Montini Xmas Tournament: Byron's Day 4 Standouts

<h6 style="text-align: center;">The last day of the tournament, which turned into a shoot-out (due to other Co-Vid circumstances).. was nothing short of fun. Teams played hard and competed, but the energy in The Stable from Day 1 was positive from start to finish. The Chicago Sky halftime shows were fan engaged, Popcorn & Chik Fil A from the concessions filled the stands and the numbers of spectators and fans seemed to grow by the day as well. Even through all the uncontrolled changes, the Montini Christmas tournament was another staple event of the holidays. A complete 4 day stretch of marvelous games.</h6> <h6 style="text-align: center;">Till next year.</h6>   St.Francis vs. Burlington Central ’22 Sara Dziengel| 5’9 Forward | St. Francis Dziengel puts numbers on the stat sheet in multiple ways. Defensively, the forward is active in the passing lanes, on the boards, and always seems to leave the floor with a couple of deflections. On the other side of the ball, Sara’s game is coming along but she doesn’t give up or take off on any possession. A great teammate for any program to have. ’23 [player_tooltip player_id="347001" first="Samantha" last="Origel"] | 5’9 Guard/Wing | Burlington Central A combo wing, who can put the ball on the floor, shoot the long ball (consistently & efficiently), and defend the 1-3. Samantha is shot ready every moment she’s on the floor. She plays tough, aggressive, strong, and just completely battles on every possession. She gives the same boost and positive contribution with or without the ball. She's in constant motion looking for her shot or play to make. Nazareth Academy vs. Huntley ’23 [player_tooltip player_id="295260" first="Grace" last="Carstensen"] | 6’0 Wing | Nazareth Academy A knockdown shooter from all spots on the court. She has the frame and built to put up 15-20 attempts a game and not burn an ounce of energy. Her form and jumper are fluid, the release is quick, holds the follow through and the arc she puts on the ball creates a bigger target. Carstensen on the defensive side is just as aggressive… in your face, always in the mix, and loves to get physical. Her strength gives her the best position and chance to collect multiple boards on both sides. A definite top-tier player and shooter in her class. ’23 [player_tooltip player_id="205567" first="Jessie" last="Ozzauto"] | 5’10 Combo Guard | Huntley Smooth and versatile as they come. From the arc to the paint, Ozzauto gets it done. Rarely does she come out of the game, physically and mentally… her stamina and mentality are aligned. If the offense isn’t going her way, she makes it up on the other side of the ball by being communicating, staying aggressive, and being aware. Her leadership is shown on both sides of her game as well. She has the ability to switch and contain multiple positions, while completely disrupting an entire offense by her constant motion and motor. Loyola Academy vs. Whitney Young *GAME OF THE DAY* ’24 [player_tooltip player_id="349415" first="Paige" last="Engels"] | 5’7 Combo Guard | Loyola Academy Engels’s first step is quick and when she gets to the rim it’s crafty and easy… no matter who’s down there. She can score in traffic, finish through contact and play make all in one motion. She’s alert on the drive, looking for the kick or the cut. Her attack game usually draws multiple defenders and she shows the passing skills to find and create open shots for her teammates. From downtown, Paige can get hot, and when she is... it'll be a long night. ’22 Maia Downes | 6’0 Post | Whitney Young A strong-sized big who is mobile, aware, and aggressive on the boards. Downes can score in a variety of ways, but the real contribution comes when she gets a good position on the block. In their final game, Maia’s strength and size were noticed by the spectators but felt by Loyola’s small-framed defense. She caused problems in the paint, and on the boards with multiple tips and possessions. She finished the night with 7 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 steals. The numbers might not seem eye-popping, but if you were there in person or if you watch the film.. you’ll see that Maia was a definite key to the win of a thrilling heavy-weight game. Naperville North vs. York ’22 [player_tooltip player_id="290391" first="Sarah" last="Crossett"] | 5’11 Stretch Forward | Naperville North Recently committing to Tuft U, Crossett’s game is an asset for any program. Within the system she plays in now, her skill set is enhanced and seen every time she touches the ball. She can take you off the drive and handle it, shoot the mid and the three if it’s open.. and her footwork and finesse in the paint are prevalent. Her strength and size combined with her guard skills, make Sarah a matchup mismatch on most nights. She’s aggressive from the start and versatile in every way… and that’s on both sides. An all-around forward who gets it down every night. ’24 [player_tooltip player_id="335718" first="Hannah" last="Meyers"] | 5’5 Combo Guard | York Small frame but plays twice her size. Meyers can score at all levels, but keys in on her long ball ability and her quickness and shiftiness to finish at the rim. She is a playmaking guard who knows when and how to make the correct pass depending on the angle and the position of her teammate. Great ball-handling skills, stop and go speed, and maneuvers very well in the open floor. Defensively the same IQ and awareness are put to use. She can get timely steals, deflections and be a pest on the ball and throw off the opposing team’s sets and offense. Montini Catholic vs. Lyons Township ’25 Audrey Kinney | 5’8 Wing | Montini Catholic A complete spark off the bench. Kinney is your team’s do it all player. She finds ways to contribute to the game without a set or play being called for her. She’s aggressive on both sides of the ball .. and that’s every second she spends on the court. She can knock down the open shot... mid or three. Attack the basket through contact, or even through bigger players. Audrey is always crashing the boards for a second chance or to secure the ball off a long rebound or a rimed in and out miss. The freshman has a motor that doesn’t quit, and her game is improving every time she suits up. ’23 [player_tooltip player_id="363327" first="Ella" last="Ormsby"] | 5’8 Combo Guard | Lyons Township Ella well it let fly. On the attack, she can stop and pop, knock down the set shot, off the catch.. it just doesn’t matter, she’s a shooter.. at all levels. Her athleticism and quickness show in her triple threat stance as well. An exploding but controlled first step to finish at the rim. She’s in constant motion and seems to always be jumping for rebounds or deflections. Defensively, she’s aware of everything that’s going around, from the passing lanes, to where the screens are coming from. Ormsby possesses a high active motor and even higher IQ on both sides.