Top-seeded ND routs Jackson in championship of Holiday Classic

It was evident from the outset Wednesday night that the Notre Dame Regional High School girls basketball team would not be denied in its quest for a title.

The top-seeded Bulldogs completed a dominant run through the Saint Francis Medical Center Holiday Classic with a 50-23 rout of third-seeded Jackson at the Show Me Center.

"I am very proud of them," said Notre Dame coach Renee Peters, whose squad dropped an overtime decision to Farmington in the 2008 championship game. "Last year it was a different saga. I think we're playing with a lot more confidence this year. This is a really good group of girls."

It showed throughout the eight-team tournament as the Bulldogs (8-1) won their other two contests by scores of 60-25 and 57-32.

"We wanted it so bad," said Jane Morrill, a 6-foot-1 senior center who has signed with Division I Arkansas State. "This was definitely one of our team goals."

ABOVE: Notre Dame junior Allyson Bradshaw drives for a fastbreak basket in front of Jackson's Connor King during the championship game of the Saint Francis Medical Center Holiday Classic at the Show Me Center. TOP: Notre Dame's Brooke Bohnert and Jackson's Makenzie Quade scramble for a loose ball. (Kit Doyle)

Notre Dame's offense wasn't really clicking Wednesday, but that mattered little since the Bulldogs' defense was so dominant, holding Jackson (5-4) to under 10 points in every quarter.

"Defense is our key," Morrill said. "Defense wins championships. Our offense will come."

Peters likes hearing those words because she said defense is the Bulldogs' calling card.

"Offense wins games. Defense wins championships. That's our motto," Peters said.

As far as offense, junior guard Allyson Bradshaw led the way with 16 points. Sophomore guard Brooke Bohnert scored 14 points and Morrill added 10.

Jackson senior Kaylen Knepp pulls down a rebound Wednesday between two Notre Dame players during the championship game of the Saint Francis Medical Center Holiday Classic.

"I'm very excited, especially since we lost last year to Farmington," Bohnert said. "Defense wins championships. I think this proved it."

Notre Dame rolled past the Indians 59-33 Thursday in Jackson and Peters knew the Indians would be determined to turn that outcome around.

"I knew they were looking for redemption and we didn't take them lightly," Peters said. "They're a good team."

The Bulldogs came out strong, scoring the game's first eight points, and were never threatened, although Peters gave Jackson plenty of credit.

"I thought they really hung in there," Peters said.

The Notre Dame Dance Team performs in Christmas attire Wednesday, December 23, 2009, during the Saint Francis Medical Center Holiday Classic championship game at the Show Me Center. (Kit Doyle)

Bohnert scored seven first-quarter points as the Bulldogs led 13-4 by the end of the period. She had 11 first-half points as Notre Dame carried a 25-8 advantage into the break.

Bradshaw and Morrill did the bulk of the second-half scoring.

Bradshaw, who hit all three of Notre Dame's 3-pointers on the night, scored 10 second-half points, eight in the fourth quarter.

Morrill had eight points in the final half, including six in the third quarter.

Connor King, a 6-1 sophomore center, paced the Indians with 12 points.

"I thought we did a pretty good job defensively. We couldn't get anything to go on offense," Jackson coach Sheila Haertling said. "I think we played hard to the end. Notre Dame has a very good team."

On a struggling offensive night for Jackson, the Indians did have one strong flurry that briefly threatened to get them back in the game.

After scoring just eight points over the first 18-plus minutes, the Indians put up seven points in a little more than one minute during the third quarter as they used that 7-0 run to pull within 29-15.

But that was as close as Jackson got as Notre Dame again established control.

"I'm very pleased with the way we played in the tournament," Peters said.

All-tournament team

Notre Dame dominated the 10-player all-tournament team with four selections.

Joining Morrill, Bohnert and Bradshaw on the squad was senior forward Meghan Dohogne.

Jackson was represented by senior guard Kaylen Knepp and junior guard Brooke Sanders.

Central senior guard Sadie Pittman and junior forward Chelsea Pannier also made the team, which was rounded out by Sparta junior center Jessica Robinson and Perryville senior forward Emily Hanquist.

Robinson led all tournament scorers with 57 points, including a tournament high 26 during Wednesday's 56-52 loss to Farmington in the third-place game.

Jackson 4 4 9 6 -- 23

Notre Dame 13 12 10 15 -- 50

JACKSON (23) -- Dru Haertling 2, Connor King 12, Cassandra Bollinger 2, Makenzie Quade 5, Whitney McNeely 2. FG 10, FT 2-4, F 15. (3-pointers: Quade 1. Fouled out: none)

NOTRE DAME (50) -- Katherine Blasiney 4, Brooke Bohnert 14, Meghan Dohogne 4, Jane Morrill 10, Allyson Bradshaw 16, Kaelin Hale 2. FG 19, FT 9-14, F 14. (3-pointers: Bradshaw 3. Fouled out: none)