HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL: ND GIRLS POST IMPRESSIVE WIN OVER ST. JOSEPH 53-41

The St. Joseph Academy Lady Angels had no prayer against the Notre Dame Lady Bulldogs on Saturday afternoon in the first-ever meeting between the two schools.

The host Lady Bulldogs (6-0) came out of the gate quickly and rolled to a 53-41 win over the Lady Angels, traditionally one of the strongest Class 4A teams in the state. Notre Dame has a 2A rating.

Notre Dame led 32-12 at halftime and St. Joseph appeared to be headed for an embarrassing loss in their season debut. The Lady Angels managed to outscore the Lady Bulldogs 29-21 in the second half -- primarily against reserves -- to narrow the final margin.

Assessing his team's play, Notre Dame coach Jerry Grim said, "We shot the ball very well at the beginning. They made some adjustments at halftime, but depending on the personnel I put in we did a good job defensively all the way through. When I rotate personnel, I've got to change things up a little bit."

Led by the strong inside game of Deana McCormick, who showed some nice inside moves along with a soft touch on a "baby hook" down low, the Lady Bulldogs were never seriously threatened.

The 6-foot junior post player, explaining her deft touch in the paint, said with a big smile, "I've been working on that shot for a very long time, since I was in grade school."

McCormick led Notre Dame with 21 points -- including one three-pointer -- and 12 rebounds for about three quarters of work.

"Deana has stepped up every game we've played," said Grim. "She is a force to be reckoned with."

The Lady Bulldogs jumped to an early 7-0 lead keyed by Lisa Millham's three-pointer on the first shot of the game.

An aggressive, pressure defense forced several St. Joseph turnovers which resulted in five first-quarter steals and a 16-4 lead at the end of the first quarter.

The Lady Bulldogs showed excellent patience and ball movement offensively while the defense was still effective as the Lady Angels were held scoreless for the first five minutes of the second stanza and needed a buzzer-beater to get their eighth point of the quarter. Notre Dame led 32-12 at the half.

Playing reserves and different combinations of players in the second half, the Lady Bulldogs appeared quicker and more athletic than their foes and maintained a comfortable margin over the Lady Angels to remain undefeated.

Lisa Millham chipped in with 12 points and a fine floor game.

* Notre Dame's junior varsity won 37-35 on a three-point play in the last four seconds. Rachel Wright led the scoring with 11 points.