FARMINGTON -- Midway through the fourth quarter of her team's state quarterfinal game against St. Francis Borgia it looked like Notre Dame coach Renee Peters' plan was being executed flawlessly.

The Bulldogs had used their size advantage inside and their pressure defense to open up a 12-point lead over the Knights, and it was a lead that was growing.

Then with 5 minutes, 29 seconds to go Notre Dame senior Meghan Dohogne fouled out.

Dohogne was alone with a Borgia player in the backcourt when she was called for her fifth foul.

"She's just a stabilizer on the floor for us," Peters said, "and that just got us thinking, 'Uh oh, what are we going to do.'"

It turns out that what the Bulldogs were going to do was advance to the Class 4 final four with a 59-51 victory at the Farmington Civic Center on Saturday -- after overcoming one last challenge from their opponents.

"We did not plan to have Meghan Dohogne foul out," Peters said. "That last foul about put me over the edge because she was just playing hard, God love her. It was just one of those crazy calls."

After Dohogne went to the bench, Notre Dame's Allyson Bradshaw missed a pair of free throws and, after the Knights hit a free throw, the Bulldogs turned the ball over on their next possession, which led to a basket by Borgia's Briana Rombach.

"Well when they started to score some more we got nervous and we kept throwing it away," Bradshaw said. "We just had to take a timeout and calm down and get everything back together. Then we just played our game from there and made them foul us."

Peters noticed the nerves as well.

"I called that timeout [and] I said you guys have got to play to win. Don't play not to lose," Peters said.

Her players listened.

Bradshaw and teammate Jane Morrill went 9 of 10 from the free-throw line over the last 4 minutes and 30 seconds and Notre Dame secured its fourth trip to a final four in a team sport this school year.

"When it mattered Allyson Bradshaw and Jane Morrill hit our free throws, and they're leaders on the floor," Peters said. "They did a great job for us."

Notre Dame led 14-8 after one quarter thanks to a 7-0 run to close the period.

"The last three or four games we've come out on fire, and that didn't happen tonight," Peters said. "I think that kind of put us on our heels a little bit.

"I knew that they were a faster team and I knew that if we could just kind of settle in -- get a couple points -- and if we could get a four or six-point lead, the nerves would settle."

The Bulldogs caused turnovers on the Knights' first three possessions in the second quarter and, as they did throughout the game, continued to get the ball to Morrill inside.

"Going into this game, we knew that was going to be one of our assets, our strength," Peters said. "We knew they were little and they were quick. We're a transition team, too, that likes to run, and we knew that we were going to have to get it inside to Jane to exploit them and their size.

"She knew that. She wanted it, and she stepped up."

Morrill led the Bulldogs with 22 points, including eight of the last 14 scored by Notre Dame. Bradshaw finished with 19.

"Yeah, it was a little nerve-racking at times, but that just shows how good of a team we are," Morrill said. "We can step up and hit key free throws and come together."

Notre Dame will play St. Dominic in the state semifinals at 3:20 p.m. Friday at Mizzou Arena in Columbia, Mo.

"It's a great feeling to get to keep practicing," Morrill said. "I can't wait to start practice. I'm excited. This is well deserved and we're just ready to come hard and work out for this next week."

The Bulldogs will try to claim a second state title for their school this year after the softball team claimed the Class 4 crown in the fall.

"It's ridiculous," Peters said. "Words can't explain it. I'm thrilled."

Notre Dame 59, Borgia 51

Borgia 8 10 11 22 -- 51

Notre Dame 14 14 15 15 -- 59

NOTRE DAME (59) -- Allyson Bradshaw 19, Brooke Bohnert 11, Meghan Dohogne 2, Jane Morrill 22, Katherine Blasiney 3, Summer Burger 2. FG 18, FT 21-30, F 20. (3-pointers: Bradshaw 2. Fouled out: none.)

BORGIA (51) -- Jodi Klott 2, Kathleen Thomas 17, Briana Rombach 5, Julia Garza 4, Margaret Vossbrink 14, Mackenzie Haddox 3, Lauren Roach 6. FG 15, FT 16-23, F 21. (3-pointers: Thomas 3, Vossbrink 1, Haddox 1. Fouled out: none.)