BALTIMORE, MD – The Notre Dame of Maryland basketball team (14-9, 14-5 CSAC) will advance on to play No. 2 Keystone (17-7, 14-4 CSAC) at 7 p.m. on Wednesday after exploding for 30 points in the fourth quarter to defeat No. 6 Cairn (7-17, 7-11 CSAC) 86-67. 

CSAC Rookie of the Year Alexis Durham led the way with 22 points on 5-of-8 from three and while recording a career-day distributing the ball with 10 assists. 

The Gators frontcourt tandem in Defensive Player of the Year Daija Fitchett (24 points, 12 rebounds) and Ayana Brim (19 points, 10 rebounds) each came up huge, posting double-doubles in the elimination game. 


HOW IT HAPPENED

• Brim was responsible for the Gators first four scores and went on to drop right points in the first. 
• Three triples from Dakota Hitchner proved Cairn with an early 17-10 lead. Notre Dame responded with two threes of their own along with a couple of made field goals from Fitchett to keep the game close at 22-23.
• Carin shot lights out from behind the arc in the first quarter on 5-of-5 shooting. 
• The Gators turned the tide in the second period, holding the Highlanders to (25 percent) from three. Durham converted two big-time threes to end the first half with a 44-38 advantage. 
• Carin regained the lead on the heels of Hitchner's 37 point performance. With the Highlanders up 51-50 with two to play in the third, Durham added two more triples sending all of the momentum back to the Gator side. 
• Notre Dame locked in on both sides of the ball and went on a 19-2 run to take a late 20-point lead with five minutes left in regulation. 
• Senior Adrianna Fletcher came on in the fourth and added six points and three assists. She finished the game with seven points and five assists. 
• Fitchett helped close the game out with 12 points in the final period. Durham had six of her career-high 10 assists in the fourth. 

OF NOTE

• Brim surpassed 300 points on the season and was in double figures for the 18th time this year. Teammates Durham and Fitchett each have 17 games scoring in double figures.
• Fitchett gets double-double number 17 and was also able to crack 300 points for the season, joining Brim and Durham
• Alexis Durham now has 135 assists this season. The third most by a Gator in a single season.
• The Gators are now 11-9 all-time against Cairn in 20 showdowns. 
• No. 3 Notre Dame and No. 2 Keystone have seen each other on two occasions this season. The Giants won the first battle at Notre Dame (11/27) 65-63. Notre Dame were the victors in the last meeting at Keystone, 77-56 (1/20).

UP NEXT
No. 3 Notre Dame (Md.) will visit No. 2 Keystone on Wednesday for the CSAC semifinals set for 7 p.m. Watch and follow live stats at Notredamegators.com. Follow the basketball program on Twitter and Instagram (@NDMGatorSports) and catch all things Gators on the Gators Network.