Notre Dame girls resume reign with 52-35 win over Blackcats

SIKESTON -- After winning eight straight district titles from 1997 to 2004, Notre Dame's girls basketball team had gone two years without a district title.

The Bulldogs broke open a three-point halftime lead with a 10-1 run to finish the third quarter, and Notre Dame went on to upset top-seeded Fredericktown 52-35 on Friday in the finals of the Class 4 District 1 tournament.

Now the Bulldogs will move on to the sectionals, where they will face Farmington at Mineral Area College in Park Hills.

Notre Dame led 22-19 at halftime, but thanks to some pressure defense and several key steals, the No. 2 Bulldogs pushed the lead to 40-27 heading into the final quarter. The lead was cut to nine points in the opening minutes of the fourth, but Fredericktown would get no closer.

"Our whole goal this season was to be leaders of this team and show everyone we could win a district championship," senior Claudia Brauss said. "Every practice and every game led up to this."

Brauss was part of a senior wrecking crew for the Bulldogs on Friday which combined for 44 points. Kristain Burger led the four seniors with 15 points, Meridith Medlin had 13, Brauss had 10 and Brooke Beussink added six points and several key steals. Along with her 10 points, Brauss guarded Fredericktown's 6-foot center Betsy Royer much of the time and was big on the boards.

"Claudia played a heck of a game," Notre Dame coach Jerry Grim said. "Not only was she key on the boards, but she played good defense. This is one of the best games she's had in a while, and I'm happy for her."

Fredericktown was down 27-24 following a Courtney Kemp 3-pointer early in the third quarter before Notre Dame turned on the pressure. The Bulldogs increased their defensive pressure on Kemp, holding her to just one point the rest of the way. Kemp led the Blackcats with 12 points.

"I thought one of the keys to tonight's game was controlling Kemp on the perimeter," Grim said. "She handles the ball terrific, but she doesn't like to go to her right."

The Bulldogs were able to get Kemp to foul out with the score 43-33 midway through the fourth quarter. Notre Dame cruised from there, outscoring Fredericktown 9-2 the rest of the way.

"That was a big point in the game," Grim said. "We were up then, but still she's the leader on the floor. When she goes off the floor they lose a lot."

Despite falling to Fredericktown by double digits in a regular season meeting, Notre Dame came out and grabbed an early lead. After trailing 9-7 after one quarter, Fredericktown went on an 8-1 run to grab its biggest lead at 17-10. Notre Dame closed the half with a 12-2 run to gain momentum heading into the third quarter.

"We knew the third quarter was going to be a key," Beussink said. "We had to come out strong and try to hold on for the rest of the game."

Notre Dame 52, Fredericktown 35

Fredericktown 7 12 8 10 -- 35

Notre Dame 9 13 18 12 -- 52

FREDERICKTOWN (37) -- Courtney Kemp 12, Betsy Royer 8, Johnna Tinnin 6, Nicki Settlemoir 2, Tricia Ward 7. FG 14, FT 5-11, F 14 (3-pointers: Ward 1, Kemp 1. Fouled out: Kemp)

NOTRE DAME (52) -- Kristain Burger 15, Meridith Medlin 13, Claudia Brauss 10, Alex Fowler 5, Brooke Beussink 6, Emily Brumitt 3. FG 17, FT 15-18, F 13 (3-pointers: Brumitt 1, Medlin 1, Fowler 1. Fouled out: none)