Fenwick too fast for Montini
Montini made a lot of progress at the tail end of 2016, but the first game of 2017 showed the Broncos just how far they have to go.
Fenwick scored early and often Friday night to spoil Montini's home opener. Freshman D.J. Steward scored 15 points and Jacob Keller added 14 points to lead four players in double figures in the Friars' 92-45 Chicago Catholic League victory.
Junior Jayston Williams sank two 3-pointers and sophomore point guard Raymond Dennis two free throws as the Broncos (9-5, 1-3) took an 8-2 lead. But they made the mistake of trying to run with the Friars (11-3, 4-0), who love to play up-tempo.
"We can score and we want to play fast," Fenwick coach Rick Malnati said. "Sometimes we don't always play fast, but we're looking to push the ball.
"But you've got to get stops to push the ball. Today we got some stops, pushed the ball and made some baskets in a couple spurts."
The Friars answered Montini's initial surge with a 15-0 run that took just three minutes. Fenwick later added a 19-2 run, capped by a Keller 3-pointer, to push the lead to 38-18 in the second quarter.
Fenwick shot 57 percent from the floor, including 13 for 26 from 3-point range, and the Broncos simply could not keep up.
"They're young, so it's hard for them to come back from those kinds of spurts," Malnati said. "I watched them play Benet. They were tight with Benet after three quarters, so they can make plays.
"I think they're a better offensive team than they are a defensive team and that's a matter of maturity. They'll grow up and become better defenders."
That day can't arrive soon enough for Montini coach Daryl Thomas, whose team surrendered at least 19 points in every quarter.
"We need to understand that from this day forward we're going to be playing teams like this," Thomas said. "Yeah, people say, 'You guys are great because of your record.'
"Your record means nothing. Until you beat good teams, you're not good, and I keep explaining that to them.
"These are the teams - Fenwick, St. Ignatius, DePaul Prep - you've got to beat to get recognition and for people to understand that you have turned that corner. We haven't turned that corner yet."
Dennis and Williams both scored 12 for Montini and Mychale Hyland added 7, but junior guard Matt Morrissey left with an injury in the third quarter and no other player scored more than 5 for the Broncos.
"It shows us that we have a lot more work to do," Dennis said. "We have to be a lot tougher.
"There are a lot of things, but we also didn't play our best basketball today. So I feel like we're closer than we think we are, but we also have a long way to go."