Montini plays it cool after beating SCC rival Driscoll

Forgive Montini for not jumping up and down after handing Driscoll its first defeat.

This win doesn't make the Broncos' season. The loss doesn't define Driscoll's year.

What Montini's 46-39 win over Driscoll on Tuesday night in Lombard does give the Broncos is a split of the Suburban Catholic Conference championship with potential bigger fish to fry for both in the coming weeks.

"Maybe I like to rain on parades," Montini coach Jason Nichols said, "because I told the kids our expectations are that we want to get downstate. We have to play better than this.

"But the positive is, that team knows a lot about what we do and when they do it's kind of like a playoff game. You just gotta grind it out and make some plays. We made more plays than they did."

Whitney Holloway had 8 points, 7 assists and 5 steals, Alison Seberger 8 points and 8 rebounds and Chrissy Fletcher 8 points for Montini (23-4, 12-1), which had lost to Driscoll in overtime in Addison last month.

"I knew they were undefeated," Holloway said, "so it means a little more. Knowing you can stop a team that's been undefeated and give them their first loss, it feels pretty good. It's a good game for us to have before the playoffs."

Montini never trailed, jumping out to a 13-4 lead a minute into the second quarter on a Holloway pull-up jumper. The Broncos led 17-14 at the half, holding Driscoll's Courtney Lindfors to one field goal.

Montini played primarily zone in the first half, focusing on containing Driscoll's 6-foot-4 junior.

"Our middle had to front her and then we had backside help," Fletcher said. "If they passed it in, we'd have front and backside help."

A Gigi DiGrazia 3-pointer with 4:58 left in the third quarter tied it at 22-22, but Mallory Sosnovich answered at the other end with a 3-pointer, and after two Lindfors free throws Kiki Wilson scored on a feed from Holloway. A Holloway steal and assist to Sosnovich pushed the lead back to 31-24.

Driscoll, down 41-33 with 5:46 left in the game, pulled within 4 on back-to-back Lindfors scores and had opportunities to creep closer when Montini missed 2 free throws and a layup. But the Highlanders came up empty on three straight possessions, and Wilson made 4 free throws for Montini in the final 1:22.

Lindfors had 16 points, 9 rebounds and 5 blocks and Kasey Reaber 7 points for Driscoll (25-1, 12-1), which starts Class 2A regional action next week. Driscoll's loss leaves Geneva as the area's only undefeated team.

"I take this as a positive," Driscoll coach Steve McCuiston said. "Montini needed a game like this. We needed a game like this going down the stretch. I certainly would rather play and lose to them in a close game than play a weak sister going into regionals. We're not going to wallow in this loss for very long."