Buzzer shot gives 'Dogs confidence for sectional

~ Notre Dame eyes return trip to final four after Friday's dramatic district victory over Sikeston.

Two years ago, the Notre Dame boys basketball team used a spark from Bryce Willen's return from injury for the playoffs to help propel the Bulldogs, winless in conference play and sporting a losing record, into the state final four.

While the Bulldogs may not be a Cinderella story this year -- Notre Dame is 24-4 and ranked No. 3 in Class 4 -- Abe Dirnberger's buzzer-beating 3-pointer Friday that pushed Notre Dame into the sectional round and past rival Sikeston sure seemed to have something magical about it.

The Bulldogs will now look to turn that magic into another final four berth as they face Farmington on Wednesday in a sectional game at Mineral Area College in Park Hills. Farmington missed 10 of 14 free throws in the final two minutes of its district championship game but managed to hold off top-seeded and state-ranked De Soto 51-50.

"When something like that happens, it's supposed to happen," said Dirnberger, a senior guard and the lone player on the roster to take part in the final four run two years ago. "We're supposed to keep on going."

Added junior guard Ty Williams: "We've got to take it one game at a time, but we believe we can do it."

For much of the second half it appeared destiny would be on the side of Sikeston again this year. Sikeston knocked off Notre Dame last year and went on to make it to the championship game in Class 4 before falling to St. Francis Borgia.

Every time Notre Dame made a run or grabbed a lead, all-state sophomore Michael Porter or senior Julian Beard were right there to bring Sikeston back. Beard and point guard Blake Taylor attacked Notre Dame's defense with dribble penetration, often dumping the ball off to the 6-foot-5 Porter inside. Porter and Beard scored all 15 third-quarter points for Sikeston.

"Sikeston just broke us down on penetration all night," Notre Dame coach Paul Hale said. "Sikeston had a good game plan and they handled what we threw at them. It was just a battle to the end."

Taylor opened the scoring in the fourth quarter with a three-point play following a Notre Dame turnover. The score and foul, which drew controversy because it appeared a Sikeston player interfered with the ball while it was on the cylinder, gave Sikeston a 53-47 lead. An 8-1 run by Notre Dame, which ended with Ryan Willen's three-point play, tied the score at 55-55 with 5:19 remaining.

A minute later, Notre Dame took its first lead of the fourth quarter on a three-point play from Williams following a block by Austin Greer on Beard. Sikeston scored the next two baskets to go back ahead 61-59, and led 64-61 with a little more than a minute remaining after Porter's basket and Ray Rodgers' free throw.

Junior reserve Mark Himmelberg tied the score with 58 seconds left on his sixth 3-pointer, this one with a defender in his face. Himmelberg hit four 3-pointers in the opening half, going 4-for-5 from behind the arc, and added two more in the fourth quarter for all 18 of his points.

"He's a great shooter," Hale said.

Notre Dame forced a turnover on the other end and called a timeout with 34.6 seconds remaining with the scored still tied. Instead of holding for the last shot, Notre Dame tried to get the ball inside and turned the ball over, which led to Porter being fouled on the other end and being sent to the line.

"I wanted to hold the ball, but I backed out of it and we threw it away," Hale said. "But we got a reprieve."

That reprieve came after Porter managed to miss the second of two free throws, which eventually led to Dirnberger's last-second 3-pointer. Sikeston hurt itself from the free throw line, hitting just 10 of 22 attempts. In the fourth quarter, Sikeston was only 5-for-10 from the line.

Dirnberger, one of just two seniors on the roster, made Sikeston pay with his heave following a timeout with less than 3 seconds remaining.

"He's made three or four [3-pointers all year]," Hale said. "He's just a great kid. Abe Dirnberger will always be remembered for that."

A jubilant Notre Dame squad, including a typically stoic Hale, stormed the court following the shot.

"As far as district finals, that is probably the most exciting [I[']ve been a part of]," Hale said.