Montini defense thwarts Fenwick

Montini coach Jason Nichols rattled off to his kids the big numbers Fenwick has put on opponents this year.

Only this night, his Broncos did a number on the Friars.

"We held that team to 47 points because of our length," Nichols said, before the demanding critic in him added, "and we were average defensively."

No. 6 Montini put the brakes on Fenwick's high-octane attack and overcame a rash of turnovers for a 53-47 win in Oak Park.

It shouldn't come as too big a surprise, considering Montini (24-5) was giving up just a tick over 35 points a game coming in. But this didn't come against a lightweight opponent.

The Broncos became just the second in-state team to hold Fenwick (19-7) shy of 60 points; the first came when the Friars were missing Yale-bound Meredith Boardman.

"And we're not even good defensively yet," Nichols said. "They'll get mad at me for saying that, but I just want them to get better. There is so much upside to this team and they don't know it."

Montini dug an early 25-15 hole on Fenwick's Senior Night, but an 8-0 run capped by a Tianna Brown stickback basket got the Broncos within 30-29 at half.

Another Brown basket in transition off a Kelsey Bogdan feed gave Montini the lead for good at 34-33, and the Broncos extended it to 46-36 after three quarters.

Brown scored 18 points with 7 rebounds, going 9 of 9 from the floor and all layups.

"We knew our post players would get 2-on-1 opportunities when (Fenwick) trapped us," Nichols said. "Tianna did a good job finishing."

Fenwick went frigid from the field in the third quarter, making just 2 of 14 shot attempts. The Friars attempted 55 field goals for the game, down from their usual 70-80 in a hybrid of the Grinnell run-and-gun system that has them scoring 75 points a game. They made 16 shots.

"That's not going to cut it, not for what we're doing," Fenwick coach Dave Power said. "We just could not knock down shots. I give Montini credit defensively. We were a little rushed and did not get the shots we usually like."

Montini appeared in control, up 51-40 with 3:01 left after a Brown score.

But the Broncos nearly gave it away, turning the ball over 14 times in the fourth quarter. Finally a Brown basket with 36 seconds pushed the margin to 8.

"It got kind of hectic," Brown said. "We had to get a stop."

Hard to believe, but Montini won despite committing 35 turnovers. The Broncos have struggled against pressure at times this year, but not to this extent.

"We can be so much better than we are if we just value possessions," Nichols said. "We had 76 possessions, and we took just 46 shots."

Kateri Stone added 8 points and 10 rebounds and Jasmine Lumpkin 10 points, 8 rebounds, 5 steals and 3 assists, Lumpkin's gazelle-like work in the open court against Fenwick's full-court pressure proving a first-half spark.

"Jas looks great in an open-court game," Nichols said. "You get her in open space, she looks like an All-American. She is learning how to play in the halfcourt."

Marek Burchett scored 14 points and Boardman 12 for Fenwick.