Heisserer helps spark No. 3 Notre Dame girls basketball past Perryville in district tournament matchup

SIKESTON, Mo. -- The Notre Dame girls basketball team hung tight through a close first quarter and then busted things open as it got a strong playoff performance from a freshman and ran away from Perryville, 61-26, in a quarterfinal of the Class 4 District 1 tournament Monday at Sikeston High School.

Bulldog freshman Megan Heisserer led all scorers with 16 points to spark her side to victory as 10 players scored for the victors.

"It was [a big boost]," Notre Dame coach Renee Peters said about Heisserer's effort. "It's one of those things, if it works it's a good thing, and if it doesn't work Â… She's quick, she's feisty and she just plays hard. She's scrappy and tenacious. It was good. The girls welcome it -- they don't look at it like, 'Oh my gosh, she's a freshman.' It's, 'If this is going to help us win, we're all for it.'"

Third-seeded Notre Dame (9-13) ended the first quarter on a 5-0 burst to take a 15-12 edge, and then opened the second quarter on a 15-0 run to take control.

Heisserer began the quarter with a 3-pointer just 18 seconds in and Faith Essner hit from long range moments later. By the time the swing came to a close, it was Heisserer dropping in back-to-back layups to crack open a 30-12 advantage.

Notre Dame's Maddie Urhahn drives to the basket against Perryville during the third quarter of a first-round game in the Class 4 District 1 tournament Monday, Feb. 29, 2016 in Sikeston, Missouri.Fred Lynch

Perryville scored the final six points before halftime -- all from Kylie Bilek -- to make the score 30-18 at the break, but the Bulldogs never let go of the game.

"Teamwork," Peters said. "We knew we had to spread the scoring out and everyone had to contribute. We looked to get it inside and were working to be a threat inside, and if nothing else be able to kick it back out. We went inside, penetrated and kicked it back out and our perimeter game was hitting. It was fun. Once the girls relaxed and realized it was working it's amazing what happens."

Along with Heisserer, Hayli Chapman scored 10 points for Notre Dame, while Maddie Urhahn added nine.

Bilek paced the Pirates (9-12) with 15 points.

There was little else for Perryville after the opening period, as it scored just 14 points the rest of the way. That allowed Notre Dame to double things up at 41-20 with 3:23 left in the third quarter and take a 50-24 lead into the final eight minutes.

It was a far different ending than what the first quarter indicated might have been in store, as the two sides slugged it out and traded blows early on. It was a one-possession game through the first half of the opening period, and Perryville took its first lead of the game at 7-6 at the 3:15 mark as Emma Nelson layed the ball in on a putback.

That sparked a period of six lead changes and one tie during the next minute and a half.

Ahnie Hoff scored with 1:22 left in the quarter to give the Pirates their final lead of the game, 12-10.

Less than 30 seconds later, Chapman drained a 3 to take back the lead and Notre Dame never trailed again.

The Bulldogs now take on No. 2 Sikeston (17-4) in a semifinal at 7:30 p.m. Thursday. The hosts already defeated Notre Dame twice this season -- once in the Kelso Supply Holiday Classic tournament and in conference play Jan. 14.

"It's going to be a totally different game than tonight," Peters said. "Perryville kept it tight and they like to slow down the pace of the game and play a tight zone.

"Sikeston likes to push the tempo and will press us and it's going to be guns ablazing. We're going to have to switch gears quickly."

Perryville 12 6 6 2 -- 26

Notre Dame 15 15 20 11 -- 61

PERRYVILLE (26) -- Kirstin Jannin 2, Kylie Bilek 15, Ahnie Hoff 4, Emma Nelson 5. FG 10-28, FT 5-17, F 9. (3-pointers: Bilek. Fouled out: None.)

NOTRE DAME (61) -- Sam Brennan 5, Maddie Urhahn 9, Megan Heisserer 16, Lexi Welter 4, Allie Ziegler 4, Hayli Chapman 10, Sydney Newell 2, Brooke Blankenship 2, Rachel Conrad 6. (3-pointers: Heisserer 2, Chapman 2, Brennan, Essner, Urhahn. Fouled out: None.)