A barrage of 3-pointers and some downright stingy defense paved the way to Notre Dame's 60-22 victory over Central Catholic on Saturday in a Division III girls basketball district final played at Northwood High School.

The Eagles (19-6), who are returning to a regional for the first time since 2021, hit 10 of their 21 3-point tries in the game, with five of those coming from sophomore guard Brooklyn Armstead.

The win sends Notre Dame to Bluffton University for a D-III regional semifinal Wednesday at 8 p.m. versus Ashland (20-5), which took a 58-44 win over top-seeded Norwalk (22-3) in their district final on Saturday.

The Eagles' last regional appearance came in 2021, when coach Travis Galloway's team made its eighth trip to the Division I state final four in 10 years.

“It's great to win the district,” Galloway said. “It's the first time in a few years, and it's this group's first time, so it's all brand new to them.

“I'm happy for them because they've worked so hard. They're very close and very together, and their hard work is paying off.”

Armstead, who topped Notre Dame with 15 points, is the daughter of current Clay boys basketball head coach Lionel Armstead, who was a first team Division IV All-Ohioan at Emmanuel Baptist in 1998 before playing at West Virginia University.

“We definitely shot good from the arc, and we were pretty confident on our shots,” said Brooklyn Armstead, who was 5-for-9 on 3-pointers. “We had that contagious energy where, when we start making our shots, we're going to keep making them.

“On defense, it was about picking up the effort and being accountable. We're excited about [going to regionals], and we definitely want to make the final four. We have to make sure our energy is really good.”

The Eagles also got 10 points from freshman Joi Battle and eight from senior Bella Calcamuggio in beating the Irish (8-16) for the third time this season. Notre Dame topped Central by identical scores of 56-23 in their two Catholic High School League meetings. Kallie Thames, Nina Sims, and Jade Battle each added six points for the Eagles.

“Honestly, defensively, I thought we came out a little out of sorts,” Galloway said. “We've defended well all year, and we were a little too amped up. We over-rotated and didn't close out as well. We got in some foul trouble because of it.

“But once we settled in during the second quarter, from there on out I thought we did a great job, and that took a toll [on Central] as the game went on.”

Notre Dame was leading just 15-14 after a three-point play from Central's Nina Stevens with 1:55 left in the first quarter but outscored the Irish 45-8 over the game's final 25 minutes and 55 seconds.

That stretch included a scoreless drought of 13:04 for Central which spanned the first through third quarters. At one point, the Irish went 15:45 without a field goal on 13 straight misses.

“We were working pretty hard at the defensive end, but we've got to score,” said first-year Central coach Clifton Hodges, who guided Springfield to the Division I regional finals in 2023. “The name of the game is putting the basketball in the hole, and we didn't score a single point in the second quarter, and finally got a couple free throws in the third.

“Notre Dame is a very seasoned team, and coach Galloway does a fantastic job. It's tough when they're making shots like that and we don't see any reward from seeing the ball go through the hole. It'll take a toll on you.”

For the game, Central shot 22 percent (5 of 23), including 2-for-13 on 3-pointers. Notre Dame was 22 of 45 (49 percent) from the field, 8 of 10 at the foul line, and outrebounded the Irish 29-18.

“We played with an unbelievable rhythm offensively,” Galloway said. “We shared the ball, we got the ball in the shooters' hands on time, and we were ready to knock down shots.”

After Stevens' three-point play, Notre Dame blanked Central 16-0 to close the half and then topped the Irish 21-4 in the third quarter to put the game away.

Maeley Bragg and Marissa Justen led Central with seven points apiece in the game. The Irish had beaten Bowsher 57-52 and Maumee 52-35 to reach the district final.

First Published February 23, 2025, 12:49 a.m.