Jan. 13, 2001

Notre Dame at Kentucky Box Score

By STEVE BAILEY
AP Sports Writer

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Tayshaun Prince scored 19 points and Keith Bogans had 14 as resurgent Kentucky muscled past No. 25 Notre Dame 82-71 Saturday.

Gerald Fitch had 13 points and Erik Daniels added 10 as the Wildcats (9-5) won their sixth straight game following an uncharacteristic 3-5 start.

Troy Murphy scored a season-low 14 points to lead five players in double figures for the Fighting Irish (9-5). Murphy also pulled down 11 rebounds for his seventh double-double of the season.

David Graves had 13 points, Ryan Humphrey and Martin Inglesby 12 each and Matt Carroll 11 for Notre Dame, which has lost three of its last four games. Humphrey added 13 rebounds and three blocked shots.

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 and with each cut through the paint.

Kentucky led by seven points at halftime, and increased the lead to 39-28 less than two minutes into the second half. An 11-2 run, capped by Inglesby’s long 3-pointer, pulled Notre Dame with 41-39 with 12:59 to play.

Up 51-47, Daniels scored six points during a 13-3 run to put the Wildcats up 64-50 with 6:45 remaining.

Notre Dame pulled within five points down the stretch, but would get no closer as Kentucky hit 11-of-12 free throws in the final three minutes to seal the game.

Notre Dame outrebounded Kentucky 45-40, but the Wildcats’ bench outscored the Irish reserves 26-9.

The Wildcats missed their first six shots as Notre Dame took 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 at the 7:30 mark.

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 halftime lead.