Montini-Springfield Class 3A semifinals preview
Class 3A state semifinals
Who: Montini (34-1) vs. Springfield (31-2).
When and Where: Friday, 12:15 p.m. at Redbird Arena in Normal.
How they advanced: Montini defeated Grayslake Central 64-41 in the Hoffman Estates supersectional. Springfield beat Breese Mater Dei 68-57 in the Springfield supersectional.
At stake: Winner advances to Class 3A championship game, 2 p.m. Saturday against the winner of the Hillcrest-Marshall semifinal.
Starters: Montini: G Whitney Holloway (5-4, Sr., 14.1 ppg), G Kiki Wilson (5-5, Sr., 11.6 ppg); G Kasey Reaber (5-10, Sr., 2.3 ppg); F Whitney Adams (6-2, Sr., 10.8 ppg); F Tianna Brown (6-0, Jr., 6.8 ppg). Springfield: G Zahna Medley (5-6, Jr., 21.8 ppg), G Ashton Williams (5-10, So., 5.2 ppg); F Amber Cason (6-0, Sr., 5.8 ppg); F Kasi Korza (6-1, Sr., 11.2 ppg); G Kelsey Hulcher (5-6, Jr., 4.0 ppg).
History: Montini is back in the state semifinals for the third time in four years. The Broncos took third in 2008 and won their first state championship in 2010, beating Springfield 57-40 in the semifinals before defeating Hillcrest in the final. Springfield returns to the state semifinals for the third straight year. The Senators placed fourth in 2009 and third in 2010. Springfield has never advanced to the state championship game.
Inside Montini: The Broncos, preseason No. 1 in 3A, haven't disappointed. Montini beat seven teams ranked in Illinois polls during the season and two ranked out-of-state teams. Notre Dame-recruit Holloway has a stellar assist-to-turnover ratio of 4-to-1. Montini has made 250 3-pointers, which would place the Broncos fifth all-time, led by North Carolina-bound Adams (61), Wisconsin-Milwaukee recruit Wilson (59), Holloway (43) and sixth man Nikia Edom (38). “They're the No. 1 team for a reason,” Springfield coach Brad Scheffler said. “Definitely the team to beat.”
Inside Springfield: Any conversation about the second-ranked Senators must start with Medley. She is being recruited by a number of schools, including Illinois, Missouri, Indiana and Illinois State, and is perhaps the third-best junior in the state behind Morgan Tuck and Jewell Lloyd. Medley has averaged 24.4 points per game in the playoffs, going for 30 in a regional final win over third-ranked Springfield Southeast and 31 in the supersectional. “In bigger games she does that,” Scheffler said. “She wanted to get us back to state and she did it.” Medley has hit 83 3-pointers at a 43.7 percent clip, and Montini coach Jason Nichols said her step-back 3 is a thing of beauty. “Now that it's her team it makes them even better,” Nichols said. “She was great last year. She's even better this year. That being said I wouldn't trade Whitney Holloway or the rest of my kids for the world.” Springfield's only two losses came to Class 2A state champion Quincy Notre Dame and to Springfield Southeast, a defeat since avenged twice. The teams' one common opponent is Geneva, which they both beat. Nichols calls Korza “a coach's nightmare.” “She's unassuming looking,” he said, “but she drives you nuts. She's always on the glass, blocks shots, disrupts things.”
Inside the matchup: Last year Montini held Medley to 12 points, well below her average. Nichols is up at all hours thinking how to match that feat. “I was up at 2 a.m. with my 2-year-old son watching Toy Story 3,” Nichols said, “and he says, ‘hi daddy.' And I go to him, ‘Zahna Medley, you gotta stop her.'” Springfield won't be lacking for motivation, with two straight semifinal losses — and a rematch with the team that beat the Senators last year. “They are dangerous,” Nichols said. “We have to be at our best and ready to play. I believe we will be.” Scheffler said it is no doubt an advantage to having played Montini before. “Their size inside made it difficult to score last year,” he said, “and they got out on Zahna quite a bit, made it tough on her. Our bigs have to score, we have to rebound and we have to take care of the ball. That's the key to any game.” Nichols said it is critical that his kids let the game come to them and not get caught up in the moment. “We're not going to stop Medley,” he said, “but we can't let her go off. And we can't give up easy baskets — we need to make them earn every basket. We talk about that all the time.”
Inside Hillcrest vs. Marshall: Defending 3A runner-up Hillcrest (28-2) returns to Redbird for the second time. Shannise Heady, a 5-11 junior averaging 15.1 points per game, 5-4 junior guard Jasmine Sanders (12.7 ppg) and 5-11 senior forward Yolanda De La Torre (9.9 ppg) key a team scoring 79 points per game. Keep an eye on 5-2 senior guard Samirah Ali. Marshall is making its 19th state appearance under coach Dorothy Gaters, who has won eight state championships — the last in 2008. Three of the Commandos' losses came to 4A semifinalist Whitney Young. Players to watch include senior guard Shantierra Miller (12.8 ppg), junior guard Marquiesha Coleman (12.1 ppg) and senior forward Keshawnee Alley (10.5 ppg). Miller played just five minutes in Marshall's supersectional win due to injury.
The last word: Nichols, on what it would mean to win a second state championship: “It would be really awesome for that senior class, for kids who have meant a lot to me. They have made me a great coach. A lot of the good things that have happened to be personally is because of them.”