`THE PIT' PUT TO PASTURE; FREDERICKTOWN DEFEATS NOTRE DAME IN FINALE

The old `Pit' didn't want to die.

But not even overtime could save Notre Dame's old gymnasium -- or the Bulldogs -- Friday night.

Playing the final varsity boys game after 44 years in the tight quarters of the tiny gymnasium, Fredericktown ruined the Bulldogs' finale in the `pit' with a 58-57 overtime victory. With the opening of the new Notre Dame High School next season, the Bulldogs will play in a new facility next season.

Andy Clark scored a game-high 26 points to lead the Black Cats to victory as Fredericktown completed its regular season with a 10-11 mark. Clark scored the game-winning basket on a driving, one-handed shot with four seconds left.

The loss was Notre Dame's fourth straight, dropping the Bulldogs to 6-14 on the season.

The defeat was doubly disappointing for Bulldogs' head coach Chris Janet. As a former Notre Dame player, Janet was perplexed by his team's lack of emotion on a night when that feeling seemed to fill the tiny gym.

"We simply did not play with any emotion on the most emotional night that I could think of," Janet said. "As a former player and a now as the coach ... we're leaving a very traditional spot. I can't figure out, for the life of me, why we didn't play with any emotion."

Notre Dame appeared to have the contest well in hand late in overtime. The Bulldogs led 57-54 with just 26 seconds left on the clock.

But twice in the next six seconds, the Bulldogs missed the front end of one-and-one free-throw situations, opening the door to the Black Cats.

Clark made two free throws to close the score to 57-56 with 24 seconds left, then after a missed Notre Dame free throw, scored the winning basket on an incredible shot while being fouled.

"Andy needs to step up in those situations," said Fredericktown coach Don Huff. "Luckily he got the ball and kind of took control. We were fortunate to come out with a win."

Clark, who scored six of the Black Cats' eight overtime points, missed his free throw, allowing the Bulldogs a chance at victory. But Zach Miller's rushed 3-pointer from 22-feet out clanked off the rim as time expired. Miller ended with 14 points.

"It would have been exciting to pull off an overtime win on the last night, but our whole team knows we didn't play very well," said Janet. "Fredericktown came in here on a big night for Notre Dame and beat us. You have to give them credit."

Several former coaches and players packed the old gymnasium one last time and got to see another typical Notre Dame barn-burner.

"It was emotional for me to see my former coaches here and a lot of my former teammates and alumni," said Janet. "It's too bad (we lost). I'm extremely disappointed."

Fredericktown took control early, leading 12-9 after the first quarter. But the Black Cats missed 10 consecutive shots in the second quarter -- five coming from point-blank range in one ragged sequence -- as Notre Dame went ahead 24-17 at halftime.

Josh Eftink led the Bulldogs' charge in the first half, making the first four 3-pointers he attempted. Eftink ended with a team-high 20 points.

Notre Dame led by as much as seven points in the third quarter, before Fredericktown battled back to lead 36-35 entering the fourth quarter.

In the fourth quarter, the lead changed hands three times with three ties before ending regulation knotted 50-50. Notre Dame held the ball the final 50 seconds of regulation in an attempt to get a last shot, but a final shot inside by Michael Wehner was knocked away as the home-crowd hollered for a foul.

"I'm not going to say anything about the officials," said Janet. "They probably played harder than us."

Wehner scored 10 points and Nick Dannenmueller, the Bulldogs only senior, scored nine points before fouling out in overtime of his final home game.

"You have to hand it to Notre Dame; they hung in there well," Huff said. "The pressure was probably more on them than it was us."

Notre Dame finished with a 757-414 record in `The Pit.'

In the JV game, Notre Dame prevailed 68-38.