Notre Dame girls basketball team topples Perryville 68-24

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Coming together after a season of struggles, the Notre Dame girls basketball team that demolished Perryville on Monday looked dangerously like the Bulldogs teams of the past few seasons.

If that doesn't throw a scare into the rest of the Class 4 District 1 field, it should.

Notre Dame used a 32-0 run spanning portions of the first and second period to open a 39-5 lead on its way to a methodical 68-24 victory in a district quarterfinal Monday at the Sikeston Field House.

The Bulldogs (8-16) will face second-seeded Sikeston in a district semifinal today at 7:30 p.m.

Notre Dame scored the first seven points of the game -- including hitting consecutive 3-pointers -- before turning the game over to its defense. Perryville (8-17) turned the ball over on its first four possessions on its way to committing 14 turnovers in the first quarter.

That only fueled Notre Dame's vaunted transition game as the Bulldogs were able to convert layup after layup on its way to a 24-5 lead after one period.

"That was the difference in the game," said Notre Dame coach Renee Peters about the two quick 3-pointers that opened the floodgates. "I don't know how many times this year we've gone four, five minutes into the game without scoring. Tonight they came out [aggressive]."

The Bulldogs' frenetic defense consistently frustrated Perryville's offensive attack. Several backcourt steals led to easy layups, and when the Pirates did cross midcourt, Notre Dame's 2-3 matchup zone proved equally effective at getting steals and preventing the Pirates from getting to the rim.

Notre Dame coach Renee Peters and her team watch the end of the Perryville game in a Class 4 District 1 semifinal Monday, March 2, 2015 in Sikeston, Missouri. (Fred Lynch)

Peters lost 13 seniors from last year's team that pushed Dexter to the brink of an upset in the district final.

"We've got all new girls, and it's just a matter of them getting confident with the defense, the matchup that we play, and being able to trust that their teammate's are going to be there for the steal," Peters said. "Tonight it just came together for us. I'm really pleased."

Perryville attempted just three shots -- hitting two -- over the first eight minutes. At halftime, with Notre Dame leading 45-8, the Bulldogs had more field goals (17) than the Pirates had attempts (11). For the game, Notre Dame was 26 of 52 from the field (50 percent) and committed just 11 turnovers, while Perryville hit on 7 of 24 shots and had 35 turnovers.

"There were mistakes we made against their press and they just made constant runs on us," Perryville coach Vicki Lohmann said. "We played them in the second game of the season [a 59-25 Notre Dame win], and I knew that we were weak at that time. However, I thought that we improved some. Notre Dame's improved a lot."

Notre Dame sophomore guard Sam Brennan led all scorers with 21 points, while sophomore center Allie Ziegler added 10. Eleven players scored for the Bulldogs.

Junior guard Kylie Bilek led Perryville with 12 points.

"This is a team that I like to coach," Peters said. "It's my M.O. for coaching, just run and gun, everybody scores, everybody contributes. And they did tonight. I'm very proud."

Notre Dame's Sam Brennan takes control of the ball against Perryville's Abby Robinson during the second quarter of a Class 4 District 1 semifinal Monday, March 2, 2015 in Sikeston, Missouri. (Fred Lynch)

Brennan, who scored 15 points in the first half, credited her teammates for setting her up.

"They just get me the ball, and I get them the ball. We just do it together," Brennan said. "It was just kind of coming to me tonight."

Ziegler said the Bulldogs' defensive intensity set the tone for the lopsided win.

"I think it really helped us prepare for Sikeston [tonight]," she said. "If we can cut off the baseline against Sikeston, I think we can step it up."

Peters sees a new attitude in her team on the court the past few weeks, which has seen the Bulldogs build a season-high three-game win streak.

"We survived Kennett, we survived Poplar Bluff, and tonight we came out and won," she said. "It's baby steps, but we'll take it."

Perryville 5 3 11 5 -- 24

Notre Dame 24 21 17 6 -- 68

PERRYVILLE (24) -- Kylie Bilek 12, Ahnie Hoff 5, Maci Hotop 1, Jasmyn Mahathath 2, Emma Nelson 4. FG: 7. FT: 9-11. Total fouls: 9. (3-pointers: Bilek 1. Fouled out: none.)

NOTRE DAME (68) -- Sam Brennan 21, Morgan Duschell 4, Allie Ziegler 10, Olivia Jansen 4, Briley Bieser 2, Hayli Chapman 9, Brooke Blankenship 3, Cheyenne Sander 4, Rachel Conrad 7, Lexi Welter 2, Maddie Urhahn 2. FG: 26. FT: 10-15. Total fouls: 10. (3-pointers: Brennan 2, Chapman 2, Conrad 2. Fouled out: none.)