Jason Nichols often is quite animated on the sideline.
All the Montini coach could do was stand silently as the third quarter ended during Saturday’s GCAC Red championship game.
No. 11 Trinity broke open a close game by smothering Nichols’ No. 2 Broncos, holding them scoreless for more than 11 minutes in a 51-40 win at Mother McAuley.
The Blazers (21-5) outscored Montini (26-2) 14-0 in that stretch, which included the entire third quarter. They avenged a Dec. 1 home loss to Montini and captured their second straight conference title.
Alisa Fallon scored 14 points, and Lauren Lee and Dee Brown both added 13 to lead the Blazers.
“We just locked down on defense and that helped our offense,” Brown said. “We knew we had to play better defense in the second half.”
Lee made three straight outside shots early in the third quarter, including a 3-pointer, to fuel Trinity’s second-half run.
“We’ve had a lot of ups and downs this year, and this win definitely helps our morale,” Lee said. “I’ve been working on my outside shot and I had a lot of confidence in it.”
Scoring had been no issue for the Broncos this season until Saturday. Montini, which has scored 70 or more points 12 times, shot 8-for-12 in the first six minutes, but tallied three field goals in the second quarter, went scoreless in the third and managed two baskets in the fourth.
The Broncos endured a 3-for-23 shooting spell until Tiara Wallace’s basket with 4 minutes, 33 seconds left in the game.
“They got little tough with us and we didn’t handle it, just like our Morgan Park loss,” Nichols said. “We better get tougher or we will have a quick exit in the playoffs.”
Bob Narang is a freelance reporter for the Chicago Tribune.
Player of the game: Dee Brown, Trinity, 13 points, 6 rebounds.
Key performers: Trinity — Alisa Fallon, 14 points; Lauren Lee, 13 points. Montini — Kaylee Bambule, 13 points, 2 3-pointers.
