Bluff rebuffs ND's second-half rally

~ The Bulldogs cut a double-figure deficit to three points before falling 59-46

Notre Dame cut a double-digit deficit to three in the second half Monday night, but the Bulldogs never could get over the hump.

Poplar Bluff scored seven straight points to answer the rally and beat host Notre Dame 59-46 in SEMO Conference play.

"We just never got into any flow in this game," Notre Dame coach Renee Peters said. "We missed a few shots on offense and, unfortunately that dictated how we were going to play on defense -- a little lax on defense."

Allyson Bradshaw scored 11 points and Brooke Bohnert added 10 for the Bulldogs (9-5, 1-2 SEMO), who had won seven of their last eight.

Poplar Bluff (11-5, 2-0) led by as many as 11 in the third quarter before the Bulldogs put together a 10-2 run.

Kaelin Hale hit a 3-pointer and Miranda Fowler added another less than a minute later before Summer Burger hit consecutive shots. Notre Dame trailed 42-39 with 1:31 left in the third, but Poplar Bluff's Marissa Webb answered with a three-point play with a drive to the basket.

"That was very important," said Poplar Bluff coach Kirk Chronister, who won his 681st game.

Notre Dame missed two shots to end the third quarter, came up empty in its first three possessions of the fourth and never was closer.

Miranda Burroughs hit a 3 with 5:15 left to give Poplar Bluff a 49-39 lead. The senior scored eight of her game-high 13 points in the fourth quarter.

"They hit the outside shots when they needed to," Peters said.

Notre Dame took an early 6-3 lead but Poplar Bluff scored eight straight points to take a 13-10 lead into the second quarter. The Mules put together a 10-3 run to go up 28-17 with just less than three minutes left in the half.

The Bulldogs closed the half with a rally behind Bohnert and Bradshaw before Fowler splashed in a 3 just before the buzzer.

"They have a lot of weapons where they can hurt you," Chronister said. "They hit a couple of 3s and were right back in it."

Poplar Bluff led 30-24 at the break.

The Mules scored the first four points of the second half when Sara Eyler scored and was fouled. Webb came away with a missed free throw leading to Danielle Farmer's basket. Courtney Knuckles scored to put Poplar Bluff up 40-29 with just more than five minutes left in the third, but the Mules missed two chances to expand their lead and the Bulldogs took advantage with their rally.

Poplar Bluff closed the win by hitting 9 of 15 free throws in the fourth quarter.

Poplar Bluff 13 17 15 14 -- 59

Notre Dame 10 14 15 7 -- 46

POPLAR BLUFF (59) -- Chelsea Darnell 3, Danielle Farmer 11, Miranda Burroughs 13, Kelsey Bates 6, Sara Eyler 6, Marissa Webb 11, Riley Greenwall 2, Courtney Knuckles 7. FG 21 FG, FT 14-22, F 8,

NOTRE DAME (46) -- Miranda Fowler 9, Summer Burger 7, Allyson Bradshaw 11, Brooke Bohnert 10, Kaelin Hale 9. FG 19, FT 3-6, F 10.