Montini disappointed in win over Jacobs
Sometimes it's not about getting a good result but about testing yourself.
When a team plays in a holiday tournament like Montini's, which features 11 players committed to Division I colleges, the emphasis is on learning how to play against some of the state's best teams.
Which explains why Montini can feel let down by its 62-37 victory against Jacobs on Saturday in Lombard, and why the Golden Eagles can feel they gained something valuable from the experience.
"Our defense off the ball is just not good enough. Our effort is just not good enough," Montini coach Jason Nichols said. "We don't play hard all the time. It drives me nuts. I'm tired of getting to supersectionals and losing. This team has the potential to be very great. But those teams play good defense."
"I'm very proud of my group here. I know the score didn't indicate it, but I saw a lot of good things," said Jacobs coach Ed Haugens, whose team also lost to Bogan 42-29 earlier Saturday. "... I think the girls handled the ball very well against (the Broncos') pressure. They started to see more things within terms of our offense that we haven't seen before.
"This tournament's been excellent for us in terms of getting us ready for the conference season. I'm happy with what I'm seeing in terms of what we're doing. We have stuff to fix, yes, but you know what? The girls are beginning to notice it and I'm seeing some improvements in areas we needed to improve on."
The Broncos, a contender for the Class 3A championship, also learned they need to improve.
"There's times when we fall back and don't really show how good we really are," Broncos senior Alison Seberger said. "We know that every team that plays us wants to beat us, so we need to come out with that fire."
Jacobs senior Maria Tamburrino led both teams with 17 points. Montini put all five of its starters in double figures, Michala Johnson leading with 13 points, all in the second half, Seberger and Whitney Holloway scoring 11 each, and Kiki Wilson and Whitney Adams added 10 apiece.
Montini defeated Oak Park 64-36 earlier Saturday and looks forward to playing Bogan on Monday, with TF North and Marian Catholic possible Tuesday and Wednesday. All three are state contenders.
"If we don't show up we could be 0-3, just like that," Nichols said.
Both Montini and Jacobs just finished tough tournaments Wednesday, only to get right back into an even tougher mix at Montini on Saturday. Jacobs (11-5) placed fifth at Wheaton North, and Montini (13-1) won at Sterling.
"They're a little tired," Haugens said of his players after the doubleheader, "but they're happy to be here and they're understanding that we could find some other tournaments to play in which would be a lot easier and we wouldn't get any better playing in those. It's better to come here and play against the best competition and hopefully improve."