NEW 'DOG HOUSE YIELDS WIN NO. 1; ND TOPS CENTRAL 69-65 IN OT

Beating your arch rival as you play your first game in your brand-new gymnasium.

For Notre Dame High's basketball Bulldogs, it doesn't get any better than that.

"Our first game in the new gym and beating Cape Central," said a smiling Zach Miller. "It's a great feeling, about as good as it gets."

Notre Dame, playing its first varsity basketball game at the new school, claimed a thrilling 69-65 overtime victory over Cape Girardeau Central Tuesday night.

Nearly 1,500 fans were able to comfortably sit in the sparkling facility that seats about 1,800. It was a far cry from the old days, when fans had to cram into every available space at Notre Dame's old gym, affectionately known as `The Pit.'

"At first I didn't know if I would like this place because I was really used to playing in The Pit," said Miller, who scored 16 points. "But this is really a great place. We all love it."

Said Notre Dame coach Chris Janet, whose team evened its record at 1-1, "We're really proud of this place. And you probably couldn't have asked for a better way to open the new gym. It was a typical Cape-Notre Dame battle, just a hard-fought game by both teams."

Miller was one of four players to score in double figures for the Bulldogs. Michael Wehner led the way with 19 points, Adam Obermiller had 15 and Jason Rubel contributed 11. Anthony Ressel chipped in with eight points as Notre Dame's starters did all the scoring.

Central, which fell to 0-2, got the bulk of its offense from its two strong inside players. Ross Conner led the way with 23 points while Kelly Illers added 16. No other player scored more than six.

"It was a very good game, a fun game for fans to watch," said Central coach Brett Reutzel. "They were the better team tonight. We've got a lot of work to do."

Notre Dame, taking advantage of numerous early Central turnovers, started strong and led 21-11 late in the first quarter before the Tigers pulled to within 21-16 at the end of the period.

The Tigers then outscored the Bulldogs by six points in the second quarter to go ahead 28-27 at halftime, finally taking the lead on Jason Roddy's inside basket with 41 seconds left.

After Notre Dame forged a 31-31 tie early in the second half, Central scored nine straight points to apparently take control at 40-31. The Tigers led 50-44 after three quarters.

The Tigers were still ahead by five points at 55-50 early in the final period, but Obermiller scored inside and Miller drained a 3-pointer for a 55-55 tie with five minutes left.

Things stayed tight the rest of regulation, Central going up twice by two points but Notre Dame able to tie the score each time.

Wehner scored inside with 2:06 left for a 59-59 deadlock. Notre Dame could have gone ahead two different times in the final minute, but Ressel and Obermiller both missed front ends of one-and-one free-throw opportunities. Central missed a shot in the closing seconds, so it was on to the four-minute overtime tied at 59.

Miller missed the front end of a one-and-one just nine seconds into the extra session. But just seconds later, Obermiller stole a pass and drove in for a basket and was fouled. He made the free throw for a 62-59 Notre Dame lead, an advantage the Bulldogs would not relinquish.

Three times Central pulled to within a point, but Notre Dame answered every challenge. With 13.8 seconds left, Wehner made two free throws for a 68-65 lead. After Illers missed a 3-pointer, Rubel hit one of two foul shots with 3.8 seconds left to seal the victory.

"It wasn't always pretty, but I thought we showed a lot of composure," Janet said. "We've got some experienced guys and I think that paid off. These guys wanted this real bad."

Notre Dame also won a tight JV game 45-43 as John Hamm scored 12 points.

The Tigers and Bulldogs won't have to wait long for a rematch. They meet Tuesday in the Sikeston Tournament.