ND beats Poplar Bluff in final seconds

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Brooke Bohnert was at the right place at the right time Monday night for the Notre Dame Bulldogs.

Bohnert's put back with 4 seconds left gave Notre Dame a 49-47 SEMO Conference comeback win over Poplar Bluff.

"That's not a position we've put ourselves in much this year," Notre Dame coach Renee Peters said. "It was kind of uncomfortable for us to say the least."

After rallying from an 11-point first-half deficit, Notre Dame (12-2, 3-0 SEMO) saw its slim lead slip away late. Poplar Bluff (10-5, 0-1) scored six straight points, tying the game at 47-47 with 44 seconds remaining.

Following a timeout, Notre Dame worked for the last shot but the Lady Mules were in a 2-3 zone, content on giving up anything from the outside. A baseline jumper by Meghan Dohogne from the left side missed, but Bohnert got the rebound on the opposite block and scored.

Poplar Bluff's last-second, half-court shot fell short as Notre Dame beat the Mules for a second straight year.

"They knew it was going to go to Jane [Morrill]," Peters said of the final shot. "I think the whole free world knew it was going to go to Jane, but that's what we played it.

"But by the grace of the good Lord, it fell into Brooke's hands."

Allyson Bradshaw scored 14 points to lead Notre Dame, while Dohogne added 13 points and seven rebounds. Morrill chipped in 10 points and nine rebounds, scoring eight second-half points. Bohnert finished with six points and three steals.

Notre Dame out-rebounded the Mules 20-14 and scored 14 second-chance points.

Sophomore forward Marissa Webb scored 14 to lead the Mules, who scored the first six points and led 14-7 after one quarter.

Poplar Bluff's lead grew to 20-9 with 5:30 left in the half, but Notre Dame finished with a 12-8 run to close the gap. The Bulldogs trailed 28-21 at the break after shooting 39 percent from the field in the first half.

"For us to actually pull this one out is a step in the right direction," Peters said.

Notre Dame opened the second half with a 10-3 run, tying the game at 31-31 on Bradshaw's 3-pointer with 3:55 left in the third. The fourth quarter started tied at 35-35, but the Bulldogs scored the next four points after offensive rebounds by Dohogne and Morrill.

A steal and lay-in by Summer Burger with 2:41 left pushed Notre Dame's lead to 47-41, but a pair of turnovers and a missed shot allowed Poplar Bluff to pull even on Webb's leaner with 44 seconds left.

"We felt like we had a better chance of them beating us from the outside than they did inside," Poplar Bluff coach Kirk Chronister said. "It worked as far as them not hitting the shot, we just didn't do a very good job of checking them off on the rebound."

Notre Dame 7 14 14 14 -- 49

Poplar Bluff 14 14 7 12 -- 47

NOTRE DAME (12-2) -- Katherine Blasiney 4. Allyson Bradhsaw 14. Jane Morrill 10. Brooke Bohnert 6. Meghan Dohogne 13. Lacy Boeller 0. Nicole Blattel 0. Summer Burger 2. Kaelin Hale 0. (3-point field goals: Bradshaw 2. Blasiney.)

POPLAR BLUFF (10-5) -- Dennisha Rice 9. Chelsea Darnell 10. Abby Ivie 12. Marissa Webb 14. Courtney Knuckles 2. Danielle Farmer 0. Kelsey Bates 0. Sara Eyler 0. Jesse Green 0. (3-point field goals: Rice. Ivie.)