ND BOYS BOLSTER ARGUMENT FOR TOP SEED IN DISTRICT

With their 68-56 victory over the Scott City Rams Friday night, the Notre Dame Bulldogs didn't just snap a six-game losing streak to their fiercest rival.

More importantly, the Bulldogs (11-3) have claimed the inside track of the top seed in the Class 2A, District 2 tourney.

Notre Dame, Charleston and Scott City appeared to be fairly equal preseason front-runners in the district. But Notre Dame has separated itself after Friday night's game and after dominating Charleston 59-47 in the third-place game of the University High Christmas Tournament. The Bulldogs have beaten the other two potential contenders by a combined 24 points.

But Notre Dame coach Darrin Scott wasn't too concerned about district posturing following the Bulldogs' win Friday night.

"We feel good, but the thing I was pleased with is that we got better as a team," said Scott. "It's always good to win, but the main goal is to be playing your best basketball at district time. If you win tonight and turn around and don't get better and get beat in districts, that's not what we want. We want to build off this and continue to get better and learn something from each game."

Just intense

After coming out flat in the first quarter in their last few games, the Cape Central Tigers were looking for a boost.

So against New Madrid County Central, Cape Central coach Brett Reutzel inserted Mr. Physical, Justin Welker.

Welker only scored four points in the game, but his aggressive demeanor seemed to help the Tigers as Central (2-10) almost pulled off the area's biggest upset in the past several years in a 48-46 overtime loss to the Class 3A defending state champs.

"I just go out and play as hard as I can," said Welker. "That's all I've got going for me. I'm not the best basketball player in the world so I've got to play hard."

"We started Justin because we hadn't been playing real hard in the first quarter," said Reutzel. "We thought we'd possibly change the mentality of our team from the start. Justin, when he comes in, is either on the ground or putting somebody on the ground. He's very strong and very physical."

Pulling rank

Notre Dame will be holding its first annual girls shootout Saturday.

Three of the state's top five ranked teams in Class 4A will be featured at the event.

Parkway West, ranked first in Class 4A, will take on Cape Central.

The shootout will also consist of fifth-ranked Jackson (4A), third-ranked Poplar Bluff (4A) and, of course, Notre Dame which is ranked third in Class 2A.

Scott-Miss. Tournament

If the seedings hold true to form, then Oran and Scott City will square off for the championship of the Scott-Mississippi County Conference boys basketball tournament.

Oran and Scott City, who have split a pair of games decided by a total of three points, earned the first and second seeds, respectively, for the seven-team tourney that begins Monday night at Chaffee High School.

First-round games Monday have Scott City playing No. 7 East Prairie at 7:30 and No. 3 Chaffee facing No. 6 Delta at 9.

No. 4 Scott County Central plays No. 5 Kelly at 8 p.m. Tuesday in the final first-round game. Oran has an opening-round bye. The semifinals will be at 6:30 and 8 p.m. Thursday, with the championship game at 8 p.m. Friday.

Stoddard Co. Tournament

A pair of state-ranked teams are favored to meet in the championship game of the annual Stoddard County Conference boys basketball tournament that begins Monday at Bloomfield High School.

Defending champion Dexter, ranked sixth in Class 3A, is the No. 1 seed. Advance, which lost to Dexter in the finals of last year's tournament and is rated ninth in 1A, is seeded second.

Monday's first-round games pit No. 4 Puxico against No. 5 Bell City at 5:30 p.m. and No. 3 Richland against No. 6 Woodland at 8:30 p.m.

The opening round concludes Tuesday as Dexter plays No. 8 Bloomfield at 5:30 p.m. and Advance faces No. 7 Bernie at 8:30 p.m. The semifinals will be at 7 and 8:30 p.m. Thursday, with the championship game at 8:30 p.m. Friday.