ND GIRLS SHOOT DOWN LADY BOMBERS

PARK HILLS, Mo. -- This time Notre Dame wouldn't be denied.

Notre Dame broke a two-year quarterfinal curse Saturday night, knocking off nemesis John Burroughs 59-39 to advance to the Class 2A Final Four.

The Lady Bulldogs used their unmatched balance, active defense and trademark execution to knock off the Lady Bombers, the same team that ousted Notre Dame from the playoffs the last two years.

"We worked so hard for this," said Deana McCormick, who finished with a game-high 24 points. "This feels so good right now."

"These girls played so hard," said Notre Dame coach Jerry Grim. "They deserve this."

Notre Dame will play a Class 2A semifinal game in Columbia, Mo., on Friday against Elsberry, a 67-54 winner over Southern Boone County on Saturday.

Though the game was close in the first half, Notre Dame was the better team from the tip. The Lady Bulldogs led by no fewer than 10 points in the fourth quarter.

Ashley Millham, using her driving ability made some unorthodox shots and scored 15 points, the same amount as her sister, Lisa. Ashley Millham twice scored on shots at the buzzer, once to end the first quarter and another at the end of the third.

The Lady Bulldogs exorcised their shooting demons, making 21 of their 39 shots after shooting horribly in the quarterfinal game last year.

"They play well together," said John Burroughs coach Dennis Moore. "You can tell they played together a long time together. They've got some outstanding players in McCormick and the Millhams but all their players are solid."

Notre Dame started off the first quarter on a cold streak, not a good sign for the Lady Bulldogs considering their history against John B urroughs in the T.J. Foulon Fieldhouse. Notre Dame hit only one of its first six shots, but ended up making five of its 11 shots in the first eight minutes. The Lady Bulldogs led 13-11 going into the second quarter.

Perhaps the biggest play of the first half came with about six minutes left in the second quarter. Notre Dame's Ali Tyson drew a charge on Argetsinger. It was Argetsinger's third foul. Argetsinger stayed in the game, but couldn't be as aggressive. She later fouled out with 1:29 left in the fourth quarter with only 14 points, six below her season average.

Notre Dame made six of its nine shots in the second quarter and played excellent defense to outscore the Lady Bombers 13-9 and take a 26-19 lead into the locker room. The halftime score was Notre Dame's largest lead of the first half.

The Lady Bulldogs pushed their lead to 43-30 going into the fourth quarter. Notre Dame outscored John Burroughs 17-11 in the third and Ashley Millham finished it off with a running spin move with two seconds left.

* In the boys' quarterfinal, Cardinal Ritter defeated Caruthersville 70-51. Cardinal Ritter used a 19-7 scoring advantage in the third quarter and led the Tigers 47-35 going into the fourth. Caruthersville, the victim of far too many careless turnovers, trailed by at least eight points the entire fourth quarter.