Despite holding a halftime lead, Montini didn’t get lackadaisical.
The Broncos forced back-to-back turnovers by DePaul Prep to open the second half, and Missouri commit Nikki Kerstein connected on a pull-up three-pointer to capitalize off of DePaul Prep’s miscues.
After losing four starters, the Broncos entered the season as unknowns outside of Kerstein. To have a successful season, every player would be a star in their role, which is easier said than done at the high school level.
But Montini (24-10) captured back-to-back IHSA Class 3A sectional championships after beating DePaul Prep 48-31 because each player understood their role. The Broncos will play Grayslake Central on Monday in the supersectional.
“I am proud of how we executed,” said Kerstein, who scored 24 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. “A lot of people were doubting us, just because it’s hard to beat teams twice, but I think it was a really good game.”
One of the persistent doubts hovering over the Broncos is the perceived lack of height, which could have impeded another sectional championship if they didn’t defend as smart and tenacious as they did Thursday night.
Forward Peyton Farrell, who’s 5-9, had the unenviable task of guarding the Rams’ 6-3 forward, Grace Lee. But Farrell is used to the challenge. She absorbed blows, fronted Lee and made it challenging for DePaul Prep (20-14) to deliver Lee the basketball.
But Farrell wasn’t on an island, alone. Whenever she fronted, forwards Natalie Gartlan and Audrey Kinney were already rotated over, ready to pounce and deflect any pass.
“There are sometimes I’m like, ‘Oh my God,’ it’s like a football match,” Farrell said. “But when the game’s over, and I have some bruises and stuff, I just always remember that it’s worth it, and it’s about the team.”
Before the game, Farrell’s teammates came to Farrell with words of encouragement.
“We told her, ‘This is going to be a big game for you,'” Kerstein said. From the start, we’re like, ‘You’re the better player.'”
Farrell finished with four points and seven rebounds. The Broncos allowed just seven points in the third quarter. Conversely, their offense started flowing because they could attack the Rams’ defense as they scrambled to get back in transition.
But Kerstein knew that she also had to produce to beat the Rams and advance in the state playoffs. She was the steadying force for the Broncos. As the lead ballhandler who commands a team’s total defensive attention, she knows she’s going against a defense trying to contain her.
She’s accustomed to the role, having occupied it after transferring to Montini last season from Deerfield. But this year, with the graduation of four starters, the defensive attention was even more pronounced, and she handed it seamlessly.She drove to the basket often, either finishing with underhand scoop layups or finding a teammate for a layup.
“Her coming to Montini and being part of the program was one of the biggest benefits for Montini basketball,” Farrell said.
Kerstein can split traps, operate out of the pick-and-roll and finish at the basket with both hands. She’s also a daring playmaker. Kerstein’s a handful to deal with, and her scoring prowess lifts up her teammates.
“I’ve enjoyed it,” Kerstein said of the responsibility. “That’s always something I’ve looked forward to. Getting to be on varsity as a freshman and sophomore, I was able to get into that role a little bit. But being the only starter coming back, I knew I had to take a bigger lead in that role. I was holding myself accountable on that end.”
In the fourth quarter, she tried an audacious one-handed cross-court pass that was picked off. Instead of dwelling on the mistake, Kerstein hustled back for a steal.
Kerstein’s determination to get back is part of the team’s ethos: If a Bronco makes a mistake, flush it.
“They have bought into that, and that changed the trajectory of the game tonight,” coach Shannon Spanos said. “We had some silly turnovers, and they would come back and get a great steal. That’s just their mentality.”