By Bobby Narang –
Stephanie Hart did it again.
The Geneva High School senior forward hit a game-winning shot in the final seconds Saturday evening for the second straight year to give the girls basketball team a 28-26 victory over Montini in the Class 4A State championship game at Redbird Arena, home of Illinois State University, in Normal.
One year ago, Hart made the biggest shot in Geneva girls basketball history, when she grabbed Margaret Whitley’s missed shot among three players and scored on a two-footer to hand the Vikings a 41-40 victory over Edwardsville in the 4A final game, for teams in the largest class.
Saturday night, Hart doubled her pleasure and, in the process, gave the Vikings’ program its second straight State championship. Hart struggled shooting all game and finished two-for-10 from the field for four points. Senior teammate Margaret Whitley was two-for-11 and tallied five points, while Maddy Yelle paced the Vikings with 10 points. Montini’s defense contributed to Geneva’s early shooting woes.
“It’s amazing and I still can’t believe it,” Hart said. “We all really wanted to win it again. My shot was off the entire game. I just tried to go back and shoot normal form.”
The Vikings, 31-3, shot 11-for-39 (28.2%) from the field, including four-for-22 (18.2%) on three-pointers, and were outrebounded by the taller Montini, 30-20, and Geneva scored just 15 points in the first half.
But the Broncos, 34-3, had their own problems. Montini shot one-for-nine in the second half, scored five points in the third quarter, and were held scoreless in the fourth. Give Geneva’s defensive and tension credit for Montini’s scoreless fourth quarter. Aaliyah Patty led the Broncos with 12 points and 12 rebounds, but Montini missed all 10 of its three-pointers and committed 19 turnovers. The Broncos had one foul to give at the end of the game, but did not foul.
“We just made some mistakes at the end,” Montini head coach Jason Nichols said. “We were supposed to foul and didn’t. We battled and played hard. We knew it was going to be a close game.”
Geneva head coach Sarah Meadows has two State championships on her resume. She can thank Hart for playing a big role in both of them.
“I still can’t believe it and it’s just incredible,” Meadows said Saturday evening after the game.
Maine West defeated Edwardsville, 45-41, in the third place game.
Geneva beat Maine West, 58-41, in a semifinal game Friday and Montini defeated Edwardsville, 37-30.
• Glenbard South captured the Class 3A third place game with a 35-29 victory over Breese Central Saturday afternoon. Glenbard South fell in the semifinals to eventual State champion Peoria Richwoods, 38-34. Richwoods beat Nazareth Academy of LaGrange Park in the championship game, 55-46.
