Montini learned a crucial lesson when it last played Wheaton Academy.

"I think more than anything, our kids learned that Wheaton Academy was a team that could end our season," said Montini coach Tom Sloan.

After taking a 13-point loss to Wheaton Academy on Feb. 12, Montini fought to extend its season Tuesday night, beating the Warriors 51-46 in a Class A Lisle regional quarterfinal.

Trailing 44-41 when Wheaton Academy's Jason VanderVeen hit a 3-pointer with 2:12 left to play, Montini scored 10 straight points, an atypical run in this seesaw affair, to enter today's 8 p.m. regional semifinal against No. 3 seed St. Francis.

"We worked our butts off for four months - most of us four years. We just didn't want to go home," said Broncos guard Bobby Dobry, who scored a team-high 12 points to Mike Donahue's 11 for No. 6 seed Montini (12-16).

After VanderVeen's 3, Ryan Dailey's free throw pulled the Broncos within 44-42.

Wheaton Academy coach Andy Euler called a timeout, but when play resumed the Warriors committed 3 straight turnovers against a Montini press, with steals by Pete Cappetta and Dobry.

Cappetta's 2 free throws tied the score at 44 with 1:34 left, and Dobry followed with 2 more for a 46-44 Montini lead at 1:31.

After the third straight turnover and a Montini timeout, the Broncos spread the floor and the Warriors' defense with it. Dobry found Steve Cullen all alone for a layup and 48-44 lead with 51.6 seconds left.

A couple of missed 3-point tries ended any Warriors rally effort.

"We just fell apart," said Euler, whose ninth-seeded Warriors ended the season with an 8-18 record.

"It was good pressure and you've got to give them credit, obviously," he said, "but you're a basketball team, you should be able to handle that kind of pressure. And we didn't."

Until Montini exploded, neither team enjoyed the upper hand for long. Fourteen lead changes and eight ties occurred through the first 28 minutes.

Montini's 14-10 lead after one quarter equaled the widest lead, including the Broncos' 38-34 edge on Dobry's steal and basket to start the fourth quarter.

Wheaton Academy, behind true Warrior Mark Aloisio, battled back in vain.

Aloisio had a game-high 14 points and 8 rebounds, and took a charge that sent his goggles flying. Alex Cerny and Jeremy Parker added 12 apiece.

"You take a minute for granted in practice," Aloisio said, "it's gonna translate into a game and you're gonna blow it something like this, today. Focus was lost."