Notre Dame wins big against Saxony

The Tolbert brothers helped Notre Dame put away its homecoming game against Saxony Lutheran in the first half Friday night.

Senior Joseph Tolbert netted consecutive 3-pointers during an 11-0 run over the final minute and a half of the first quarter, and sophomore Jacob Tolbert led all Notre Dame scorers with 11 points in the first half.

The Bulldogs led by 16 points at halftime and rolled from there to a 74-39 win in front of an energized crowd at the Notre Dame Regional High School gymnasium.

Both Tolberts finished with 13 points. Joseph Tolbert poured in four 3-pointers. The two combined for 17 points in the first half.

"I was feeling good," Joseph Tolbert said about Notre Dame's 11-0 run. "We played better defense, which was what led to the offense. When we swing it around and play better team ball, it's when we do better. I think that's what we did and we took the shots when we could. This was definitely one of the most spirited games we've had. Two private schools going together, it's always a rivalry. Our fans are great. Their fans are great. It just made a very good atmosphere."

KIT DOYLE ~ kdoyle@semissourian.comSaxony Lutheran senior Bret Steffens, left, draws an offensive foul as Notre Dame senior Alex Bader (21) pushes off while driving the lane Friday night, January 23, 2009, in Cape Girardeau.

Saxony (15-2) had posted impressive wins against the two local Class 5 schools, Jackson and Central. But Class 4 Notre Dame (11-7) was too much for the Crusaders to handle.

"They just wear you down," Saxony Lutheran senior Bret Steffens said. "They probably went 10 or 11 deep tonight and they just wore us down. They just got after it on defense. Joe [Tolbert] shot lights out tonight just like the rest of their team. They shot great tonight. We left them open too much. But you got to give them credit. They hit open shots and the other Tolbert ... he crashed the boards and he got after it."

Austin Greer led Notre Dame with 16 points. Bryant Steffens led the Crusaders with 16.

Both Tolbert brothers are in their first year playing on the varsity and both are starters.

The brothers said they have enjoyed playing with each other after not playing much organized basketball together at any level before this year.

KIT DOYLE ~ kdoyle@semissourian.comA pair of Notre Dame defenders trap Saxony Lutheran's Bret Steffens during Friday's game at Notre Dame.

"I've always wanted to," Joseph Tolbert said. "We've always been really, really close as brothers. We do everything together. We feel lost when we don't have each other. So it's just a big joy."

Notre Dame led Saxony 9-8 with 1:55 remaining in the first quarter, but Notre Dame's 11-0 run to end the period made it 20-8.

The Bulldogs scored the first four points of the second quarter to lead 24-8. They did a nice job of passing the ball around and finding Greer and Jacob Tolbert down low.

"We tried to work the ball inside a lot," Jacob Tolbert said. "I just did what I could. I'm improving. Coach is still trying to get me to be more aggressive toward the basket."

Greer said Jacob Tolbert has a lot of potential and the ability to emerge as one of the Bulldogs' top scorers this season as a sophomore.

KIT DOYLE ~ kdoyle@semissourian.comNotre Dame sophomore Jacob Tolbert grabs an offensive rebound Friday at Notre Dame.

"Jacob, he's a heck of a player," Greer said. "He's going to be a heck of a player. He's very athletic. He just has to realize how athletic he is. He has to know he can score. He has to be the other scorer on this team and he's starting, I think, to emerge a little bit."

The Notre Dame defense was able to hold one of Saxony's top players, Bret Steffens, scoreless in the first half. That was a big key, Greer said.

Bret Steffens finished with six points.

"We almost completely shut him down," Greer said. "I don't know how many points he had, but we have some tall guys and I know Jacob and I rebounded a lot tonight."

Bret Steffens said his team struggled to work the ball inside. Saxony converted only five 2-point baskets.

KIT DOYLE ~ kdoyle@semissourian.comSaxony Lutheran defender Bret Steffens fouls Austin Greer as he spins along the baseline Friday, January 23, 2009, in Cape Girardeau.

"We didn't get the ball inside enough," Steffens said. "If we don't get the ball inside, it doesn't really open up our outside game. ... We had to get the ball inside and we didn't do that until the second half. We got to the line a lot more in the second half."

@z_agate_HSbasketball_linescore:Saxony 811128--39

Notre Dame20151821--74

@z_agate_no tab_no indnt_bld ld:SAXONY LUTHERAN (39) -- Brayton Klaus 1, Trevor Mabuce 3, Kris Cook 6, Chris Roth 3, Bret Steffens 6, Bryant Steffens 16, Garrett Fritsche 4. FG 11, FT 11-17, F 14. (3-pointers: Mabuce 1, Bryant Steffens 4, Fritsche 1. Fouled out: None)

NOTRE DAME (74) -- Nick Koeppel 7, Liam Maher 5, Keke Kellum 3, Alex Carroll 2, Chris McCoy 3, John Unterreiner 10, Austin Greer 16, Tanner Hiett 2, Jacob Tolbert 13, Joseph Tolbert 13. FG 27. FT 10-16, F 17. (3-pointers: Maher 1, Kellum 1, McCoy 1, Unterreiner 2, Greer 1, Joseph Tolbert 4. Fouled out: None)