CLASH OF THE TITANESSES: Donettes edge Notre Dame in OT

DONIPHAN — The most anticipated game of the season lived up to the hype as the Bill L. Wright Gymnasium was packed wall-to-wall as the No. 1 Donettes faced off against the No. 5 Notre Dame Lady Bulldogs in a Class 4 District 1 matchup.

With the game initially rescheduled due to weather issues, the question of which team was the best in the district would finally be answered. The last time both teams went head-to-head was in 2011, so the anticipation was through the roof.

After a series of traded baskets, the game came down to the wire, and the Donettes stood tall to defeat the Lady Bulldogs 55-53 in overtime and improve to 18-0 on the season.

Donettes head coach Adam Epps was lost for words after the win but praised the community for their constant support towards the Donettes.

“I don’t know what to feel now but happiness,” Epps said. “These kids are so tough, and they work their ever-loving guts out, and no matter how many times we play, people don’t believe in us, but we believe in ourselves. I can’t thank this town and community enough because this place was packed. I thought we rebounded very well and played with a lot of resiliency. I just don’t have words for how much I love this team.”

Epps said securing this win may not mean much in this matchup, but it’s a major confidence booster heading into the postseason, where these two teams could possibly meet again.

The Donettes entered the contest with a 17-0 record on the season, and though they’ve managed to keep a perfect record, hosting an elite team such as the Lady Bulldogs was their biggest challenge thus far.

While the Donettes dealt with the pressures of staying undefeated, Notre Dame saw it as an opportunity to knock them off the top of the mountain and a chance to move up the rankings.

The Donettes stormed onto the court with a lot of energy, and with the benefits of having an electric home crowd, the game’s momentum was in their favor.

The Lady Bulldogs stood their ground early as they not intimidated by the atmosphere of the fans and stuck to their game plan.

Both teams stepped onto the floor with a steady pace within their offense. They began to trade baskets early, looking for the slightest window to take the lead. Notre Dame put its defense to the test as it prioritized closing out the paint against Kenzie Redus, who currently leads the Donettes in scoring with 16 points.

Notre Dame saw this as an opportunity to gain the upper hand, but the Donettes stayed solid and allowed the first quarter to remain even. The Donettes caught a spark in the second quarter by taking a page out of Notre Dame’s playbook and closing out the paint.

After going scoreless in the first quarter, Redus started to catch fire as the guards gave her looks at the basket, allowing her to score eight unanswered points.

The Donettes outscored Notre Dame 12-10 to head into halftime with a 23-21 lead. Though the first half wasn’t high-scoring, both teams provided stellar gameplay. Much of the third continued to be a game of trading baskets and tough defense. Neither team wanted to take its foot off the gas, or it would risk losing the edge.

With the score knotted at 33-33 to kick off the final quarter, ball protection, limited turnovers, and points inside the post were the deciding factor.

As the contest came down to the last few possessions, the Donettes received a dagger from beyond the arc from freshman Ellie White to extend the lead to five points. Notre Dame held its composure and managed to cut the lead 43-42 with under a minute in regulation.

The game needed an extra period as Notre Dame connected with a basket in the final seconds of regulation to even the score. The Donettes struck first in overtime, but the Lady Bulldogs remained close at every turn. The Donettes established enough cushion with their ability to draw the foul and escaped with the victory.

Redus led the Donettes with 25 points, Sarah Owen had 10 and White had seven. Nevaeh Lucious finished with 18 points to lead Notre Dame, while Brie Ruble added 11.

The Donettes will be back in action on Friday as they host Alton High School.