ND GIRLS CRUISE TO DISTRICT CROWN

BLOOMFIELD -- For Scott City High, the beginning -- four successive turnovers -- was ominous.

And matters never improved much for the Lady Rams in the Class 2A, District 2 girls basketball tournament here Friday, as No. 1 seed Notre Dame glided to a 55-24 championship game victory over the No. 3 seed.

The triumph handed the Lady Bulldogs their third district crown in a row, improved their record to 16-12 and sets up their sectional skirmish with East Carter County Wednesday at the Tiger Fieldhouse. East Carter was a 65-63 winner over Twin Rivers Friday.

Scott City's season closed at 18-9.

Notre Dame pestered Scott City into coughing up 22 turnovers, seven in the first quarter alone. The Lady Bulldogs bounded out to a 7-0 lead after Randi Senciboy's 3-pointer and transition basket.

In the quarter's final two minutes, Erin Vickery hit a jumper and made a layup after a steal, and Notre Dame was already well on its way to a win with a 13-4 lead.

"We wanted to get out there and jump on them and not let them hang around with us," Notre Dame coach Jerry Grim said. "That's what we did tonight. Our aggressive defense was what really paid off for us, and Scott City was basically taken out of their offense."

Scott City's lifeless play at the outset left Lady Rams coach Randall White dumbfounded.

"I expected us to go out and carry out a game plan," White said. "I was just totally surprised that we had some kids that looked like they were out there on their own mission or something. I have no explanation for it."

White said a couple of his players didn't particularly care for Notre Dame's close-and-personal brand of defense, but those complaints were unfounded, he said.

"They play physical, but you've got to play physical, or just go to the house," White said. "They muscled us around all over the floor. And I'm talking about playing physical within the game, not cheap shots. They really did a good job."

Notre Dame experienced none of Scott City's offensive woes. Eleven Lady Bulldogs scored, paced by freshman center Deanna McCormick's 12 points. Senior guard Randi Senciboy had 10 points.

Scott City's Becca Gowin tallied 11 points.

"We were trying to work together as hard as we could, and play as a team as best we could," Senciboy said. "We've started playing more as a team lately."

That team play persisted in the second quarter as McCormick's six points helped give the Lady Bulldogs a 29-10 halftime edge.

Notre Dame led 43-16 after three quarters, a figure that reflected not only the Lady Bulldogs' dominance Friday but is indicative of their play of late.

"For the last few games they have really started coming together as a team," Grim said. "And it couldn't happen at a better time."

Senciboy, who was a critical component of the Notre Dame team that finished second in the state two years ago, said the Lady Bulldogs' inspired play is born of a desire to return to Columbia.

"We've kind of had a rough season," Senciboy said. "There have been a lot of things that have been going on this season, but now it's down to the wire and we seniors want to repeat what we did two years ago. We want to go back. We want it bad. We want to show everybody that we can do it."