Sunday, January 14, 2001
Kentucky 82, Notre Dame 71
Prince plays best game of season
The Associated Press
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Tayshaun Prince couldn't hide an ear-to-ear grin as he dribbled across the frontcourt with time ticking down Saturday in Kentucky's 82-71 victory over No.25 Notre Dame.
He had been called passive during Kentucky's uncharacteristic 3-5 start, then was overshadowed by younger teammates during the Wildcats' recent five-game winning streak.
But the lanky swingman put together his best all-around game of the season Saturday with 19 points, eight rebounds, two assists and two blocked shots as he and his teammates muscled past the Irish.
“I think I had a great game both offensively and defensively,” Prince said. “I really wanted to attack the offensive glass and get inside and get some shots in the paint instead of settling for outside jump shots.
“I knew if I wanted to perform the way I did today, I'd have to go in there upbeat and with some intensity.”
Keith Bogans had 14 points, and freshmen Gerald Fitch and Erik Daniels had 13 and 10 for Kentucky (9-5).
The victory was the sixth straight for the Wildcats, who next are home vs. No.4 Tennessee, then travel to No.20 Ole Miss and No.16 Alabama.
“We've got to keep winning,” Kentucky coach Tubby Smith said. “We've got five losses, so we've got to stay very focused.”
Troy Murphy scored a season-low 14 points to lead five players in double figures for Notre Dame (9-5). Mur phy, who came in averaging 24 points, made only six of 15 shots, but pulled down 11 rebounds for his seventh double-double of the season.
David Graves had 13 points, Ryan Humphrey and Martin Ingelsby 12 each, and Matt Carroll 11 for Notre Dame, which has lost three of its last four games.
“I think we came in here very ready to play, which wasn't the case at Syracuse and Seton Hall,” Notre Dame coach Mike Brey said. “At this point, I'm a little concerned, but we've had a tough road stretch by anyone's terms.”
Both teams shot less than 41 percent from the floor and less than 33 percent from behind the 3-point line as bodies flew at every loose ball.
Prince was in the thick of it all, showing an aggressiveness and an emotional intensity rarely seen this season.
He battled inside for rebounds at both ends of the floor, many times tapping the ball to himself or an open teammate. He knifed down the lane to tap in several missed shots. He used his long arms and wiry frame to harass Murphy every time he touched the ball.
“Tayshaun is a gamer and a multitalented player,” Smith said. “Today, I was most impressed with his defensive effort. He can guard anyone, from the point guard to the center, with some degree of success.
“He's really maturing. You can tell by his attitude and his demeanor. He's been more aggressive and more physical lately.”
The Wildcats missed their first six shots as Notre Dame took a 14-4 lead.
But Kentucky's second team of Daniels, J.P. Blevins, Cliff Hawkins, Marquis Estill and Marvin Stone then forced seven consecutive turnovers and held the Irish scoreless on 11 straight possessions during a 13-0 run to give the Wildcats a 17-14 lead.
Back-to-back 3-pointers by Graves gave Notre Dame a 24-21 lead with 4:30 remaining. Kentucky then closed out the half with a 12-2 run, capped by 3-pointers by Prince and Fitch, to take a 33-26 lead.
“Their pressure put us on our heels,” Brey said. “They stepped it up in that first half and really rattled us.”
Notre Dame pulled within five points down the stretch but got no closer as Kentucky hit 11 of 12 free throws in the final three minutes.
“Kentucky has a lot of weapons,” Humphrey said. “They have the luxury of having a lot of guys who can step up.”
NOTRE DAME (71)
fg ft rb
min m-a m-a o-t a pf tp
Murphy 36 6-15 2-2 7-11 2 4 14
Humphrey 28 6-14 0-2 6-13 1 2 12
Graves 37 4-15 2-3 1-3 2 3 13
Carroll 36 5-15 0-0 2-6 1 4 11
Ingelsby 40 3-8 4-4 0-3 4 3 12
Jones 8 1-2 0-0 0-0 0 1 2
Swanagan 15 1-1 5-6 1-3 1 3 7
_______________________________________________
TOTALS 200 26-70 13-17 17-39 11 20 71
_______________________________________________
Percentages: FG-.371, FT-.765. 3-Point Goals:
6-24, .250 (Murphy 0-1, Graves 3-8, Carroll 1-9,
Ingelsby 2-6). Team rebounds: 6. Blocked shots: 3
(Humphrey 3). Turnovers: 16 (Graves 5, Humphrey
3, Ingelsby 3, Murphy 3, Carroll, Jones). Steals:
4 (Graves 2, Murphy, Swanagan).
KENTUCKY (82)
fg ft rb
min m-a m-a o-t a pf tp
Prince 34 7-14 3-4 4-8 2 1 19
Parker 17 3-7 1-2 1-4 1 4 7
Fitch 24 3-8 4-4 2-4 2 0 13
Bogans 23 4-9 5-6 3-6 1 3 14
Smith 23 1-5 0-0 0-3 3 1 3
Hawkins 17 3-6 1-1 0-1 1 2 7
Blevins 16 1-2 0-0 0-1 1 2 3
Daniels 17 3-6 4-4 2-4 2 2 10
Stone 11 0-1 0-0 0-3 1 3 0
Estill 18 2-8 2-2 2-4 1 1 6
_______________________________________________
TOTALS 200 27-66 20-23 14-38 15 19 82
_______________________________________________
Percentages: FG-.409, FT-.870. 3-Point Goals:
8-24, .333 (Prince 2-6, Fitch 3-6, Bogans 1-5,
Smith 1-5, Blevins 1-1, Daniels 0-1). Team
rebounds: 2. Blocked shots: 6 (Prince 2, Estill
2, Bogans, Parker). Turnovers: 12 (Parker 3,
Bogans 2, Estill 2, Stone 2, Blevins, Fitch).
Steals: 6 (Hawkins 3, Estill, Fitch, Smith).
__________________________________
Notre Dame 26 45 - 71
Kentucky 33 49 - 82
__________________________________
Technical fouls: Notre Dame 1 (Swanagan).
Kentucky 2 (Bogans, Stone). A: 23,018.
Officials: Curtis Shaw, Tim Higgins, Carl Hess.
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Kentucky 82, Notre Dame 71
