ESTES HELPS SCOTT COUNTY CENTRAL KNOCK OFF NOTRE DAME, 88-63

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- Make no (broken) bones about it, Scott County Central high basketball coach Ron Cookson is glad to have point guard Winai Estes back.

Estes, who had been out for seven games with a stress fracture in his leg, scored 14 of his career-high 29 points in a key opening period as the Braves turned back Notre Dame 88-63 at Notre Dame Tuesday night.

It was the first period that ended up being the key quarter of the game as the Bulldogs fought from behind the entire game after a 25-6 run by Scott Central over a six-minute span.

"That spurt at the end of the first quarter really made a big difference," said Notre Dame coach Brad Wittenborn. "They made a good run at us there. We'd sure like to have that stretch of the game to play over."

Wittenborn also probably wouldn't have minded if Estes had missed just one more game. Still, the Notre Dame coach praised the Scott County guard. "He had a great game. You can see what he means to their ball club."

The Braves, who won for the 44th straight game, held a lead of just 6-5 with five minutes left to go in the opening stanza before Estes got hot.

He hit a 3-pointer from the wing to start the run before his baseline jumper gave Scott Central an 11-5 edge.

After an Eric Nenninger bucket for the Bulldogs, Marcus Timmons turned it on with a conventional 3-point play, a turnaround jumper in the paint and a slam off a Mark Mosley miss to make it 18-9.

Timmons finished with 28 points and 19 rebounds.

Four more buckets by Estes, including one trey, over the next three minutes boosted the Braves to a 31-11 lead and it was all uphill from there for Notre Dame, which fell to 9-12.

But the Bulldogs never gave up.

They managed to pare the deficit to 13 by the half and answered nearly every Scott Central run the rest of the way.

The Braves upped the lead to 19 in the fourth, but Notre Dame cut it back down to 14 just two minutes later with a 7-2 spurt.

Scott Central finished the 'Dogs off though with 11 straight points in another two minute span.

Andy Lynch, who led Notre Dame with 14 points, hit two late 3-pointers, but Notre Dame could only get as close as 19 in the late stages.

"You have to give Notre Dame credit. They never gave up," said Cookson. "They never let us get out of their sights. they stayed in it the entire way."

Three other Notre Dame scorers broke into double figures. Jason Ayers had 13, Eric Nenninger 12, and Essner ended with 11.

SCOTT CENTRAL 88, NOTRE DAME 63TS10R,12R,14R,16R,18R,20R

SCOTT CENTRAL 29 15 14 30 - 88

NOTRE DAME 11 20 14 18 - 63

SCOTT CENTRAL (88)

Estes 29, Timmons 28, Mosley 13, Pullen 7, Cline 4, Turner 3. FG 36 FT 12-17 F 12 (3-pointers: Estes 3, Pullen. Fouled out: none)

NOTRE DAME (63)

Lynch 14, Ayers 13, Nenninger 12, Essner 11, Maurer 7, Rubel 2, Gragg 2, Dufeck 2. FG 25 FT 7-12 F 11. (3-pointers: Lynch 4, Maurer 1, Essner 1. Fouled out: none)

MDNM