Notre Dame girls basketball team reaches semifinals of Holiday Classic

Summer Burger and Karsen Powers kept their arms poking and prodding at the ball as the Scott City guards tried to operate Tuesday.

The Notre Dame defensive duo helped force the Rams into 21 turnovers in the first half alone during their Kelso Supply Holiday Classic girls basketball tournament game at the Show Me Center.

The Bulldogs rode their defense and subsequent fast-break points off turnovers to a 61-38 victory to advance to today's semifinals.

"Our defense, that has to be our bread and butter this year," Notre Dame coach Renee Peters said. "What we lack in size, we make up in speed, speed and chemistry."

Scott City features 6-foot-2 senior Katie Hogan, an intimidating presence who can score and wreak havoc on the opposition's offense. The Bulldogs' plan was to score in transition to avoid dealing with Hogan.

Notre Dame's Summer Burger takes a shot next to Scott City defender Katie Rhymer in the second quarter during the first round of the Show Me Center Holiday Classic Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2011 in Cape Girardeau. (Laura Simon)

"We were just trying to force as many turnovers as we can," Powers said. "We knew she was one of their better players, so we were trying to keep the ball out of her hands as much as possible."

Notre Dame used a 16-0 run in the second quarter to start pulling away. The Bulldogs' defense sparked the charge.

"I think having pressure on the ball, especially on their guards, and then our second line of defenders anticipating the pass and jumping them was the key to all the turnovers," Burger said.

Scott City (3-5) committed 10 turnovers in the second quarter alone. It finished with 30 in the game.

"They were trapping right in the middle and our girls, we haven't seen it all year," Scott City coach Ricky Keller said. "A lot of inexperience hurt us, inexperience on our part. They're very quick."

Notre Dame head coach Renee Peters congratulations her team on leading the game against Scott City in the first half during the first round of the Show Me Center Holiday Classic Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2011 in Cape Girardeau. (Laura Simon)

Keller said that Notre Dame's speed and swarming defense caused his younger guards to panic at times.

"They wanted the ball out of their hands," he said. "I felt like they did a good job out front pressuring us so we had a hard time getting in there. I felt like the lob was there anytime we wanted it. It's just getting the ball to the right spot to get the lob."

Hogan scored a game-high 19 points and experienced little resistance near the basket when she caught it. But the Rams' problem was getting it to their leading scorer.

"Since we're little termites as coach likes to call us, we always knew where she was because she is several inches taller than our players," Notre Dame senior Brooke Bohnert said. "It was really important to know where she was and to always front her. But they always lobbed it over us.

"She's a beast. She's got long arms and long legs and knows what to do whenever she gets the ball. It's tough to guard her."

Notre Dame's offense came from multiple sources. Burger led the way with 13 points, while Bohnert and Powers both added 12.

"We're a better team when we have balanced scoring," Peters said. "When we're running and everyone's looking for each other, it's good."

One thing that did trouble Notre Dame was the court. The Show Me Center court no longer has a high school 3-point line on it, so the players were forced to chuck shots from behind the college 3-point line, which is 20.9 feet from the basket. The high school line is 19.9 feet from the basket.

"We had enough other baskets, but the top of the key, that's your focal point and a lot of your offensive half-court sets are based on that line, how far out you're going to run, how quick you're going to stop," Peters said. "That one extra step tonight, you could see we were rimming a lot of shots. You don't think it would have mattered, but it did. It was more of a mental thing."

The teams combined to go 2 of 16 (13 percent) on 3-pointers in the game.

The Bulldogs (4-3) advanced to face No. 2 seed Meadow Heights, which they lost to 56-54 earlier this month, in the 8:30 p.m. semifinal. Scott City will play Perryville in today's 5:30 p.m. consolation semifinal.

Scott City 9 10 8 11 -- 38

Notre Dame 12 23 14 12 -- 61

SCOTT CITY (38) -- Lyndsie Robert 4, Lindsey Rendleman 6, Katie Rhymer 3, Katie Hogan 19, Brittany Kiefer 2, Alicia Kern 4. FG 13, FT 11-15, F 13. (3-pointers: Rhymer 1. Fouled out: none)

NOTRE DAME (61) -- Miranda Fowler 2, Annie Siebert 7, Karsen Powers 12, Summer Burger 13, Shelby Beussink 7, Madison Huckstep 6, Brooke Bohnert 12, Halle Lynch 2. FG 25, FT 10-13, F 11. (3-pointers: Huckstep 1. Fouled out: none)