By Andrew Cato, ShowMe Times Sports Editor

CAPE GIRARDEAU - The Lady Bearcats and Notre Dame Lady Bulldogs met on Monday night in a Class 4, District 1 clash. LBB already boasted a victory against the Bulldogs in their season opener, but Notre Dame was able to scratch out a 52-51 victory on the Bulldogs' senior night.

LBB head coach Chad Allen was pleased with his team's effort in all but one aspect of the contest: shooting.

"I thought we really took care of the ball tonight. Coming into this game, we had a lot of turnovers against Notre Dame the first time we played them, and tonight we only had 12," Allen noted. "For the most part, we definitely took care of the ball, we just didn't finish shots."

The Lady 'Cats had a chance late in the game; with just under :30 left and the score tied at 51, Notre Dame's Summer Burger was caught traveling. The Lady 'Cats took the ball down the floor, but an Allison Jarrell turnover led to the Bulldog's scoring play.

"Yeah, it was, but that one play didn't determine the outcome of the game," Allen said of the play. "If we'd finished shots better inside, I think we shot 30 percent from the floor tonight. If you shoot that low, it's going to be hard to win, especially on the road."

The Lady 'Cats earned their first points of the game with two free throws from Paige Patterson. A trey from Hannah Noe gave the 'Cats a 9-4 lead at the 5:10 mark, but a three point play from Burger sparked a 7-2 run for the Bulldogs. An offensive rebound and stickback from Annie Siebert gave the Bulldogs a 13-12 lead at the 2:30 mark, but six straight points from Brittany Harris nudged the 'Cats to a 18-15 advantage after the first.

Noe knocked down another three early in the second to push LBB to a 24-17 lead at 4:45, but the Bulldogs put together a 10-2 run. An offensive rebound and stickback by Patterson put LBB up by one heading into halftime.

Harris picked up her third foul midway through the third quarter, and both teams traded baskets throughout the frame. A three at the buzzer from Brooke Bohnert gave the Bulldogs a 40-35 lead at the end of the third quarter.

Jarrell knocked down a trey to open the final quarter, but Burger answered with an old-fashioned three point play. Harris picked up her fourth foul, and Burger put together another three point play to keep the Bulldogs in the lead. Patterson drew a charge on Miranda Fowler, and Harris tied the game with a 12-footer at the 3:45 mark. The Bulldogs rattled off three quick points before Noe knocked down a deep three to tie the game at 51 with 30 seconds left in the game. Burger was called for a walk with :15 on the clock, but Shelby Beussink came up with a steal that led to Burger heading to the charity stripe. The senior knocked down one of two free throws with three seconds left in the game. A last-second three from Erika Cobb fell short to give the Bulldogs a 52-51 victory.

In similar form with the Bearcats' last loss against Meadow Heights, two players (Burger and Bonhert, who combined for over 35 points) carried the brunt of Notre Dame's offense.

"We just wanted to try to contain them and keep them in front of us," Allen said of the senior duo. "They got away a couple times, but we'll take a look at the film and try to adjust a little bit. Our district is definitely tough, and we're going to have to get back in the gym and work even harder."

The Lady 'Cats will be back in action on Thursday night, when they host the Cape Central Lady Tigers. Tipoff is set for 6:00 p.m. from the Bearcat Event Center.