Fifth straight win is special in Big East
By KATHLEEN O'BRIEN
Associate Sports Editor
On a cold night in Pittsburgh, the Panthers started out hot by hitting their first five shots while the Irish were the team on ice, trailing 21-10 early on. But Notre Dame chilled Pittsburgh's hopes of winning with 54 percent shooting and hard-nosed defense as the Irish recorded their fifth straight win 75-67.
"This is a big step for us," Irish coach Mike Brey said in a post-game interview with U-93 FM. "I told the guys, `you have a chance to be special if you get this one.'"
Notre Dame (14-5, 6-2 Big East) did something special by winning back-to-back league road games for the first time ever.
Even more distinctive was the fact that a team known for its high-octane perimeter shooting won while only hitting one 3-pointer in the game. The Irish turned their game inside to convert on the Panthers' defensive strategy of not double-teaming All-American Troy Murphy.
The Irish avoided frustration when they fell behind early, responding to an early Panther attack by reeling off 13 straight points.
"Over the past couple weeks, we've had a certain poise and maturity about us," said Murphy, who scored 24. "We withstood it and knew our time would come."
Notre Dame's time is here, as it extended its school record for consecutive Big East wins to five and pulled into a tie with Syracuse for first place in the league's West Division. The Irish didn't blink at a Pitt squad that upset conference opponents Georgetown and Seton Hall in January, showing why Notre Dame is back in the national rankings after a short hiatus.
Junior David Graves, who moved out of the starting lineup in mid-January only to play his best basketball of the season, scored 24 points in 31 minutes off the bench while bringing down six rebounds.
"That sixth starter was excellent," Brey said. "He's accepted that role, and now he really relishes it. He's good in that role."
Graves and point guard Martin Ingelsby both took second-half charges, highlighting Notre Dame's new attention to defense.
"I think we're starting to realize that we're going to score," Graves said. "We've started to realize that the way to win games is to stop people. We're starting to believe, and I think that's the key."
The Irish defense kept the Panthers to 44 percent shooting, holding Pittsburgh guard Brandin Knight scoreless on the night.
Top player Ricardo Greer sat out the first half for Pittsburgh with back spasms, battling through the injury in the second half to play 16 minutes and score nine points. Panther forward Donatas Zavackas spurred his team's scoring with 22 points as he shot 5-for-6 from behind the arc.
Notre Dame's 37-23 edge on the boards, led by nine from Ryan Humphrey, didn't hurt matters. Neither did accuracy from the free throw line, as the Irish hit 20 of 25 free throws, providing a boost that helped it get past league foe Georgetown Jan. 27.
"These are the steps that we need to take to become a championship team," Graves said.
Notes
*Notre Dame recruit Jemere Hendrix will not be joining the Irish basketball team next fall due to academic reasons, Brey told the South Bend Tribune last week.
Hendrix, a 6-foot-8, 215-pounder from Covington, Ga., had signed with Notre Dame in early November along with Chris Thomas of Indianapolis and Jordan Cornette of Cincinnati. Brey may or may not ink another recruit, now that he has one scholarship to give, since many top players have already signed letters of intent.
"We're back to a two-man class," Brey told the Tribune. "You've got to be smart. We'll look around at who is out there. There won't be a knee-jerk reaction."
All Sports Stories for Monday, February 5, 2001
