Bulldogs tame Tigers in rematch, faces Farmington for C5D1 title

FARMINGTON — Notre Dame has long been carried by the Rubel sisters, not just throughout this season, but also in seasons past.

This time around, it was the freshmen's turn to shine in the Bulldogs' 62-42 win over Cape Central in the semifinal round of the Class 5 District 1 Tournament on Saturday in Farmington.

Brie Rubel scored 15 points with three baskets from the three-point line. Kate Rubel scored 12 points on 5-of-12 shooting. Not to be outdone, senior Tori Rubel scored six points while grabbing 10 rebounds.

The Bulldogs (21-5) take on the Knights of Farmington (22-6) on Tuesday at 6 p.m. They will be aiming for their fifth straight district championship, a streak that started in former Bulldog Lexi Rubel's freshman year.

"That definitely means a lot, keeping the streak going," Brie Rubel said, "and it'll be our first if we win. We still have to beat Farmington. They're a good team. But if we do that, then it just means a lot to be part of it."

Notre Dame jumped to an early 18-6 lead in the first quarter. The Bulldogs were outscored 13-9 in the second quarter but still led 27-19 going into halftime.

The first half seemed like Cape Central's senior Taylor Horton's last stand. Outside of a lone free throw from senior Rakiara Bogan, Horton scored 18 of the Tigers' 19 points through the first two periods.

"Taylor has been a rock for us all season," Cape Central head coach Aaron Lee said. "When we've needed points she's been able to provide them."

Notre Dame started the second half on an 18-2 run and cruised to a 48-29 third-quarter lead thanks to Brie's eight points during the period. Freshman Nevaeh Lucious scored six points in the fourth quarter to total a team-high 16 points.

Bogan scored 12 of her 13 points through the second half for the Tigers. Horton added eight points in the fourth quarter to finish with a game-high 26 points. The two seniors combined to score 39 of the Tigers' 42 points in their final game together.

"We're gonna definitely miss [Horton's] leadership on and off the court, as well as Bogan," Lee said. "They both have been instrumental in the rebuilding of this program. So how do you replace 50 points a night? I've got to figure that out."

These two teams met in the final game of the regular season, with Notre Dame winning 50-15. The Tigers put up much more of a fight this time around.

"I think they were better and more prepared for us," Rubel said.

I think we're a better team," Lee said. "I think defensively we've gotten better at the program, and offensively we know where to get our shot set. So I think we've improved since the last game."

The Tigers finish their season with a 16-12 record, their second-best record since 2010. The Tigers won 13 games in each of the past two seasons before Lee's arrival.

"I think the girls' buy-in has exceeded my expectations," Lee said, "because when you bring a new coach in with a new system and new expectations, young people tend to struggle to adjust. These guys have really done a good job of adjusting and have allowed me and my staff to bring in some new things. So we've been very pleased with our outcomes."