Notre Dame girls improve to 8-0 in their home debut

~ Notre Dame finally played it first home game and improved to 8-0 with a 59-30 win

The first two minutes of Monday night's contest between Notre Dame and Farmington girls basketball teams were far from perfect.

But over the next 30 minutes the Bulldogs showed why they are off to a perfect 8-0 start to their season.

Notre Dame tidied up after an unusually sloppy start to pull away and dominate the Knightettes 59-30.

It was the Bulldogs' first home game of the season.

Notre Dame's Kayce Landewee passes around Farmington's Ellaina Davis in the first quarter, Monday, Jan. 13, 2014, in Cape Girardeau. (Laura Simon)

"We say the first two minutes of every game is a roller coaster," Notre Dame coach Renee Peters said. "I don't know if it was being at home for the first time on January 13th or what the deal was. We came out and probably had three or four turnovers in the first two minutes."

Notre Dame quickly settled in and let its defense kick in.

The Bulldogs held Farmington to just four points in the opening eight minutes and took a 17-4 lead into the second quarter.

"The first three minutes we were just going, going, going," Notre Dame senior Annie Siebert said. "So we just needed to slow it down, and then we settled in."

Farmington scored its fourth point with 3 minutes, 18 seconds remaining in the first quarter. The Knightettes didn't score again until the 4:26 mark in the second quarter.

Notre Dame's Karsen Powers drives in for a shot in front of Farmington's Alexis Pauls in the first quarter, Monday, Jan. 13, 2014, in Cape Girardeau. (Laura Simon)

It was an impressive stretch for the Bulldogs' defense.

"Defensively, obviously what we lack in size we have to make up in our tenacity," Peters said. "It's just the piranha effect. When the ball goes in they're going after it. We're at the point now where we are really starting to fine-tune the little points of this defense, and they're buying into it and believing it."

Notre Dame was well on its way to a victory during the second quarter.

The Bulldogs led 29-9 at the half.

Notre Dame's defense pressure and depth became a lethal combination.

Notre Dame head coach Renee' Peters congratulates her players on their lead in the second quarter against Farmington, Monday, Jan. 13, 2014, in Cape Girardeau. (Laura Simon)

Eight Bulldogs found the scoring column, with Shelby Beussink leading the way with 12 points.

"Talk about eight big sisters out there on the court together," Peters said. "I think it's one of our strengths, too. This team -- a win means more than individual stats -- whatever it's going to take. To me that's what I'm most proud of is their unselfishness and their hustle. Those are things you can't coach."

Notre Dame continued its solid team play into the second half.

The Bulldogs outscored Farmington 24-14 in the third quarter.

"Coach, in the locker room, always makes a point to say, 'Don't stop here. We want to keep pushing,'" Siebert said. "Tim [Drury], our assistant coach, always says good teams put away teams. You don't just stop -- keep playing your game."

Kaitlin Welter joined Beussink in the double-digit scoring with 10 points, including two 3-pointers.

Kaitlyn Gilliam paced Farmington with nine points.

Farmington 4 5 14 7 -- 30

Notre Dame 17 12 24 6 -- 59

FARMINGTON (30) -- Ellaina Davis 7, Alexis Pauls 3, Kaitlyn Gilliam 9, Brittany Redmond 3, Loralee Bader 8. FG 8, FT 5-8, F 7. (3-pointers: Pauls 1, Gilliam 1. Fouled out: none)

NOTRE DAME (59) -- Karsen Powers 8, Annie Siebert 8, Shelby Beussink 12, Kaitlin Welter 10, Halle Lynch 6, Taylor Feeney 2, Madeline Rosenquist 7, Kayce Landewee 6. FG 21, FT 2-3, F 14. (3-pointers: Welter 2, Rosenquist 1, Landewee 2. Fouled out: none)