Defending champions back in both 3A, 4A

The defending champions are both back and both favored to repeat this weekend when the IHSA Class 3A and Class 4A state girls basketball finals are held at Redbird Arena in Normal.

In Class 4A Bolingbrook, which hasn't lost to an Illinois team since the 2008 state championship game and is ranked No. 5 in the nation by USA Today, is the heavy favorite to win its third straight state title in Class 4A, while Montini, whose only loss this season is to Bolingbrook, figures to repeat in 3A.

Class 3A

Montini (34-1) vs. Springfield (31-2): In a rematch of last year's state semifinal won by Montini 57-40, the Broncos of the Suburban Christian Conference come in with all-staters Whitney Holloway and Whitney Adams ready to bring the big trophy back to Lombard again.

Holloway, a 5-foot-4 senior guard signed with Notre Dame, averages 14.3 points and 4.4 assists per game while Adams, a 6-2 North Carolina recruit, scores 11 points and grabs 4.7 rebounds per game for coach Jason Nichols' Broncos. Kiki Wilson, a 5-5 senior guard who averages 11.7 points and 2.7 steals per game, is signed with Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Springfield, which hasn't lost a game since Dec. 14, has an all-stater of its own in 5-6 junior guard Zhana Medley, who averages 21.8 points per game and has 83 3-pointers this season, shooting 44 percent from beyond the arc.

The Senators had to avenge one of their losses, to Springfield Southeast, to advance out of regionals.

Hillcrest (28-2) vs. Marshall (22-7): Hillcrest, which lost to Montini in last year's title game, is led by second-team all-stater, 5-11 junior Sahnnise Heady (15.1 ppg) and 5-4 junior Jasmine Sanders (12.7 ppg).

The Hawks' losses have been to Homewood-Flossmoor in the season opener and to Trinity.

Marshall is the undisputed queen of Illinois girls basketball and is making its 25th state final appearance, 17 of which have brought trophies back to Chicago. Commandos coach Dorothy Gaters is the state's winningest coach ever with 947 victories.

Senior guard and leading scorer Shantiera Miller (12.8 ppg) had to leave Marshall's supersectional win over St. Joseph with an injury. Junior Marquiesha Coleman, a 5-7 junior, averages 12.1 points per game.

Class 4A

Zion-Benton (26-6) vs. Maine South (27-8): Zion-Benton, which beat Geneva 46-36 in the Barrington supersectional to advance downstate for the first time in program history, has coaching greatness on its side, as head coach Tanya Johnson and assistant Frank Mattucci have combined for five state titles at Loyola and Stevenson, respectively.

The Zee-Bees are big on defense, which is engineered by Mattucci, and have allowed an averaged of just 45 points per game. Their offense is led by 5-11 junior Octavia Crump (12.1 ppg) and 5-11 senior Juanita Robinson (11.3 ppg).

Maine South came out of a Loyola supersectional field many believed would be perennial state contender Fenwick, which was upset in sectional play. The Hawks, who have the most losses of any of the eight teams at Redbird this weekend, are led by 6-3 sophomore Jacqui Grant, whose father, Josh, played briefly in the NBA.

Bolingbrook (27-2) vs. Whitney Young (26-2): The Raiders are loaded again and led by the tandem of senior guard Ariel Massengale (Tennessee, 14.2 ppg)) and 6-2 junior Morgan Tuck (Connecticut, 20.7 ppg). Tuck was Illinois' Ms. Basketball in 2009 and both Massengale and Tuck were voted first team all-staters Associated Press Thursday.

Whitney Young, coached by former Larkin standout Corry Irvin, was the last Illinois team to beat Bolingbrook when the Dolphins won the 2008 state title game. This year's Young team, which also hasn't lost to an Illinois team and is ranked No. 9 nationally by USA Today, is led by senior guard Kiana Johnson (Michigan State, 11.6 ppg) and 5-5 senior Chanise Jenkins (DePaul, 13.2 ppg).