LADY BULLDOGS FIGURE TO USE LOSS AS SOURCE OF MOTIVATION

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- With about two minutes left in Notre Dame's 61-42 Class 2A state championship loss to Stockton late Saturday night, the Lady Bulldog crowd started chanting "We'll be back, we'll be back."

There's no doubt that before they left the Hearnes Center, the Lady Bulldogs were already thinking about next year.

Notre Dame won't lose any starters off a team that was ranked No. 1 most of the year.

Notre Dame coach Jerry Grim was emotional following his team's loss, especially after watching his players work so hard at practice, after practice and in the offseason.

"It tears you up," he said.

But Grim knows this run of excellence isn't over and he knows the team will use this loss as motivation.

After the game, "I told the girls we'll be back. I told them, you guys played hard, but just ran up against a team that beat us. I told them you've got to be proud of this season."

The Lady Bulldogs, who finished at 27-4 with three of those losses to Class 4A schools, improved throughout the season and sophomore Ashley Millham, in particular, showed signs of emerging as perhaps Notre Dame's top weapon next year.

This year, she averaged just over 10 points per game -- third most on the team behind Lisa Millham and Deana McCormick -- but she led the Lady Bulldogs in scoring in each of their last three games, including a 25-point performance in Notre Dame's semifinal win over Elsberry.

Notre Dame will lose two seniors -- Amber and Iris Elfrink.

"They were great leaders for us, on and off the court," Grim said.

Not their best game

Notre Dame had probably its worst shooting night of the season in the title game.

Granted, a quick Stockton team had a lot to do with that, but the Lady Bulldogs missed several shots they would've normally made and ended up shooting just 35 percent for the game, nine percent less than their season average.

The Lady Bulldogs missed three layups and eight shots inside the paint in the second half alone.

Armstrong just too much

Jenna Armstrong, who averages 24 points per game and is headed to the University of Iowa on a basketball scholarship, simply couldn't miss Saturday night.

The quick and versatile 5-foot-10 guard shot 47 percent from the field, made four of her six threes -- including two from three feet behind the arc and a 35-footer at the buzzer to end the first quarter -- and nailed all 10 of her free throws. Armstrong, the coach's daughter, made 86 percent of her free throws this season.

Kiana Bock, a 5-foot-10 freshman, also hurt Notre Dame. She hit seven of her 11 shots and ended up with 17 points and pulled down 10 rebounds.

Free throws costly

Stockton shot 26 free throws compared to only eight by Notre Dame.

The Lady Tigers, who shot an amazing 74 percent as a team this season, made 21 foul shots for 80 percent.

The rebounding edge, however, went to Notre Dame.

Led by McCormick's eight rebounds led the Lady Bulldogs, who outrebounded Stockton 31-28.