Bulldogs gain a sectional split against De Soto

PARK HILLS, Mo. -- There would be no dramatic comeback this time.

Playing in the Class 4 sectional at Mineral Area College, Notre Dame's boys basketball team dug a deep, early hole and never fully emerged.

The De Soto Dragons proved not only too tall but too accurate in a 61-54 victory.

Notre Dame, which overcame a 15-point second-half deficit against Dexter in its district championship game, was unable to crawl out of a 19-point first-half hole against De Soto.

Notre Dame, which ended its season at 20-8, cut the lead to 13 by halftime, but never came closer than seven points in the second half.

Andy Sides, one of three De Soto players at 6-foot-8, finished with a game-high 22 points. Sides scored 14 of his points in a 21-2 first-half run that ultimately decided the game. He had 18 points in the half on inside moves, offensive rebounds, free throws and an assortment of baseline jumpers.

"He played like a big-time player in the first half," Notre Dame coach Darrin Scott said. "If he doesn't play like that, we have a chance in the second half."

Sides' 5-foot-9 teammate, Josh Aylesworth, helped De Soto (24-4) thwart a Bulldog comeback by hitting for all 13 of his points in the fourth quarter on 13-of-14 shooting at the free-throw line. On the game, De Soto hit 28 of 30 free throws.

De Soto will play Sullivan (19-8) in Saturday's quarterfinals. It was the Dragons' first sectional victory since 1992.

"It's looking better and better every game, but we've still have got to take it one game at a time. We need to beat Sullivan," De Soto coach Allen Davis said.

The Dragons also received 12 points from 6-foot-8 junior Tony Boyle.

Travis Siebert led Notre Dame with 15 points, Bryce Willen had 14 and Tyler Cuba finished with 13.

Wayne Essner, who hit seven 3-pointers and scored 30 points against Dexter, finished with seven points.

"We got some good looks, and they didn't go in," Scott said. "In this game we could have rolled over and quit, and they didn't, and that's one of the things I'm most proud of."

With the score tied 11-11, Willen sank a 12-foot basket with 1:30 left in the opening quarter . It proved to be the Bulldogs' final lead of the night.

Sides scored inside to tie the score 13-13 and start an 11-0 De Soto run that stretched into the second period.

The Bulldogs closed to nine points in the third quarter, but hit on only one of 11 shots in the period and trailed 41-30 entering the fourth quarter.

A Cuba 3-pointer pulled Notre Dame to within 51-44 with 2:43 left, but Aylesworth kept the Bulldogs at bay. At one point he was 10 of 10 at the line on five consecutive De Soto possessions.

"They're a good team. It just wasn't our night," Notre Dame senior Cory Beussink said. "We tried as hard as we could. We did everything in our power. We just couldn't do it."

Notre Dame girls 55, De Soto 30

Notre Dame's girls advanced to the quarterfinal round for the fifth straight year with a 55-30 victory over De Soto in the Class 4 sectionals.

Notre Dame (20-7) scored the game's first six points and never looked back on its way to its 15th consecutive victory.

Senior Ashley Millham scored a game-high 18 points to lead Notre Dame, last year's Class 2 state champions.

Junior Sommer McCauley added 12 points, and junior Sierra Ellis had 10.

Millham scored just seconds into the game, and Ali Tyson and Erin Pfau scored on the Bulldogs' next two shots for a 6-0 lead. The Bulldogs led 12-3 before a Laura Robertson 3-pointer made it 12-6 at the close of the period.

Robertson brought De Soto (19-8) to within 12-8, but the Dragons got no closer. Millham started another 6-0 spurt and had six points in a 12-2 run that had Notre Dame ahead 24-10 midway through the period.

The Bulldogs led 30-15 at halftime and upped its lead to more than 20 points, 43-22, by the start of the fourth quarter.

Robertson led De Soto with 14 points.

jbreer@semissourian.com

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