U-HIGH TOURNAMENT SEMIFINAL PAIRINGS SET; ADVANCE BLOWS OUT N. DAME

Advance didn't just advance.

It made another statement.

The fifth-seeded Hornets improved to 8-0 and remained the only undefeated team in the Bank of Missouri University High School Christmas Tournament with a methodical, convincing 78-63 win over fourth-seeded Notre Dame Tuesday night at the Show Me Center.

Advance will play top-seeded Charleston in the semifinals at 6 tonight. Notre Dame will take on Woodland in the fifth-place semifinals at 3 p.m.

"I think the win over Scott City (10 days before the tournament) was a confidence builder," said Advance coach Jim Hall. "But beating Notre Dame is certainly another statement. We've got quality players, but we're very proud to beat two strong (Class) 2A teams like that."

After pulling out to a 32-23 halftime lead, Advance used a strong third quarter to put away the Bulldogs, who fell to 4-5.

The Hornets, who broke Notre Dame's press for several easy baskets, hit 11 of their 15 shots during the third quarter and built a 54-29 lead -- their biggest of the game -- with 2:49 to go.

Advance, in trying to run a delay game, got careless in the fourth quarter, and Notre Dame crawled within 12 points on several occasions midway through the period.

But the cold shooting that haunted Notre Dame all game continued in the final few minutes.

Notre Dame was 0-for-7 from 3-point range in the first half and 4-for-22 (18 percent) for the game.

Garrett Broshuis led five Advance players in double digits with 22 points. Aaron Cantrell followed with 17, Adam Rainey provided 15 and Jon French and Daniel Turner each added 10.

Notre Dame put nine players in the scoring column, but only two -- Josh Eftink and Adam Obermiller -- were in double figures. Eftink scored 15 points, followed by Obermiller with 13.

Advance was quite efficient from the floor, hitting 50 percent of its shots from the field. And when the Hornets weren't hitting shots from the field, they were hitting them from the free-throw line. Advance hit 24 of its 32 foul shots for the game and made 18 of 21 in the fourth quarter.

Notre Dame kept the score close in the first few opening minutes and led 6-2 with 5:30 to go in the opening eight minutes, but Rainey hit a three at the 4:42 mark of the first quarter to tie it at 7-7. A three by Turner put Advance up 10-7 and the Hornets -- ranked sixth in Class 1A -- never trailed thereafter.

Advance also played good defense, drawing several charges and offensive fouls.