Notre Dame boys basketball team defeats De Soto

Notre Dame turned to its bread and butter leading 16-11 minutes into the second quarter Friday.

The Bulldogs suffocated De Soto and turned a close game into a rout with a 65-50 victory at home.

It was the last time the Bulldogs seniors will play at home.

"It was great," Notre Dame senior Jacob Tolbert said. "We had a big crowd. All the seniors have a lot of energy right now. It's awesome. It was a really good win to go out on top."

Notre Dame forced 25 turnovers, 24 over the first three quarters.

De Soto junior Colin Ferguson grabs the rebound in front of Notre Dame junior Jordan Reddin during the second quarter Friday. The Bulldogs defeated De Soto 60-50 by relying on its defensive pressure. (Laura Simon)

"We just definitely tried to come out and play with some intensity," Tolbert said. "We tried to come out and press them and keep the ball out of the middle. We knew No. 24 [Jared White] was their best player and he was going to try and create for them, so we just really tried to make him work, especially on offense and try and tire him out and make somebody else beat us."

White finished with 16 points, but it came on 6 of 18 shooting (33 percent).

"We got after them early," Notre Dame coach Kevin Roberts said. "We forced a lot of turnovers and got some easy buckets. When you don't have to run an offense all the time and can get easy buckets, it helps your team out so much."

Notre Dame raced out to a 16-7 lead after one quarter, but the Bulldogs struggled to score in the opening part of the second. The Dragons turned their attention to Tolbert, holding him without a basket in the quarter until 1:10 remained before halftime.

"They kind of threw a junk defense out there," Roberts said. "It was like a 1-3 with a man on Jacob. It kind of confused us there for a little bit because they doubled him inside. Other guys had to step up. We were getting shots. Guys like Jonathan Lynch came out and made some shots, and Cody Heisserer hit two 15-foot jump shots. That really helps. Eventually they had to get out of that because we were starting to make shots."

De Soto junior Jarred Sapper watches as Notre Dame senior Jacob Tolbert slam dunks during the third quarter Friday.

The Dragons cut the lead to 16-11, but Notre Dame went to work applying pressure. The Bulldogs harassed the Dragons into six second-quarter turnovers, converting most of them into easy buckets.

Notre Dame closed the quarter on a 19-5 run that vaulted it to a 35-16 halftime lead.

"Our struggles this year have been putting teams away," Roberts said. "We're getting better at it, but what happened was we finally started turning an offense and making them guard us. We shot the ball too quick at times [in the second]. Once you move it and make them guard you and penetrate, things are going to open up. Eventually that defense is going to lax and you're going to be able to get a good shot. Sometimes you have to pass on decent shots to get a good shot."

Tolbert was held to just two points in the quarter, but the senior made up for it in the third.

Tolbert netted nine of his game-high 20 points in the decisive quarter.

A little helper passes the ball to Notre Dame senior Jacob Tolbert as the Bulldogs warm up Friday.

"They made it really hard on me, especially offensively," Tolbert said. "I had to work. But I was inside for a while and got a few baskets quick off that. Then I started floating around. I basically had free reign, tried to receive screens and score whatever way possible."

Tolbert finished the game 6 of 9 from inside the arc and 2 of 7 from long range.

The Dragons scored the first two baskets of the second half to cut the lead to 35-20, but Notre Dame quickly put them away behind Tolbert and stifling defense.

Junior Nathan Meystedt converted a conventional three-point play, and Tolbert rattled off nine straight points for Notre Dame to take a commanding 47-26 lead.

"Once again, we got back to guarding them," Roberts said. "We forced some turnovers and got some easy buckets, and they went zone a little bit and we were patient offensively. You got to kind of run your offense through Jacob there because he attracts so much attention so other guys were open for shots."

Notre Dame junior Cody Heisserer takes a shot past De Soto defender Jared White during the second quarter Friday.

Lynch added 14 points and Meystedt tallied 11 to help the Bulldogs.

"These seniors mean so much to the program," Roberts said. "They work so hard. They deserve a night like this. To end your Notre Dame High School career at Notre Dame on a win is special. Those guys are an example for the younger guys."

De Soto 7 9 12 22 -- 50

Notre Dame 16 19 19 11 -- 65

DE SOTO (50) -- Alec Sears 2, Sean Soloman 8, Jared White 16, Jake Patzner 2, Colin Ferguson 19, Jarred Sapper 3. FG 17, FT 12-15, F 17. (3-pointers: Soloman 2, White, Sapper. Fouled out: Joe Middleton)

NOTRE DAME (65) -- Derek Landewee 3, Jonathan Lynch 14, Jordan Reddin 2, Nathan Meystedt 11, Joseph Siebert 5, Alex Beussink 4, Jacob Tolbert 20, Cody Heisserer 4, Shawn Easley 2. FG 27, FT 5-15, F 17. (3-pointers: Landewee, Lynch 2, Siebert, Tolbert 2. Fouled out: none)