Defensive show makes it a big week for Notre Dame

Two days ago Notre Dame's girls basketball team held a defensive clinic against Park Hills Central in a 65-13 rout at home.

Not to be outdone a day later, Notre Dame's boys basketball team put on a defensive showcase of its own, holding Park Hills Central to 12 first-half points on its way to a 68-39 win at home Tuesday.

The Bulldogs (13-6) shuffled players in and out from the start and used their added energy to frustrate the Rebels (4-14) from the floor. The Rebels shot 6-of-29 from 2-point range in the game.

The Bulldogs kept Park Hills Central's offense down while playing under control. Notre Dame was whistled for three fouls in the first half, with one of those coming with six seconds left in the quarter.

"That's because we stayed in the right position defensively," Notre Dame coach Darrin Scott said.

The Rebels kept it close for the first couple of minutes of the first quarter, but it didn't take long for Notre Dame to take control of the game. A basket by Wayne Essner started an 11-0 run for the Bulldogs that took an 8-5 lead to a 19-5 lead and all but buried the Rebels.

"We shot the open shots and passed the ball off really well," Essner said.

After grabbing a 12-point lead out of the gates, Notre Dame didn't rest on its laurels. The Bulldogs got eight points from Essner in the second quarter and used a 6-0 and 8-0 run to bring their lead to 25 by halftime.

"They have some kids who, if you leave them open, they can shoot it," he said.

Even with its starters on the bench midway through the third, Notre Dame kept its offensive rolling. Bryce Willen, playing with a sore wrist the past couple of weeks, had a pair of strong jumpers in the quarter and finished the game with 10 points.

As Notre Dame's lead approached 40 points, the Bulldogs continued to work the ball for the open shot and stayed within the offense.

"We didn't just play, we stayed in our system," Scott said.

Essner said a one-sided game like Tuesday's can help the team work out some of its kinks.

"It gives us a chance to see what we need to work on in practice the next day," he said.

For Scott the game marked a chance to give his sixth through 10th players on the bench time several valuable minutes. With a big showdown with Cape Girardeau rival Central looming next week, the Bulldogs could need reserves to step up.

"They got a chance to get some experience," he said.

Essner led the the Bulldogs with 17 points and Travis Siebert added 11. The Bulldogs also had a big advantage on the boards, out-rebounding the Rebels 41-18. Matt Martin led the Rebels with 11 points.

jjoffray@semissourian.com

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