Grayslake Central freshman Peyton Hoffmann had played in a lot of big games this season.
But none could rival the situation she and her teammates faced Monday night in the Class 3A Concordia Supersectional.
Standing in the way of the Rams’ first trip to the state semifinals was traditional power Montini, a veteran team filled with players who had lost in the supersectional last season, and Hoffmann was tasked with guarding star junior point guard Nikki Kerstein.
“She’s a really good player,” Hoffmann said. “The rest of the team was helping me out, and we were able to guard her pretty well, but she’s a really good player.”
The 6-foot guard/forward was able to hold Kerstein, who helped Deerfield reach the Class 3A state semifinals last year before transferring, to only one basket. Kerstein scored eight points, six of which came on free throws in the final minute of the game.
But Hoffmann’s effort went for naught. Senior guard Victoria Matulevicius scored a game-high 16 points to go with seven rebounds, senior forward Alyssa Epps had nine points and three steals, and junior guard Shea Carver added eight points and nine rebounds as Montini snapped Grayslake Central’s 15-game winning streak with a 44-25 victory in River Forest.
Madison Hoffmann, a 6-1 junior guard/forward who is Peyton’s sister, scored 10 of her team-high 12 points in the first half to keep the Rams (27-7) in it. Peyton Hoffmann added six points and eight rebounds. But the rest of the team combined for just two baskets.
Grayslake Central last played in a supersectional in 2020.
“It was a new environment, definitely like different,” Peyton Hoffmann said. “I just knew that as a team we had to keep energy throughout the whole game, and I think we were able to do that and stay composed together.”
Montini (29-7) opened the game with a 10-2 run, holding the Rams scoreless until junior forward Katelyn Marcelain scored on a putback at the 4:38 mark of the first quarter.
Peyton Hoffmann assisted on a basket by Madison Hoffmann that pulled Grayslake Central within 10-5 at the end of the first quarter. That seemed to help Peyton Hoffmann settle into the game.
“My nerves went away a little bit more,” she said. “I was able to stay a little bit more composed.”
Madison Hoffmann was impressed with her sister’s effort.
“Peyton has only gotten better throughout the season,” Madison Hoffmann said. “She came off a super good game against St. Viator, so today we were kind of asking a lot from her. She had to guard their super good point guard, and honestly, I thought she did a great job, not only defense, but she also had some good drives. So I think she’s just coming into her own as a player, especially as a freshman.”
Grayslake Central coach Steve Ikenn concurred.
“It’s great for a freshman to be in this position,” Ikenn said. “But I thought all of those girls did a great job. It was a big moment, and they did a nice job.”
It just wasn’t good enough against the Broncos, who forced 20 turnovers and dominated the Rams on the offensive boards. That enabled Montini to overcome poor shooting in the first half and take a 21-14 halftime lead.
But Ikenn still felt hopeful.
“The sectional final we were down seven at halftime, and we came back, so it wasn’t something we hadn’t seen before,” Ikenn said. “You’ve got to give (the Broncos) credit. Their defense was tough, and they got too many offensive rebounds, and they forced us into too many turnovers.
“We held them to 44, so we did a really good job. We just didn’t do it on the other end too.”
Grayslake Central didn’t get closer than seven points in the second half as Montini gradually pulled away. But the Rams did get closer as a team.
“We don’t have any seniors on the roster, so we’re going to come back,” Madison Hoffmann said. “We’ve got a lot of team chemistry built this year, so we’re just going to keep building off of it.”
The Hoffmann sisters, who both play tennis, basketball and soccer, are two of the key ingredients in that chemistry and are thrilled they will get one more year together.
“It’s super fun,” Madison Hoffmann said. “We are like twins almost. We look the same on the court, and people get us mixed up all the time.
“This is the first time that we’ve really gotten to play together, so it makes our parents super happy. It’s definitely something that a lot of people don’t get to experience, so it’s great.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter.
