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Montini escapes challenge from Neuqua Valley

Whether Neuqua Valley taught Montini a valuable lesson Friday night will have to be seen, but the Wildcats sure learned something about themselves.

The Wildcats nearly upset last season's Class 4A third-place girls basketball team at the Marian Catholic Invite, losing a third-quarter 9-point lead and succumbing 44-37 in Chicago Heights. It was the first time this season an Illinois team had come within 21 points of the Broncos (12-1).

"I feel like it's a learning experience," added Broncos senior guard Ilysse Pitts, a Valparaiso recruit. "People off the bench, when they come in and sub for the starters, they need to be better or improve on what we were doing wrong."

Still, the Wildcats surprised even themselves with the near upset.

"A little bit," Neuqua Valley senior Taylor Crowley said, "but I have confidence in my teammates, I have in myself. Our coach has confidence in us and I think it was mostly just showing everyone else - who was probably shocked - that we could do it."

The game became something of a chess match, with Neuqua Valley taking advantage of the lack of a shot clock to spread the court against Montini's twin towers, 6-foot-5 center Lindsey Jarosinski and 6-3 Aaliyah Patty.

"We knew we had a chore ahead of us, a challenge, and we just said we're going to take those two kids out and just help-side defense on lobs and do everything we can," Neuqua Valley coach Mike Williams said. "And the other side was make them come out and play a little bit. The big girls had to come out. And (Montini coach Jason Nichols) took one of them out and they played four guards."

The Neuqua Valley game plan didn't surprise Montini, which has seen it before. What surprised the Broncos was how well the Wildcats played.

"You've got to give Mike Williams credit, because I think he's a great coach," Nichols said. "I told our kids that before the game - you can ask them - and I told Mike that after the game. I said, guys, you'd better be prepared because Mike Williams will do something to take you guys out of your element, but will you read the game? And right now we're just not doing a good job."

The Wildcats (6-7) took a 29-22 halftime lead by hitting 13 of 24 shots and turning the ball over just four times.

"The first half was fun. Halftime vibe was fun," Crowley said.

Montini forced Neuqua to quicken its pace in the second half, and it resulted in 15 Wildcats turnovers. The Broncos trimmed their deficit late in the third quarter, finishing the period with a 7-0 run to pull within 2 points.

"They obviously got chewed out at halftime, so third quarter wasn't as good," Crowley said. "We tried to keep our heads in it and overall I'm proud of how we played and I think it was a real statement for us."

Jada Harvey scored the first basket of the fourth quarter to bump the lead back to 4 points, but the Wildcats didn't score again. Jarosinski, a Wake Forest recruit, tied the game by putting back an offensive rebound with 4:41 to play. Ohio State recruit Patty gave Montini the lead for good with a lay-in off a Pitts assist with 4:05 to go.

"Our problem is right now we're going to have to stick to what we're talking about and stop panicking," Williams said. " ... The game was in our hands and we're doing things, unforced turnovers, balls we shouldn't be shooting."

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