In a crazy game in which neither coach came away too happy with their team's play, it was only fitting that the smallest person on the Show Me Center floor stood the tallest in a first-round game of the Kelso Supply Holiday Classic on Sunday.

Notre Dame senior guard Faith Essner brought some semblance of order when she scored 12 of her game- and career-high 16 points in the second half to help fourth-seeded Notre Dame stave off fifth-seeded rival Cape Central in the only game the first day gave serious consideration to an upset.

The Bulldogs saw a 14-point halftime lead dwindle to one point in the opening minute of the fourth quarter but never relinquished the lead and moved on to tonight's semifinal action with a 53-37 victory.

Notre Dame will face top-seeded Saxony Lutheran (5-1) at 7 p.m. today in the first of two semifinals. The Crusaders had little trouble disposing of Jackson's JV in the tournament's opening game, winning 45-13 as they began defense of their crown.

Notre Dame overcame 33 turnovers in winning back-to-back games for the first time this season and evening its record at 3-3.

Notre Dame coach Renee Peters and her players on the bench watch action against Cape Central during the fourth quarter in a first-round game of the Kelso Supply Holiday Classic Sunday, Dec. 20, 2015 at the Show Me Center. (Fred Lynch)

"Like I said all along, these girls have got to learn how to win, and that's a painful process sometimes," Notre Dame coach Renee Peters said. "But we play Saxony tomorrow night, and we'll see what happens, but we have to play better than we did tonight."

Second-seeded Jackson (6-2)and third-seeded Sikeston will meet in an 8:30 p.m. semifinal after both teams collected wins Sunday evening. Jackson routed No. 7 Meadow Heights 95-15, and Sikeston topped No. 6 Perryville 57-32.

Notre Dame struggled to put away a Central team that shot just 18 percent from the field and ultimately needed the 5-foot-2 Essner to step up to the challenge.

"She's the shortest one out there, but she works the hardest," Peters said. "She just plays her heart out. She's just a little Energizer Bunny out there for us. She's limited by her height, but she makes up for it with her heart."

Essner accounted for all four of Notre Dame's points in the third quarter with a pair of baskets in the first two minutes of the period. The latter, with 6 minutes, 13 seconds left in the period, gave Notre Dame a 33-19 lead, the same 14-point cushion the Bulldogs held at halftime.

Cape Central's Katelyn May looks to pass against Notre Dame during the first quarter in a first-round game of the Kelso Supply Holiday Classic Sunday, Dec. 20, 2015 at the Show Me Center. (Fred Lynch)

Central closed the quarter with a 10-0 run despite its game-long shooting problems -- they missed all eight shots from the field during the spurt -- as Notre Dame aided the cause with nine turnovers and two offensive fouls on its final 14 possessions of the period.

Central cut the lead to 33-27 with eight free throws as Notre Dame committed 10 fouls during the quarter that put the Tigers in the double-bonus for the half.

Both teams went nearly six minutes without a field goal before Central senior Quetaja Martin scored on a fastbreak layin with 21 seconds left in the period to pull the Tigers within 33-29. The basket came off a Notre Dame turnover, one of 11 the Bulldogs committed in the period.

"We put them in the double-bonus in the third quarter," Peters said. "Everything that we could have done to give away that game, I think our girls tried -- the fouling, the turnovers, everything like that."

Central outscored the Bulldogs 14-4 in the period despite making 3 of 16 shots from the field and committing six turnovers.

Central often rushed its shots and finished just 11 of 60 shooting for the game.

"We just didn't run our offense," Central first-year coach Garrett Pannier said. "I think I can count on one hand, maybe once or twice, where we actually ran our offense and looked for a specific thing. Most the rest of the game, their pressure just speeds us up and we just couldn't get into our offense and get into a rhythm at all and didn't get the ball where we wanted to get it and get the good shots we're used to getting."

Central temporarily set aside its shooting problem and closed the gap to 33-32 when junior Katherine Morton connected on a 3-point attempt from the left corner on the first possession of the fourth quarter.

Essner then fed sophomore Lexi Welter inside for an easy basket on Notre Dame's next possession to start a 6-0 run for the Bulldogs.

"We just kind of panicked a little bit, and we just needed to calm down a little and take a breath and just work the ball," Essner said.

The Bulldogs led 41-34 after a free throw by Central sophomore Kassidy Gowan with 5:34 left when Essner went on a personal 7-0 run in a span of 39 seconds. She hit a 15-foot jumper, added a pair of free throws, and then capped the spurt with a conventional three-point play when she scored a fastbreak layin and was fouled. Her free throw restored Notre Dame's 14-point lead with 4:22 left in the game.

Notre Dame shot 6 of 7 from the field in the fourth quarter to finish at 50 percent (16 of 32) for the game.

Senior Hayli Chapman added 11 points for Notre Dame.

"I'm happy we won. I'm happy the girls found a way to come back," Peters said. "I think Faith Essner kind of pulled up our bootstraps their in the fourth quarter, and the girls did come back. We just had that one quarter where we just shut down, and we just can't do that."

Central hit its first two shots of the game and held a 5-1 lead after a basket by Abbie Reece, but Notre Dame went ahead for good with a 9-0 run. Maddie Urhahn scored six points in the burst. The Bulldogs led 12-8 after one quarter and 29-15 at halftime.

Four of Central's 11 baskets were from 3-point range, with senior Kassidy Pannier hitting for all of her team-high nine points from behind the arc.

Central fell to 1-5, with its lone win against Perryville in the Fredericktown Round Robin Tournament.

"In the second half, we played a lot better on defense side, got some intensity, and then good things started happening on the offensive end because our defense was up-tempo, and we have to keep it there if we want to compete with these type of teams," Garrett Pannier said.

The Tigers were playing their first game with junior point guard Sydney Tollison, who missed the first five games with a sprained ankle.

"When she gets back on balance and gets ready to go full tilt, she's going to help us a lot, especially on the offensive end," Pannier said. "We need somebody to come down and set us up. When she's ready to go, she'll help us out a lot."

Cape Central 8 7 14 8 -- 37

Notre Dame 12 17 4 20 -- 53

CAPE CENTRAL (37) -- Kassidy Gowan 4, Sydney Tollison 2, Corrie Reece 2, Katelyn May 2, Salia Hamilton 2, Kassidy Pannier 9, Katherine Morton 5, Abbie Reece 7, Quetaja Martin 4. FG 11, FT 11-23, F 25 (3-pointers: Gowan, Pannier 3. Fouled out: none)

NOTRE DAME (53) -- Sam Brennan 7, Faith Essner 16, Maddie Urhahn 9, Allie Ziegler 1, Hayli Chapman 11, Sydney Newell 2, Lexi Welter 7. FG 16, FT 21-32, F 22 (3-pointers: none. Fouled out: none)

Saxony Lutheran 45, Jackson JV 13

Grace Mirly scored 14 points as the Crusaders breezed into the semifinals.

Saxony Lutheran led 25-4 at halftime.

Kallie Mayfield paced the Jackson JV with four points.

Jackson JV 3 1 6 3 -- 13

Saxony 13 12 9 11 -- 45

JACKSON JV (13) -- Laura Bertrand 2, Mah Massey 2, Natalie Miller 3, Krista Martin 2, Kalli Mayfield 4. FG 4, FT 4-6, F 17 (3-pointers: Miller. Fouled out: none)

SAXONY LUTHERAN (45) -- Courtney Kester 2, Grace Mirly 14, Ali Galemmo 4, Heather Wills 4, Brianna Mueller 7, Tess Daniel 2, Ashlynn Collier 4, Masyn McWilliams 2, Maddie Brune 6. FG 17, FT 10-12, F 7 (3-pointers: Mirly. Fouled out: none)

Sikeston 57, Perryville 32

Erica Peet netted 16 points and Tyeshia Mitchell netted 12 to advance the Bulldogs into the semifinals.

Sikeston took an 11-10 lead into the second quarter, where it outscored the Pirates 11-3 for a 22-13 lead at halftime. The Bulldogs pushed the lead into double figures during the third period.

Ahnie Hof scored 12 points to lead Perryville (2-5).

Perryville 10 3 13 6 -- 32

Sikeston 11 11 21 14 -- 57

PERRYVILLE (32) -- Kirstin Jannin 2, Kylie Bilek 9, Ahnie Hoff 12, Anna Huskey 1, Emma Nelson 8. FG 13, FT 4-7, F 11 (3-pointers: Bilek 2. Fouled out: none)

SIKESTON (57) -- Kiera Steward 2, Antravia Green 2, Tyra Bonner 8, Larysa McClellan 3, Cana Bles 2, Erica Peet 16, Miranda Harrison 7, Tyeshia Mitchell 12, Alana Basham 5 . FG 24, FT 6-9, F 12 (3-pointers: Peet 2, Harrison. Fouled out: none)

Jackson 95, Meadow Heights 15

Rylee Stafford scored 20 points to lead 10 Indians in the scoring column in their rout of the Panthers.

Nikkie Sotak tallied 16 points and Cassidi Tomsu added 13 for Jackson. Abby Hermann hit for three of the Indians' eight 3-pointers and finished with nine points.

Samantha Miles scored five points for Meadow Heights.

Meadow Hts. 5 2 2 6 -- 15

Jackson 30 21 30 14 -- 95

MEADOW HEIGHTS (15) -- Kassy Henson 2, Abi Bristow 3, Janie Cook 2, Samantha Miles 5, Mayzie Thompson 3. FG 4, FT 5-10, F 11 (3-pointers: Bristow, Thompson. Fouled out: none)

JACKSON (95) -- Cassidi Tomsu 13, Autumn Reid 5, Randa Norman 4, Nikki Sotak 16, Rylee Stafford 20, Abby Hermann 9, Mallorie Maintz 6. Kayla Keith 2, Nicole Humphreys 6, Alexis Allstun 14. FG 39, FT 3-6, F 12 (3-pointers: Tomsu, Reid, Sotak, Stafford 2, Hermann 3. Fouled out: none)