With a regional title still in sight, the last person Montini girls basketball coach Jason Nichols wanted to see on the free-throw line was Wendy Zigterman.
The Wendy Zigterman who is the lone senior in uniform for Timothy Christian, who is an 82 percent shooter from the foul line and who knows about pressure.
The same Wendy Zigterman who sank all four of her free throws in the last minute–not to mention all six of her attempts in the fourth quarter–to help sink Montini 43-37 in the Class A regional final at Walther Lutheran on Thursday night.
“I think I have experience in games with a lot of pressure,” said Zigterman, who remembered the four-overtime supersectional victory over Illiana Christian that got Timothy Christian into the Elite Eight.
Pressure? The 23-4 Trojans, who now go on to meet the St. Gregory regional winner in a sectional semifinal Saturday, led 35-34 thanks to a free throw by Katrina Denny with 5 minutes 3 seconds left.
Then came Zigterman’s onslaught of free throws. With 3:47 to go, she went to the line and hit two for a 37-34 lead. In the last minute Timothy Christian led 39-37 and Zigterman had the ball in her hands.
“That’s not the kid who we wanted to foul,” Nichols said.
But Montini (24-5), which had won 13 straight coming into this matchup between two of the best Class A teams in the area, had no choice.
Zigterman stepped to the line with 55 seconds left and hit both of her shots. She did the same 25 seconds later to give the Trojans a six-point cushion.
“They picked the wrong person to foul,” said Timothy Christian coach Jill Groenewold, celebrating her sixth regional title in her six years with the school. “We put the ball in Wendy’s hands. She’s so confident that when she misses, she gives a look like `huh?'”
Even before the game it appeared that the 5-foot-11-inch guard, who will continue her basketball career at Division III Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Mich., was ready. She nailed nine shots in the three-point shooting contest to advance to the next round.
Zigterman’s 11 points led the Trojans. Brandi McNeil added 10, Jana Lucas nine and seven rebounds and Katrina Denny came off the bench for eight points and seven rebounds. Courtney James had 11 points and four rebounds for the Broncos.
“Jason said earlier this week that one of the good teams will have to go home,” Groenewold noted.
It won’t be Timothy Christian.
