32 MINUTES FROM COLUMBIA (2A GIRLS)

Talk about deja vu.

The situation for Notre Dame's girls seems remarkably similar to a year ago.

Wiinter weather could be headed this way. Notre Dame will be facing John Burroughs at the same place Central High School in Park Hills.

They know they have to stop Amy Argetsinger and they're one game away from Columbia.

But the Lady Bulldogs hope that history doesn't repeat itself when they battle the Lady Bombers at 6:30 tonight in their Class 2A state quarterfinal game.

Last year, Notre Dame was in control of the game until unusual circumstances an intentional and technical foul suddenly changed the momentum. Notre Dame lost the game 63-57 after cutting the lead to one with 23 seconds left. There were 53 fouls called in that game, 76 free throws were shot and seven players fouled out.

"I thought last year we had that game won," said Notre Dame coach Jerry Grim, who got his 300th career win in Notre Dame's district championship win. "Some twisted circumstances and things just went against us. The girls are looking forward to beating them in the same place they got beat last year."

But enough about last year.

Notre Dame already knows it can beat John Burroughs as it handed the Lady Bombers a 48-39 loss in the Tiger Showcase at Cape Central in mid-January.

In that game, John Burroughs crowded center Deana McCormick and dared Notre Dame to beat it from the perimeter. Notre Dame got hot from 3-point range in the fourth quarter and pulled away with a victory.

"We're going to try to stop them from doing that this time," said John Burroughs coach Dennis Moore. "They convinced us that they can shoot the threes."

"I expect them to pack it in like they did before," Grim said. "We just have to take care of the basketball. Last time we played them, we turned it over a lot. We were playing more loosy goosy back then and we're handling things much better now. We shot well in the fourth, but before that, we didn't play too good a game."

John Burroughs is one of two 2A teams to give Notre Dame a decent game this year. Twin Rivers did it twice, but lost both games by at least 10 points, including Notre Dame's 42-31 win in Wednesday night's sectional game.

The Lady Bombers (19-10) got to the quarterfinals via a 47-32 win over Valley of Caledonia in their sectional game.

Like Notre Dame, John Burroughs plays a brutal schedule.

"Every team we have lost to has been a top 20 school in the St. Louis area," said Moore.

The tough schedule got the best of the Lady Bombers early. When Notre Dame played it earlier this year, John Burroughs was 5-8. But since that loss, the Lady Bombers have won 14 of their last 16 games.

"We've come along and we're a good basketball team right now," Moore said. "And we're young just like Notre Dame."

Likewise, Notre Dame is playing its best basketball of the season, at least defensively.

Notre Dame hasn't allowed more than 31 points in a game since Feb. 13. In their last six games, the Lady Bulldogs have given up an average of 21.6 points per game.

"We'll pretty well stick with what we do best," said Grim. "We won't change much for this game."

Argetsinger is the unquestionable leader for the Lady Bombers. She is the only player on the team to average more than eight points at 17.5. She has a knack for getting to the free throw line where she has hit 130 of 173 free throws for 75 percent. She leads the team in nearly every category including steals (59) and rebounds (6.8 per game).

"We know that Argetsinger is their big player and that they'll try to get her the ball every chance they get," said Grim. "We have to keep it out of her hands."