Resilient Montini recovers from Grayslake Central surge, makes return to state

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS – Over.

Game over.

Or so it seemed to many onlookers, when Montini secured a 26-8 lead over Grayslake Central in the second quarter of Monday night’s Class 3A Hersey Supersectional at Forest View Educational Center in Arlington Heights.

With Montini’s Missouri-bound point guard, senior Nikki Kerstein, on the bench with three fouls, GC’s undaunted Rams scored the final seven points of the first half, poured in the first nine points of the second half and trailed only 26-24 at 5:57 of the third quarter.

“As soon as our first shot (senior Madison Hoffmann’s trey) went in after halftime, I sighed,” said GC coach Steve Ikenn. “We all did.

“We were all relieved.”

But Montini — the reigning Class 3A third-place team — recovered and never wavered, not even after it fell behind 31-29 when Rams senior Annie Wolff (9 points) completed her 5-0 run (1 three-pointer, 1 field goal) spanning 47 seconds.

Broncos coach Shannon Spanos’ resilient, senior-laden squad outscored GC 20-14 in the final frame, sinking 9 free throws, including 7 by Division-1-ready Kerstein (game-high 21 points), and survived 51-45 to advance to a state semifinal Thursday night.

“A game of highs and lows tonight, right?” said Montini senior guard-forward Peyton Farrell, who grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds. “We won because it was about all of us, our togetherness, the closeness we had developed. You play like that, you’re guaranteed a fun experience.

“Coach Spanos,” she added, “has done such a great job building our program and establishing a healthy culture.”

Montini's Lily Spanos, left, defends a shot by Grayslake Central's Mosey Drevline during the Hersey Class 3A supersectional on Monday, March 3, 2025 in Arlington Heights. (Joe Lewnard/jlewnard@dailyherald/Joe Lewnard/jlewnard@dailyherald)

Montini (25-10) faces Taylorville Supersectional winner Quincy Notre Dame (32-3) at 8:15 p.m. Thursday at Illinois State University’s CEFCU Arena in Normal.

It will mark Montini’s 12th state finals appearance in 18 years.

“Our expectations are high each year because of our program’s great history,” Spanos said. “Tonight’s game came down to free throws and senior leadership.”

And quite a bounce back after Grayslake Central’s electrifying third quarter. Madison Hoffmann (20 points) started it with a three-pointer 26 seconds in, followed by a 3 from senior forward Katelyn Marcelain, followed by another triple from Hoffmann.

Nine straight points, in 2:03.

Game NOT over.

Grayslake Central (28-6) scored 15 of the quarter’s 21 points to make it a 31-all game after 24 yo-yo minutes.

Montini regained control at the outset of the fourth quarter, getting a field goal from Kerstein, a trey from Natalie Gartlan (15 points) and a basket from Lily Spanos, prompting Ikenn to call a timeout at 3:33 with his club trailing 38-33.

Farrell (6 points) then struck for a basket shortly after play resumed and — 8 seconds later — Gartlan’s final basket of the night upped Montini’s advantage to 42-33.

That allowed the Broncos to sigh.

But the Rams refused to wilt, narrowing the gap to 49-42 on yet another clutch 3 from Madison Hoffmann with 24 seconds left.

“You can’t measure our players’ hearts, or our collective heart as a team,” said Ikenn, whose Rams had entered the supersectional on a 12-game winning streak. “If you could, it would be off the charts.”

Kerstein hit 6 straight free throws in the final 49 seconds to seal the rematch of a 2024 supersectional, which Montini won 45-25.

“A game of runs,” Kerstein said of Montini-Grayslake Central, the sequel. “(GC) kept hitting shots and we stayed positive. That three-pointer by Natalie (Gartlan) early in the fourth quarter … huge, so huge. It got us going.

“Teamwork,” Gartlan said, “helped us win tonight more than anything else did.”