Photo by Erin FredrichsTribune

Tribune

University of New Mexico guard Katie Montgomery gives high-fives to triplets Brendan, Paul and Katie Clark as they pretend they are Lobos running down ramp of The Pit. Kerry Clark (holding basketball) and his wife, Nadine (not pictured), say they consider Montgomery their fourth triplet. Montgomery, a triplet herself, met the family at a basketball game and babysits the Clark triplets.

Photo by Erin FredrichsTribune

Tribune

Katie Montgomery (right) is defended by teammate Julie Briody during practice drills. Montgomery, UNM's all-time leader in 3-point field goal percentage, has helped rally UNM from a 0-3 start in league play to a chance for the title entering the final week of games.

Photo by Erin FredrichsTribune

Tribune

University of New Mexico senior guard Katie Montgomery shares a smile with teammates during practice.

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It was one of the toughest lessons to accept.

But it has been drilled over and over again.

University of New Mexico guard Katie Montgomery's three brothers had to learn she would inevitably beat them in every sport.

"It was humbling, but we got used to her dribbling circles around us," said Rusty Montgomery, one of Katie's two triplet brothers. "It was better to just play on the same team as her than try going against her."

To this day, big brother Bob Montgomery tries to steer Katie away from the basketball court during vacations at the Montgomery home in Lincoln, Neb.

"We will help her practice her shot or be on her team, but we try not to play against her," he said. "We know we'll lose."

Montgomery laughs at the suggestion she has dominated showdowns with her brothers.

"I just wanted to hang out with them, and I didn't want to be left behind," she said. "I actually owe them everything. They made me tougher. I had to work harder to beat them, and I don't think I'd be where I'm at today without them."

She happens to be nearing the end of a remarkable career at UNM.

Montgomery has been a major contributor to the team all four seasons of her career and has helped the Lobos to a 91-30 overall record, including three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances.

She has helped the Lobos (20-7, 10-4) overcome a sluggish start this season to get back in contention for a Mountain West Conference regular-season title, with two games remaining at UNLV on Thursday and at San Diego State on Saturday.

"It's unbelievable how much she has been able to accomplish and overcome," Rusty Montgomery said of his sister. "She's amazing to all of us."

Although she has been an iron woman for the Lobos, often logging nearly 40 minutes a game the past two seasons, Katie Montgomery's career has been filled with injuries.

The first major one came her junior year in high school, setting up her unlikely journey to New Mexico.

Montgomery tore her anterior cruciate ligament during a soccer game, preventing her from playing summer club basketball and scaring off a lot of recruiters.

"It was obviously a tough injury for her, but there's no way we would have been in the running to land a player of her capability if she hadn't been injured," UNM coach Don Flanagan said. "She would have gone to Nebraska, which obviously would have been quite a loss for us."

While Flanagan is grateful he had a chance to recruit Montgomery, her family is equally grateful he gave her a chance to play in college.

"I am so thankful Coach Flanagan took a chance on me when no one else believed I could come back from injury," Montgomery said. "I wouldn't wish a knee injury like that on anyone, but it made me the person I am today."

It also proved to her that she could overcome any obstacle.

The thicker skin served her well in college.

It helped Montgomery prepare for high stress situations on and off the court - including playing point guard in the Mountain West Conference tournament championship against rival Utah when starter Mandi Moore got hurt, and taking knee surgery between her junior and senior year in stride.

"I can't believe how much she has just bounced back from those injuries like they were nothing," Bob Montgomery said. "It's so inspiring to see her deal with the rehab and never complain, then perform at such a high level."

Katie admits she had some help dealing with serious homesickness throughout her career.

She bonded with the Clark family her sophomore year, who happened to have young triplets.

She baby-sat for the children - Paul, Brendan and Katie, now 6 - after meeting their grandparents at a basketball game.

The kids are now such a big part of Montgomery's life, the entire Clark family joined her for her farewell speech at The Pit after the Lobos' victory over TCU on Sunday.

"If you grow up a triplet and always have your brothers around, it's very tough going so far from home and being on your own," she said. "They are the cutest kids I have ever seen, and they let me hang out with them all the time. It's a nice way to get away from the pressure of basketball. Plus, I happen to be a very good baby-sitter because I know what kind of havoc triplets can cause. We're pretty messy."

Those hurdles all seemed to pale in comparison to the personal battle Montgomery endured earlier this season.

She is a fiery competitor but maintains a calm, collected focus on the court.

Those traits were all tested when the Lobos went through a four-game losing streak, including a 0-3 start in conference play.

"She is such a competitor that it definitely hurt," Katie's dad, Robert Montgomery said. "We just tried to encourage her. I reminded her if her outside shot wasn't falling, she could always drive to the basket like she did in high school. She never gave up on her team, and look at them now. They still have a chance for first place in the conference."

Fellow triplets Rusty and Scott Montgomery, who are studying for the seminary at different colleges and plan to become Catholic priests, also offered some sound but unpopular advice.

"She didn't want to hear it, but we reminded her we are not judged by our wins and losses," Rusty Montgomery said. "We always stayed positive with her. We talk with her right after games and have friends at school all cheering for her. She rose to the challenge."

Katie said the family support was invaluable, as it has been all her life.

"I definitely doubted myself a few times here, but the people I loved and trusted were always there to remind me I could fight through it," she said. "Like I said, I'm where I'm at right now because of my family and especially my brothers."