Sikeston boys basketball team proves too potent for Notre Dame

DEXTER, Mo. -- The Notre Dame boys accomplished a big goal Friday night against the top-ranked team in Class 4.

The Bulldogs were the overwhelming underdog as they faced a Sikeston team that entered the District 1 championship game with a 25-0 record.

For Notre Dame coach Kevin Roberts, it was about putting Sikeston, which never entered a fourth quarter this season without a lead, in an unusual and uncomfortable position.

Notre Dame, which spotted Sikeston an 8-0 lead and had just one point through the first seven minutes of the game, recovered to take its first lead in the third quarter.

The Notre Dame highlight, a seven-point lead, proved to be the beginning of the end.

Notre Dame's Jacob Tolbert puts up a shot between Sikeston defenders Corey Porter, left, and Terry Jamison during the fourth quarter of their Class 4 District 1 title game Friday in Dexter, Mo. (Fred Lynch)

Sikeston outscored Notre Dame by 21 points over the final 8 minutes, 43 seconds, pulling away for a 66-52 victory.

It marked the third straight year Sikeston prevailed in the matchup of Bulldogs in the district final.

"It showed the character of their team," Roberts said. "Our goal was to get them down and see if they could respond. And when we got them down seven, they responded. And they responded big."

Sikeston scored the first seven points of a 13-0 run in the final 43 seconds of the third quarter to tie the game.

The 6-foot-2 Corey Porter, a 295-pound bruiser, ignited the charge with a basket, drawing the third foul on Notre Dame's 6-7 senior Jacob Tolbert in the process. After missing the ensuing free throw, Porter grabbed a loose ball off the rebound and fed senior Janeil Hatchett for a basket inside. Senior Will Holifield then paved the way for a big fourth quarter, both for himself and his teammates, by knocking down a 3-pointer to knot the score at 40-40.

Notre Dame players watch the end of Friday's game in Dexter, Mo.

"They made that run and kind of got us in the mindset of, 'Oh no,'" Roberts said.

Sikeston players had other thoughts running through their minds when they found themselves trailing by seven.

"The only thing going through your mind is you can't let it end," Holifield said. "If we're going to go down, we're going to go down swinging."

Holifield, who had nine of his game-high 20 points in the fourth quarter, added another 3-pointer in the first minute of the final period as Sikeston completed its 13-0 run, which turned a seven-point deficit into a 46-40 lead with 6:46 remaining.

"They're undefeated for a reason," said Tolbert, who finished with 13 points. "They really know how to come out and play all four quarters at the same intensity."

Notre Dame's Cody Heisserer looks to pass against Sikeston during the first quarter of their Class 4 District 1 title game Friday, Feb. 25, 2011 in Dexter, Mo. (Fred Lynch)

In the fourth quarter, Sikeston hit 10 of 15 shots, committed just one turnover on its first 17 possessions and scored on all but four of those trips down the floor.

"It was that instinct of winning just kicking in," Hatchett said. "Something just ticks off in your head when they got that lead on us.

"Give credit to Notre Dame for coming out and doing what they had to do to get back into the game. Once we settled down and made a couple shots, I knew we could come back. Will hit a big shot for us. Once he hit that big shot, we were on a roll."

Hatchett and Porter both finished with 14 points, scoring 13 of their combined 28 points in the fourth quarter.

Notre Dame (16-12) was no match for Sikeston over the final eight minutes after erasing an eight-point halftime deficit in the third quarter. Notre Dame committed nine turnovers and hit on 3 of its first 11 shots during Sikeston's 27-8 run over the first seven minutes of the fourth quarter. Tolbert and teammate Cody Heisserer both fouled out during the fourth-quarter demise.

Notre Dame's Derek Landewee takes a shot between Sikeston defenders Will Holifield, left, and Corey Porter during the first quarter Friday.

The final minute was played with both teams' starters on the bench.

It was an anticlimactic finish to a game that had numerous runs, which ultimately led to Notre Dame's third-quarter lead.

Notre Dame trailed 10-1 when Joseph Siebert hit a 3-pointer with 38 seconds left in the first quarter to account for his team's first field goal.

Sikeston took a 12-6 lead into the second quarter but saw Notre Dame narrow the gap to 16-14 on a Derek Landewee basket at the 4:58 mark. Sikeston then threw a 12-2 run at Notre Dame and went into halftime with a 28-20 lead.

"When we looked at the halftime score, 28-20, we held a team that's averaging close to 80 points a game to 28 points," Roberts said. "That's awesome. We just struggled offensively at first. We just couldn't find the rhythm."

Notre Dame's Nathan Meystedt is fouled while shooting against Sikeston's Will Holifield during the fourth quarter Friday.

Notre Dame trailed 33-30 midway through the third quarter but overtook Sikeston with a 10-0 run. Nathan Meystedt, who scored 10 of his team-high 16 points during the third quarter, gave Notre Dame its first lead with a pair of free throws at the 3:12 mark.

Notre Dame's lead and intensity had a loud, packed gym on its feet. On Sikeston's possession after Meystedt's free throws, Jonathan Lynch and Meystedt brought the intensity to a new level when they both dived head-first in pursuit of a loose ball that ultimately went out of bounds and stayed with Sikeston.

"I was just sitting over there because I didn't need to coach," Roberts said about the run. "Because they wanted it and knew exactly what they had to do."

Tolbert added a free throw, Meystedt scored on a fastbreak layin after a Tolbert block on the defensive end and Alex Beussink capped the run with a 3-pointer for a 40-33 lead with 59 seconds left in the third quarter.

"We knew Notre Dame, they have so much pride and character," Sikeston coach Gregg Holifield said. "We knew they weren't going to go away. We were trying to build a lead and they just kept competing and playing hard. They went up on us and fortunately our kids responded."

Notre Dame 6 14 20 12 -- 52

Sikeston 12 16 12 26 -- 66

NOTRE DAME (52) -- Derek Landewee 4, Jonathan Lynch 2, Nathan Meystedt 16, Joseph Siebert 6, Alex Beussink 5, Jacob Tolbert 13, Cody Heisserer 4, Eric Hayes 2. FG 18, FT 13-19, F 17. (3-pointers: Siebert 2, Beussink 1. Fouled out: Heisserer, Tolbert)

SIKESTON (66) -- Eldridge Gibson 2, Janeil Hatchett 14, Darryl Howard 2, Caleb McGee 3, Vashawn Ruffin 2, Terry Jamison 8, Will Holifield 20, Keldon Warfield 1, Corey Porter 14. FG 25, FT 9-18, F 18. (3-pointers: McGee 1, Holifield 4. Fouled out: none)