ND overtakes Bluff with 23-0 quarter

All the members of the Notre Dame girls basketball team watched the movie "Miracle" at coach Renee Peters' house Sunday night.

The players, with the movie in their minds, put together a miracle third quarter Monday night.

It was at a time when they needed a miracle after scoring just 12 points in the first half.

The Bulldogs outscored Poplar Bluff 23-0 in the third period to post a 54-43 victory on homecoming night at Notre Dame Regional High School.

"I pulled some excerpts from [the movie]," Peters said about her halftime speech. "And I said, 'You know what — right now they're playing with more heart than you.'"

FRED LYNCH ~ flynch@semissourian.comPoplar Bluff's Tori Williams, front, and Notre Dame's Allyson Bradshaw look for the official's call after colliding and tumbling to the floor during the first quarter Monday at Notre Dame. Bradshaw was called for a charge.

Notre Dame improved to 11-4, while Poplar Bluff dropped to 10-7.

It was important for Notre Dame to get its leading scorer Jane Morrill the ball after she not only went scoreless in the first half, but hardly even touched the ball.

Morrill scored 13 points after break and played well at the beginning of the third with solid rebounding and scoring to help shift the momentum.

"She told us to play hard, believe, and she said find the open floor," Morrill said about Peters' halftime talk. "Those were our three main points we were trying to hit.

"I don't think we've ever come back from a 12-[point] deficit [at halftime]," Morrill added. "That was pretty crazy."

Notre Dame came out with a full-court press early in the third quarter. It led to some turnovers for the Mules and some quick transition baskets for Notre Dame.

"Right in the third quarter we started pressing and the momentum was just going," Morrill said. "Everybody was playing defense real well and getting steals. And then coming down here and shooting 3s, it just helped everything."

Notre Dame nailed three 3-pointers in the third quarter and was 4 of 9 from 3-point range in the contest. Alex Fowler, Allyson Bradshaw and Lacy Boeller each hit from beyond the arc for the Bulldogs.

Poplar Bluff led 24-12 at halftime. Notre Dame went on a 13-0 run in the first 4 minutes, 40 seconds of the third quarter to take its first lead of the contest at 25-24.

"Coach told us to get cocky and we did," Bradshaw said.

Bradshaw said Morrill starting to score helped jumpstart the offense. Morrill scored the first bucket of the third on a pass to her inside.

"With her out of the offense, we lose it," Bradshaw said. "We call her 'The Man' because she can do it all."

Peters added: "We got Jane the ball. I think Jane had three shots the first half. We're not going to win ballgames when she doesn't touch the ball. ... Even if she doesn't shoot, she's got to touch the ball. That creates a lot of movement for us."

The Mules outscored Notre Dame 13-3 in the first quarter. Poplar Bluff's Ruthie Johnson led the way with six points that period. She then netted two 3-pointers in the first 1:14 of the second quarter to give her team a 19-3 lead.

"I was happy to be down 12 or 10 at half because to score three points in the first quarter, I was like, 'This is ridiculous,'" Peters said.

Notre Dame shot 47 percent (17-36) from the field and outrebounded the Mules 24-18.

Alex Fowler had 13 points to tie Morrill for the team lead. Bradshaw scored 11 points while Meghan Dohogne netted 10 points and collected a team-high seven rebounds.

"It's awesome, especially for our homecoming game," Bradshaw said about the win.

Poplar Bluff 13 110 19— 43

Notre Dame39 23 19— 54

POPLAR BLUFF (43) — Ruthie Johnson 15, Dennisha Rice 2, Miranda Burroughs 12, Natalie Stonecipher 4, Tori Williams 5, Allie Pattillo 3, Courtney Knuckles 2. FG 18-54, FT 2-3, F 20. (3-pointers: Johnson 3, Burroughs 1, Pattillo 1. Fouled out: Williams)

NOTRE DAME (53) — Lacy Boeller 5, Allyson Bradshaw 11, Meghan Dohogne 10, Alex Fowler 13, Jane Morrill 13, Brooke Bohnert 2 FG 17-36, FT 16-24, F 7. (3-pointers: Fowler 2, Boeller 1, Bradshaw 1. Fouled out: none)