NOTRE DAME GIRLS `POLL' CROWN FROM SCOTT CITY

BLOOMFIELD -- Coaches and players often turn to quotes published in newspapers as motivational devices.

In a twist on that practice, Notre Dame's girls basketball team saw that it did not garner even a single vote in the latest SEMO top-10 area media poll published in the Southeast Missourian, while its opponent in the championship of the Class 2A, District 2 tournament, Scott City, was ranked fourth.

With that in mind, the top-seeded Lady Bulldogs hammered rival Scott City, the No. 2 seed, 50-31 Friday at Bloomfield High School to earn a berth into Wednesday's sectional round. The Lady Bulldogs will face East Carter County at Cape Central High School.

Notre Dame rolled through the tournament by winning its three games by almost 40 points per game. Last season, Scott City, which finished 21-6 this year, beat Kelly in the finals of the tournament and advanced to the quarterfinal round.

"What really made us want this so bad," said Notre Dame junior Rachael Schlosser, who scored eight points, "was because the Southeast Missourian had all the teams ranked and we did not get one vote. ...That just made us just go out there and tear them up."

Although Notre Dame (19-9) led from the 3:11 mark of the first quarter until the end, the Lady Bulldogs "tore them up" to the greatest degree in the fourth quarter.

Notre Dame led 34-26 entering the fourth period. Scott City proceeded to completely fall apart in the final quarter, going just 2 of 17 from the field and scoring only five points.

"I haven't had a team that performed like that offensively in the district tournament that I can remember," said a thoroughly disappointed Scott City coach Randall White. "We did not keep our composure offensively. We turned the ball over at times without pressure and you just can't do that against a good ball club like Notre Dame."

"We put a little bit more pressure on them, but I think (Scott City) just wore down in the fourth quarter," Grim said.

After trailing most of the first quarter, Notre Dame took its first lead with a little more than three minutes left on a jumper by Melissa Maurer. The Lady Bulldogs led 13-9 entering the second quarter and 23-16 at the break.

Scott City brought the game within six points, 32-26, with 29 seconds left in third period. But Notre Dame scored the first six points of the fourth, and then hit 10 of 14 free throws in the final 3:35 while the Lady Rams hit only one field goal during the span.

Notre Dame's Amanda Lange, a 6-foot senior, led all scorers with 13 points. Maurer, Schlosser and Randi Senciboy each had eight. For Scott City, seniors Sara Emerson and Tara Sanford had 11 and eight points, respectively.

"We've got some kids that can put it in the hole," Grim said, "and when we're patient and we run our offense they get it in there. We've played really well the last two weeks."