Kolton Johnson helps lift Notre Dame over Chaffee, to fifth-place game

Notre Dame boys’ basketball coach Jeremy Brinkmeyer leaned on Kolton Johnson in crunch time, and the senior guard delivered.

Johnson scored a game-high 22 points to propel the fourth-seeded Bulldogs to a 54-46 victory over No. 9 seed Chaffee in the Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournament fifth-place bracket opener on Saturday, Dec. 28, at the Show Me Center.

Johnson, who made two free throws with 5 seconds left to wrap up his big outing, made a trio of 3s and also played a superb game defensively.

“When Kolton doesn't make it difficult and keeps it simple, he’s a really good player,” Brinkmeyer said. “When he just moves the ball and hits open shots and drives in the lane and hits open jumpers, he’s a really good player. I think this is a good reminder to him because he feels like he didn't play well. We just had to remind him that he did a great job of finding a way to win tonight. I was very proud of his effort.”

Yet Johnson didn't do it alone. And that should give Notre Dame some confidence moving forward.

Brett Dohogne finished with 13 points — one night after dropping 29 against No. 5 seed Scott City in the quarterfinals. Fellow senior Logan Landewee scored seven while dishing out five assists.

Notre Dame used a 16-8 surge to finish off the Red Devils late in the second half. Johnson made one of his three 3-pointers to spark the run — a fade-away from the corner to go up by three. Dohogne then muscled a layup through the lane with less than two minutes left to essentially put things out of reach.

“We were resilient,” Brinkmeyer said. “We played a tough game late last night. The game tipped off after 9:00 and to come back in here early on Saturday, it's easy to make excuses and not play hard. And we started off doing that. At halftime we challenged them a little bit, and I thought the second half we responded really well. It’s just dealing with adversity and trying to find a way to win."

After an impressive performance against top-seeded Jackson in the quarters on Friday, Chaffee couldn’t keep up with the Bulldogs’ barrage late in the game and turned it over on its final three possessions.

Sophomore Nolan Fowler’s brilliant tournament was capped with 12 points, with his highlight of the game being a half-court 3 as time expired in the third quarter. Teammate Rolen Reischman had a team-high 14 points, while sophomore Dane McMullin bowed out with 11.

The Bulldogs will take on the winner of No. 3 Charleston and No. 7 Bell City for fifth place on Monday evening at 4:30 p.m. at the Show Me Center. Chaffee will return to the court after the New Year when it plays Advance on Monday, Jan. 6, at 7:30 p.m.