On to the title game! Montini gets 27 from Nikki Kerstein, pulls away from Quincy Notre Dame

NORMAL – Five Montini seniors played all 32 minutes of Thursday’s late night Class 3A state semifinal game.

Their reward?

They will be playing for a state championship.

Led by a game-high 27 points from floor general Nikki Kerstein, the Broncos pulled away for a 50-41 win over Quincy Notre Dame in the last Class 3A semifinal on Thursday evening at CEFCU Arena in Normal.

“It feels great,” Kerstein said. “After getting booted out in the semifinals for two straight years, it’s just a really great feeling.”

Montini (26-10) will face fellow GCAC team St. Ignatius, which defeated Washington 48-33 in the opening semifinal, on Saturday at 6 p.m. for the title. St. Ignatius (32-4) raced out to a 19-0 lead after the first quarter Thursday on its way to a first ever state final appearance.

Kerstein, who added eight rebounds, was with Deerfield two years ago and lost in the 3A semifinals. She then transferred to Montini, and the Broncos fell in the semifinals last season before finishing third.

There is no third-place game for the team this season, as Kerstein scored eight points in the fourth quarter. Her two free throws gave Montini a 48-41 lead with 34.6 seconds to play.

“Notre Dame is a very tough team, and I’m proud of our girls,” Montini coach Shannon Spanos said. “Our defense is what won this game. Our spacing was off in the first half, but we talked and communicated in working to get people in position.”

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Montini players Lily Spanos, Peyton Farrell and Natalie Gartlan react after defeating Quincy Notre Dame during the Class 3A State semifinal game on Thursday, March 6, 2025 at CEFCU Arena in Normal. (Scott Anderson)

Their stamina was there too.

“We are all in good condition as a team,” Kerstein said. “If you’re in good condition, you can hang in there with anyone.”

The Broncos started slowly, missing their first five shots, allowing the Raiders (32-4) to jump out to leads of 4-0 and 8-3. Montini answered with eight straight points and took its first lead at 10-8 when forward Audrey Kinney (6 points) scored on a layup at the 2:00 mark. After the first quarter, the score was 10-10.

Kerstein had a layup with just under a minute to play in the first half for an 18-17 lead. But junior forward Tristan Pieper (14 points, 9 rebounds) provided an answer on a layup of her own at the 40-second mark and Notre Dame went into the locker room with a 19-18 halftime lead.

Trailing 26-20 midway through the third quarter, Kerstein had eight points in a 12-2 run that helped the Broncos to a 32-31 lead after three. Forward Peyton Farrell (11 points, 10 rebounds) and Kerstein scored in the opening minute of the fourth quarter and the Raiders never got closer than three the rest of the way.

Guards Natalie Gartlan (4 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals) and Lily Spanos (2 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds) also contributed for the Broncos. Junior guard Jenna Durst added 13 points for Notre Dame.

“I’m still running on adrenaline,” Farrell said. “It’s so surreal to advance to the title game. It’s such an accomplishment and it feels great, especially for the seniors.”

This is Montini’s 15th trip to the state finals and the 12th time the Broncos have won a trophy, all of which have come since 2008. But their first title game appearance since winning their fourth title in five years in 2014.

Notre Dame is making its 14th state finals appearance and will take home its 13th trophy.