Bartlett’s Amadea Montijo
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said she never thought she would be in a position to score 1,000 career points.But after getting only seven points on the varsity as a freshman, Montijo turned it on the past three seasons, becoming the 11th player to reach that milestone for the Hawks.
Being on the same list as former McDonald’s All-American Lindsay Schrader and current Marquette star Kenzie Hare also is not lost on the senior guard.
“Being able to score 1,000 points, that’s big,” Montijo said. “It’s mind-blowing. I really don’t know what to say. I know Kenzie. I was a freshman when she was on varsity.
“Being on that list with her is big because she’s doing so well at Marquette. Lindsay was an All-American here. It’s a great honor to be on the same list with her.”
Bartlett coach Tanner Gardon used the milestone to impress upon his team where he wants the program to go.
He wants to bring back the success of girls basketball at Bartlett, and Montijo’s achievement opened a door for that discussion.
“It’s a rich tradition here,” Gardon said. “We’re kind of in the stage where we’re trying to bring that back. I told her (Tuesday), ‘Don’t take that for granted because you’re part of history here and you’re in the company of really good basketball players.’
“The girls understand it, and she understands it too.”
When Gardon took over the program three seasons ago, one of the first things he noticed was Montijo’s physical gifts.
“She’s crazy athletic, so that jumps out,” Gardon said. “She’s our primary ballhandler. I think she makes us faster. I think she makes us more athletic. She’ll get rebounds. She jumps higher than anybody on the floor.
“She’s a really, really good athlete. She’s kind of our motor. When we get playing fast, for the most part it’s her getting downhill. That’s when we’re successful.”
While the athleticism has always been there, Montijo had to refine and improve her overall game around it. She said she started watching various professional players to see how they accomplished that.
“I study certain players and how they move — like LaMelo Ball, the way he passes,” Montijo said. “I’ve gotten a lot more assists. I studied the way he passes, and I know how he does it now. He tries to get to a spot and he already knows what’s going on.
“If I see a chance for myself to score, though, of course I’m going to take it. That’s my first option.”
It’s also part of what sophomore guard Courtny Bridgeforth sees when watching Montijo play.
“I really like how aggressive she is when she drives toward the basket,” Bridgeforth said. “And I think she’s a great player to learn about confidence.
“Good shooters keep shooting, which is what she does. That helps us win.”
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The scoring is nice, but Gardon knows that improving her all-around game led to Montijo’s commitment to Rock Valley.
“That’s what they want,” Gardon said. “They can find people who can score, but they want people who are overall solid basketball players. I think she’s growing into that with her playmaking ability and passing and vision, understanding the game.
“I think every year she just gets better and better, and it shows when you earn something like (1,000 points).”
Montijo said she’s thankful for how her Bartlett career has played out. She also has her eyes toward the future.
“I’m really ready to take it to the next level,” Montijo said. “I’m really grateful.”
Paul Johnson is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.