JACKSON HOLDS OFF ND TO REACH FINAL 65-62

Four games had already been decided in the final minute Friday before Jackson and Notre Dame took the floor in the nightcap at the Show Me Center.

Make that five.

The quick-starting Jackson Indians held off a resilient Notre Dame squad 65-62 to advance to the University High Christmas Tournament championship game and fittingly conclude one of the most down-to-the-wire days in the 56 years of the tournament.

Jackson -- the only higher seed not to get upset on Friday -- will take on Advance for the U-High title tonight. Charleston and Notre Dame will play for third.

The six games Friday were decided by a total of 26 points with five of them being won by four or fewer points.

With the way Jackson came out in the first quarter, it looked like the string of close games would be over. The Indians came out on fire, hitting seven of their 10 shots in the first quarter and bolting to a 22-11 lead after the first eight minutes of play. Jackson, which shot 61 percent from the field in the first half, teetered on the edge of putting Notre Dame away.

But the Bulldogs would have nothing of the sort, battling back and taking a 48-46 lead with 2:34 in the third quarter on a 3-pointer by Mark Rubel. Jackson immediately responded with a 9-2 run and led 55-50 going into the fourth quarter.

"We got out to the big lead and that was something we were trying to establish," said first-year coach Mike Kiehne. "We knew they'd come back. They've got good players and they responded well and stepped up."

Notre Dame tied the game at 60 at the 2:52 mark on another three by Rubel, but the Bulldogs couldn't get over the hump late.

Notre Dame had a chance to tie the game with about 10 seconds left, but the Bulldogs turned the ball over. After Jackson's Brad Hilbert made a free throw, Notre Dame set up a play for one last shot, but Travis Seibert's contested three was just off the mark at the buzzer.

"In the second half we played well," said Notre Dame coach Darrin Scott.

But it was in the first half when Jackson really won the game.

Jackson got several points off the secondary break and Jackson's Seth McDowell had a huge half in the paint, scoring 12 of his 20 points.

"I just can't say enough about Seth," Kiehne said. "If we didn't have him playing inside, I don't know where we'd be. He made some big plays. He's only 6-foot-2, but he's very muscular and agile. He can create space and take advantage of space because of his quickness."

"They were very well prepared and executed well in the first quarter," Scott said. From a mental standpoint and a strategic standpoint, "they were more prepared than we were. They were clear on how to attack us. We talked about how to attack them, we just didn't execute it like they did."

Jackson also got 17 points from Brad Hilbert, who used a quick release to make four three-pointers. Bryant Beussink scored 12 for the Indians.

Rubel led Notre Dame with 17 points, while Jonathan Ressel added 12 points and Doug Schaefer and Cory Beussink added 11 apiece.

Jackson will be vying for its first U-High title since 1988 when it beat Scott County Central. Advance, which lost to Scott City in the finals last year, has not taken the first place trophy since 1958 when it beat Cape Central.

"Coach (Jim) Hall is a great coach who always has his kids ready to play," said Kiehne, a Jackson graduate who played against Hall's Dexter teams of the past. "They're the veterans here. They were in this game last year."