Fenton feels better after win over Montini
After losing last Friday night to Ridgewood on a half-court buzzer-beater, Fenton wanted nothing more than to get that taste out of its mouth.
The Bison (7-11) wasted little time Tuesday night against Montini to erase the memories of that tough loss. Fenton connected on 9 of its first 10 field-goal attempts and shot 11 of 15 from the floor as it raced out to a 25-4 lead after the first quarter. The Bison continued stampeding after that and cruised to a 63-42 victory in Bensenville.
"We just had one of those nights where we just shot the ball very well early on," Fenton coach Dennis Cromer said. "After that loss last Friday we just wanted to get that feeling out of our system. We played such a solid game tonight and we really needed that."
Fenton scored 39 points in the first half on 16-of-26 shooting and outrebounded Montini 12-5. Not only were the Bison a terror on offense, but they held the Broncos to 14 points on 6-of-15 shooting in the first half while forcing them into 12 turnovers.
"That fast start was sort of a first for us this season," Fenton forward Daniel Montano said. "We really picked it up offensively from the opening tip and were able to control the boards. We played really good team basketball and didn't force shots. Coach has been telling us not to rely on just one or two players but play as a team. Tonight we did exactly that."
After the first half the Broncos (2-15) looked like a different team and took better care of the ball. The Broncos turned the ball over one less time than the Bison and shot 13 of 26 from the field, outscoring Fenton 28-24 in the second half.
Richard Bodee scored a team-high 11 points in the loss.
"They came out with confidence and were just on fire early on," Montini coach Brian Opoka said. "We need to be more aggressive and start attacking the basket a little more and get some good looks. In the second half we were able to do that a little more. Plus we were closer to the basket and when you are closer, you tend to make more shots."
Emeka Umeadi led Fenton with 12 points in the win.