NOTRE DAME GIRLS STAY UP LATE FOR THE STATE TITLE GAME; ND BATTLES SKYLINE; E. CARTER PLACES SECOND

COLUMBIA -- Notre Dame High's Lady Bulldogs played the role of night owls Saturday in trying to bring home the school's first state girls basketball championship.

The Lady Bulldogs and Urbana Skyline hooked up in the Class 2A title contest that did not start until nearly 10:30 p.m.

Notre Dame trailed defending 2A state champion Urbana Skyline 24-15 midway through the second quarter as the Southeast Missourian went to press.

Notre Dame, which carried a 22-9 record into the title game, had advanced with a 59-48 win over Hartville on Friday night. The Lady Bulldogs were appearing in their second 2A championship game in three years, having finished second in 1995.

Skyline, which was 30-1 -- and owned a victory over 3A state champion Marshfield -- advanced by routing previously undefeated Palmyra 56-38 in the semifinal round.

The Lady Tigers got off to a strong start, scoring the game's first eight points. But the Lady Bulldogs recovered and trailed just 17-13 after one quarter.

Complete details of the game will appear in Monday's Southeast Missourian.

Meanwhile, Southeast Missouri's other Class 2A Final Four participant fell short of a title Saturday night as East Carter County lost to undefeated Kansas City Pembroke Hill 76-58 in the boys championship contest.

East Carter finished the season at 29-3 while Pembroke Hill improved to 32-0.

Pembroke Hill was led by the sensational JaRon Rush, a 6-foot-7 junior who is rated as one of the nation's top high school players. Rush scored 31 points and grabbed 21 rebounds. His sophomore brother, Kareem, added 21 points and 11 rebounds.

East Carter got 15 points from Dominic Thompson and 11 from Zach Price.