini coach Shannon Spanos said. “The one thing you can control is defense, so we dug our heels in and tried not to let them do their thing.”
Senior forward Alyssa Epps drew the matchup with Madison Hoffman, fronting her hard and forcing other Rams to lob passes over her.
“She was huge for us defensively,” Kerstein said. “She did everything for us and was the main reason we could hold them to 25 points the whole game.”
Matulevicius’ ability to finish at the rim was also a difference-maker.
“I was just finding mismatches,” she said. “If a short girl was guarding me, I would seal, get open and trust that my teammates would pass me the ball.”
In the semifinals for the first time since 2020, Montini will face Lincoln, which lost in last year’s Class 3A state-title game.
“With these playoff games, you don’t know where your final game will be,” Matulevicius said. “State was the goal, and I can’t believe we’re getting the chance to get there.”