Scouting DuPage County Girls basketball sectionals

Class 3A Burlington Central sectional semifinal

When: 7:30 p.m. today

Who: No. 1 seed Montini (31-1) vs. No. 1 Hampshire (27-2).

How they advanced: Montini defeated St. Francis 74-34 to win the St. Francis regional; Hampshire defeated Rochelle 48-31 to win the Sycamore regional.

At stake: Winner advances to Thursday's 7:30 p.m. championship vs. Belvidere North.

History: Defending state champion Montini, already winners of a state record six straight sectional championships, is gunning to make it seven in a row. Hampshire, winners of 14 regional titles, advanced to the sectional final last year where it lost to Oswego. Hampshire took third in Class A in 2003 and second in 2004. First-year Hampshire coach Ed Haugens previously coached at Jacobs for seven years, including an Elite Eight finish in 2004.

Inside Montini: The Broncos made just 2 of 15 3-point attempts against St. Francis not indicative of how well they shoot the 3. Montini has made 231 this season at nearly a 34 percent clip. Point guard Whitney Holloway (14.3 points per game) has an outstanding assist-to-turnover ratio of nearly 4-to-1. Whitney Adams (10.9 ppg) and Kiki Wilson (11.7 ppg) have both made over 50 3s. Fellow senior Kasey Reaber is playing in her third sectional for three schools. She won state as a sophomore at Driscoll and led Immaculate Conception to a sectional final last year.

Inside Hampshire: Senior Alex Dumoulin may stand only 5-foot-8, but don't be fooled. She is a beast, averaging nearly 16 points and 10 rebounds per game. Jessie Van Dorin has hit over 150 career 3-pointers. A third senior, Karla Vietinghoff, averages close to 12 points per game. Junior point guard Grace Jakubowski has played well of late, but the Whip-Purs do not boast much depth.

Coach's keys: Montini coach Jason Nichols said a lot will be predicated on how closely the game is officiated. "Hampshire likes to run a lot of sets, and is very pattern-oriented," he said. "We want to pressure to mess up their timing and take them out of their sets. If we are in foul trouble because of dumb fouls it will change how we play the game." Nichols respects the job Haugens does, and how hard Hampshire plays. "Any time you play hard you have a chance if you are decent," Nichols said, "and they are definitely more than decent." Nichols was not pleased with how Montini played in the regional final, but a spirited practice Sunday has him feeling better. "We have to do what we always do. We are who we are," Nichols said. "We want to get out and run, and dictate the tempo. If we take away the things they do well, we have a good chance to win. If not, it's a ballgame."

Class 4A Romeoville sectional semifinal

When: 7:30 p.m. today

Who: No. 2 seed Waubonsie Valley (24-4) vs. No. 3 Benet (23-6).

How they advanced: Waubonsie Valley defeated Oswego East 51-30 to win the Downers Grove South regional; Benet defeated Wheaton Warrenville South 42-34 to win the Naperville North regional.

At stake: Winner advances to Thursday's 7:30 p.m. championship, against No. 1 seed Bolingbrook.

History: Waubonsie Valley beat Benet 66-34 in last year's sectional semifinal before losing to Bolingbrook in the final. Waubonsie is in the sectional semifinals for the fifth straight year, Benet for the third straight season. Benet's last sectional win came in 2006.

Inside Waubonsie Valley: Becky Williford scoring is down a tick from last year at 9 points per game, but the junior point guard makes the Warriors go, averaging an area-leading 6 assists per game. Leading scorer Tami Morice (12.6 ppg) has made 63 3s. Rachael Ross, a 6-foot-3 junior (9.6 ppg), Tia Brooks (8.1 ppg) and Tanysha Gardner-Walls (7.6 ppg) round out a balanced starting lineup. Brooks, Gardner-Walls and Ross make up a physical front line.

Inside Benet: The Redwings have lost just once since Christmas, and all six of their defeats have come to state-ranked teams. Benet's shooting was off in both regional games, but on the season the Redwings shoot the 3 at almost 35 percent. Sidney Prasse and Danielle Canulli make up a strong backcourt. Nicole Valentine will give away size to Waubonsie's posts, but won't back down on the boards. Expect the Redwings to try to pressure and dictate a quicker pace. Benet, unlike Waubonsie, is a deep team that doesn't lose much when it goes to the bench.

Coach's keys: Waubonsie coach Kim Connell is well aware that the Benet team she faces tonight is not the one her team blew out in sectionals last year. "Overall a better team. We don't exactly match up with them like we did last year," Connell said. "They are quick and an outstanding shooting team. We have to limit their attempts, force them to take bad shots and get the rebound." It may come down to which team's strength wins out the size and physicality of Waubonsie, or Benet's quickness and shooting. An intriguing matchup of styles awaits. "We have more size, and a little less quickness than last year," Connell said. "We have the advantage of size if we can take it to the basket, get to the free throw line and actually make some free throws."

Josh Welge