Notre Dame wins fifth straight district title

The more things change, the more things stay the same.

Led by seniors Anna Garner and Tori Rubel, the Bulldogs knocked off the Knights 58-43 to win their fifth straight district championship on Tuesday in Farmington.

Notre Dame advances to the Class 5 quarterfinal round, where the Bulldogs will tangle with the C5D2 champion John Burroughs on Saturday at 1:45 p.m., at Jefferson College in Hillsboro.

Garner scored a team-high 17 points, while Rubel added 16 with a team-high 10 rebounds for the double-double. Freshman Brie Rubel chipped in 11 points with three baskets from the three-point line.

Freshmen Kate Rubel and Nevaeh Lucious each scored six points and Adyson Seabaugh rounded out the scoring with a pair of free throws.

The Rubel sisters have had a hand in the Bulldogs' district championship streak. Lexi Rubel, who now plays college ball at UT Martin was a freshman during Notre Dame’s first district title in 2019. She and Tori, who will join her at UTM, have now gone all four years with a district title and the younger Brie and Kate are starting their careers right with their first.

“They're a phenomenal group of kids,” Notre Dame head coach Kirk Boeller said, “talented at basketball and fun to be around. They fit well with our program and we just got a bunch of good kids. I'm proud of them.”

The eldest Rubel and Garner provided much of the scoring in the first half, providing a combined 19 of the Bulldogs’ 24 points, but they found themselves down 30-24 at halftime.

Garner, Tori, and Brie Rubel drained a 3-point basket in the third quarter to help the Bulldogs come from behind and take a 40-35 lead after holding the Knights to five points. The Bulldogs' defense continued to stifle the Knights, holding them to eight points in the fourth quarter.

“Our backs are up against the wall,” Boeller said. “Really, that's all the change, we realized that we were two quarters away from our season being over and we answered the call.”

The Bulldogs avenged their 49-44 overtime road loss to Farmington on Feb. 13 to advance to the state tournament. Notre Dame has seen major contributions for their three freshmen and it has given the Bulldogs new life this season.

“It's a different team and it's just all new,” Boeller said. “We're new, we're young, and sometimes they just don't know better. So I'm excited to get another chance to play Saturday.