Montini Too Much for Rams in Super Sectional Loss

How do you say so long to this group of players? Maybe alphabetically?

Roxy Acoff: The speedy guard gave the Rams great energy off the bench.

Kat Dickson: Always seemed to be in the right spot at the right time.

Rebekah Llorens: Maybe the best home-school basketball player ever.

Maddy Miller: The director of the offense from her point guard slot.

Alex Scarbro: No one drove to the hoop any harder.

There were plenty of tear-filled so longs to these special seniors on Monday night. Class 3A defending state champions Montini Catholic led from start to finish and eliminated Grayslake Central 64-41 in the Hoffman Estates Super Sectional.

"What a great group,'' said Central girls basketball coach Steve Ikenn. "They were such hard-working kids. They wound up having a special season. We went 28-4 and made it to a super sectional. You can't ask for much more than that."

Even on paper, the Rams were serious underdogs. The once-beaten Lady Broncos had two girls 6-foot-4, one 6-2 and another six-footer.

"We were up against the defending state champions,'' Ikenn said. "And they have a very good chance at another one."

The Rams hung around for most of the first quarter. On a Scarbro line drive to the hoop, Central was within 14-10 with less than three minutes to play in the quarter. Montini scored the next 6 points.

"I thought we handled their pressure just fine,'' Ikenn said. "But we gave up too many offensive rebounds and didn't move the ball well."

To beat a team like Montini, the Rams most likely would have hit 60 percent of its shots. Central fired up 17 three-point shots and just two from Skyler Jessop fell through the net. The junior Jessop led the Rams with 16 points. Jessop was the lone starting junior.

"I'm going to miss those seniors so much,'' she said. "They showed me so much. They are my best friends."

Montini doubled the Rams in field goals (24 to 12) and dropped in seven 3-pointers. Only at the free throw line did Central gain any advantage. Llorens made 5 of 6 shots for 13 points. Scarbro also made 5 of 6 on the way to 7 points. Jessop nailed 4 of 5 foul shots.

Llorens, despite serious foul trouble, paced the team with 6 rebounds. Dickson was next with 4 rebounds.

"This group did everything we asked of them,'' Ikenn said. "They were so unselfish. Nobody asked who scored but that we scored."

Central also has to say good bye to senior Michelle Secler. The next Rams team can build around Jessop and fellow guard Claire Brennan. Also expected back are Emma Shepard, Meghan Guilfoyle, Beth Arnold, Sarah Kuligowski, Morgan Dahlstrom, Colleen Daly and Michelle Lettenmair.