Bulldogs' rally seals boys district championship

The Notre Dame Bulldogs would have to agree with a certain red-shoed girl named Dorothy.

Indeed, there is no place like home.

Hosting its first basketball district in school history, second-seeded Notre Dame needed every bit of its home-court advantage to eke out a 81-78 comeback victory over top-seeded Dexter Friday night.

With inspired fourth-quarter defense that fueled a capacity crowd and a capacity crowd that in turn fueled fourth-quarter defense, Notre Dame overcame a 12-point fourth quarter deficit to win the Class 4, District 1 title.

"That was unbelievable," Notre Dame senior center Cory Beussink said. "At the end, I think we wanted it a little more. That's why we came out with the victory."

As in a semifinal victory over Sikeston two days earlier, Notre Dame again nipped an opponent at the wire.

"It's so great to be doing this here at home," Beussink said. "Last home game, win a district title. I'm going to remember that the rest of my life. The home-court advantage, it's kind of like a six man. Having everyone from our whole school here. The intensity they showed was just incredible."

Notre Dame (20-7) overtook Dexter (21-5) despite the Bearcats shooting 50 percent from the field in the final quarter. The Bulldogs outscored Dexter 14-3 from the free-throw line in the period.

With the score tied 76-76 in the waning seconds, Notre Dame used free throws to break the deadlock. After Dexter's Chris Hyten was whistled for a foul on Notre Dame's Travis Siebert with 4.1 seconds left, Hyten, near his own free-throw line, picked up the ball and winged it the length of the floor off the backboard. In addition to sending Siebert to the line, Dexter was slapped with a technical foul and Notre Dame retained possession.

Siebert hit both his free throws, and Wayne Essner, who had a game-high 30 points added another for a 79-76 lead. Beussink was then fouled on the inbounds and sealed Dexter's fate with two free throws with 3 seconds left.

Moments later Beussink was hoisting coach Darrin Scott at midcourt as the wild celebration began. It was a scene that didn't seem possible just moments earlier.

Dexter, which shot 53 percent from the field for the game, built a 45-34 halftime lead. It led by as many as 15 points in the third quarter before settling for a 65-54 advantage entering the fourth quarter.

"A couples times I was worried we might quit," Scott said. "We got frustrated, but we talked about keep playing and stay in the game. The fourth quarter, our seniors stepped up, all five of them."

Chris Demaree, who led Dexter with 21 points, upped the lead to 66-54 before Notre Dame began to make serious headway.

Notre Dame trailed 72-65 with 3:55 left, but jumped into the lead with an 8-0 run. Essner started the run with his seventh 3-pointer of the game, and Siebert, who had 18 points, cut the lead to two with a pair of free throws after making a steal and getting fouled on his drive to the basket.

Beussink knotted the score at 72-72 with 2:32 left with an inside move the next trip down the floor to send the crowd into delirium. Siebert gave the Bulldogs their first lead since 17-16 in the first quarter when he hit a free throw with 2:04 left.

Dexter regained the lead on its next possession when Willy Dooley fed Aaron Guethle down low, but Travis Bruenderman tied it at 74-74 with a free throw with 1:18 left.

After Dexter missed the front end of two one-and-one's, Bruenderman, who had all six of his points in the fourth quarter, put in an offensive rebound for a 76-74 lead with :22 left. Dooley tied it 76-76 with a baseline jumper with :14 left to set up the foul and ensuing technical.

"We knew it was gut-check time," Siebert said. "We knew if we wanted it we had to get it done."

The victory avenged Notre Dame's only home loss of the season. The Bulldogs have won nine straight home games after an early December loss to the Bearcats.

"We just froze up the second half," Dexter coach Eric Sitze said. "You want something so bad you get a little tentative."

Sitze voiced frustration with having to lose on his opponent's home floor.

"Home-court advantage," Sitze said. "I'll tell you what, this is three times we've lost the championship on the home floor. I wish we'd get something done about a neutral place to play. It was our turn on the home rotation before state started switching everything around."

Hyten added 18 points for Dexter, while Josh Miller had 10.

Tyler Cuba added 13 points for Notre Dame, and Beussink finished with 12 points.

jbreer@semisourian.com

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