Girls Basketball: Montini solid down the stretch, takes second in tournament

Updated: December 30, 2011 11:03PM

The championship game that wasn’t was certainly championship game-worthy.

Montini’s Sara Ross made the second of two free throws with 12.3 seconds left to give the hosts a four-point lead, and a couple of Marian Catholic three-pointers with time winding down failed to go down as the Broncos defeated the Spartans 43-39 to finish second at the Montini Christmas Tournament.

The final game of the four-day tournament figured to be for the title until both teams suffered stunning losses on Thursday. But given the disappointment 24 hours earlier, both coaches were pleased with how their teams responded.

“It was a good game,” Marian Catholic coach Annie Byrne said. “The kids fought hard, they bounced back a lot better from yesterday because I don’t think we played to our potential yesterday. A missed layup here, missed free throws, and we were right there tonight, it’s just a matter of getting over the hump.”

Montini (16-4) built a 19-12 halftime lead and still led by seven with 6:32 remaining in the fourth quarter. But an 11-4 run capped by a nifty feed from Teniya Page to Dajhae Mullins gave Marian Catholic its first lead since early in the game at 39-38 with 3:18 left.

Montini responded with four consecutive free throws by Nikia Edom, the last coming with 1:30 remaining. The host’s Sara Ross had a chance to extend the advantage, but the sophomore guard missed three free throws before making the back end of a two-shot opportunity with 12.3 left.

“We finally closed a game,” Montini coach Jason Nichols said. “Even though Ross was one of four, she hit the one that mattered. Yesterday, we were so off, it was beyond belief. We still had a chance to win so that could have been draining and a little bit crushing on these kids.

“So I didn’t know how they were going to respond, but they showed me a little bit of guts by coming back and playing their butts off,” the coach added. “Even if we had lost that game down the stretch, I think I would have been pretty darn excited with the effort.”

Tianna Brown and Edom each had 10 points and Ross added eight points for Montini. Alanna Ferry led Marian Catholic (9-7) with eight points, Mullins and Megan Walsh each had seven and Ashton Millender added six.

“One of two things bounces the opposite way and we win by four,” Byrne said. “The kids stuck with it. They were a lot more positive than they were yesterday. I certainly appreciate that, because without that component, don’t feel like we can turn the corner.”

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