Montini in a class by itself

STERLING Montini is making the best teams in 4A look simply outclassed.

Hononegah, ranked fifth in Class 4A, was humbled by Class 3A's top-ranked Broncos 59-27 on Wednesday in the final game of the Sterling Shootout.

Earlier in the season Montini beat third-ranked Edwardsville by 27.

It can't be this easy, can it?

"This was the one we were looking toward in this tournament," said tournament MVP Whitney Adams. "We came out really focused. We knew if we didn't bring our 'A' game they could beat us."

Montini (14-0) wasted little time putting the afternoon's lackluster showing against Moline in the rear-view mirror.

The Broncos hit Hononegah with a 14-0 run to take a 14-2 lead halfway through the first quarter. Whitney Holloway had four fastbreak baskets, Montini turning long rebounds into a track meet the other way.

It wasn't by mistake.

"We knew we could run 'em," said Holloway, who had 15 points, 4 assists and 5 steals. "We saw that on film. Get the rebound and it was an easy transition game."

Montini's lead widened to 30-13 in the second quarter, and it never got closer than 13 in the second half.

Adams had 12 points and 11 rebounds. She was also part of a suffocating defense that held 6-foot-4 Wisconsin recruit Nicole Smith to 3 points and just 2 shot attempts.

"We wanted to limit her to one shot and then go," Adams said. "We wanted to front her and then have me or whoever was down low in the 2-3 (zone) back her up because they lob it a lot to her. We did as much as we could with her and then boxed out."

Kiki Wilson scored 9 points. Montini also received big contributions off the bench from Hailey Adams with 8 points and a pair of 3-pointers, and Malayna Johnson and Diamond Thompson with a combined 6 points and 7 blocked shots.

"If our depth can do that," Montini coach Jason Nichols said, "we'll be tough to beat."

Hononegah had beaten its first nine opponents by an average margin of victory of over 40 points. It caught the attention of Nichols, who has coached AAU with Hononegah's Randy Weibel and runs many of his sets.

"To hold an efficient team that runs good sets and has two good post players and two good shooters on the perimeter that can stretch you to 27 points, that's pretty impressive," Nichols said. "We disrupt so much stuff. They couldn't skip pass all day because of our ball pressure."

Brea Edwards led Hononegah (12-2) with 16 points and 10 rebounds. The Indians suffered their first loss earlier in the day to Peoria Richwoods, 50-47.

"I think we were really prepared for this game," Holloway said. "We had been watching film on them and coach had us prepared."

Earlier Wednesday Montini beat Moline 52-45. Holloway had 21 points and 3 steals and Wilson 16 points, 5 rebounds and 5 steals for the Broncos, who won by single digits for the first time this season. Kasey Reaber added 6 rebounds and 5 assists. Montini, which hit 10 3-pointers, scored the first 9 points of the game and led by as many as 15 in the third quarter but couldn't shake the Maroons.

Western Michigan recruit Marquisha Harris had 29 points and 6 rebounds for Moline (8-7).

"I lit them up pretty good after that one," Nichols said, "and they responded really well."