In a hard-fought rivalry matchup that went down to the final minutes, Monticello held off Tolono Unity 45–37 to secure back-to-back wins for the first time since the Sages’ eight-game streak earlier this season.
Monticello (14-12, 3-4 Illini Prairie) also earned consecutive victories over Unity (9-14, 3-4 IPC) for the first time since a seven-game run from 2015–2019.
Coming off a dominant 44–18 win over PBL earlier in the week, the Sages struggled to find rhythm early. Unity jumped out to an 11–7 lead after the first quarter, and Monticello went scoreless for the entire second quarter until the final seconds. With time expiring in the half, Sarah Cresap was fouled on a half-court heave and calmly sank all three free throws, cutting the deficit to 15–10 at the break and giving the Sages a spark heading into the locker room.
That momentum carried into the third quarter, where Monticello flipped the game. The Sages erupted for a 22–12 advantage in the period, using defensive pressure and efficient shooting to seize control. Unity made a late push in the fourth, but Monticello answered each challenge and closed out the eight-point win.
Lexi Leatherwood led the Sages with 14 points on an efficient 7-of-8 shooting performance. Cresap added 12 points, while Emma Arnold controlled the glass with a team-high 10 rebounds — one-third of Monticello’s 30 total boards.
The Sages return to action Saturday at the Seneca Shootout with a 2:30 p.m. matchup against the Fighting Irish (9–15, 2–3 Tri-County). According to MaxPreps, it will be the first meeting between the two programs. Monticello then closes Illini Prairie Conference play next week with two key games: a Tuesday trip to conference leader Pontiac (16-10, 6-1 IPC), followed by a Thursday home contest against Bloomington Central Catholic (12-9, 5-1 IPC). The Sages are looking to snap a three-game skid against Pontiac and are still seeking their first win over BCC in 11 meetings dating back to 2014.