Irish blow 10-point first half lead in 65-62 loss
By: JOE LICANDRO
Sports Writer
What a difference a week makes.
Last week, Notre Dame blew out Rutgers 89-72, thanks to a career-high 32-point performance by Irish freshman Chris Thomas.
Thursday's game was a different story.
Chris Thomas did not hit a shot from the field the entire game, as the Irish dropped a 65-62 heartbreaker to the Scarlet Knights of Rutgers in front of a raucous crowd at the Louis Brown Athletic Center.
The loss snapped a five-game winning streak for the Irish, dropping their overall record to 17-7, and 7-4 in Big East play.
From the opening tip-off, the Irish knew they would be in for a dogfight with the Scarlet Knights. The loud crowd and physical play of the Scarlet Knights made for an extremely hostile environment.
On Notre Dame's very first basket, Matt Carroll was thrown to the floor after driving for a lay-up. This type of rough play set the tone for the rest of the game as the Irish struggled to get open looks at the basket.
"This is the first time we played on the road at an on-campus facility," said Irish head coach Mike Brey. "Their fans made it really tough on us. Rutgers is a totally different program this season."
In the early going, Notre Dame showed no ill-effects of fatigue coming after last Saturday's four overtime thriller against Georgetown. The Irish appeared to be well on their way to another route jumping to a quick 10-point lead with eight minutes remaining in the first half.
Last week's reigning Big East Player of the week, Matt Carroll, continued his sharpshooting, leading the way in the first half, scoring 13 points on 6-of-9 shooting all in the first ten minutes of the game.
"We got off to a great start," said Coach Brey. "I was proud of the way we came out at the beginning of the game, but the crowd and their athleticism kept them in the game."
Rutgers quickly overcame the ten-point deficit by picking up their defensive intensity on their full-court press. A rare four-point play by Rutgers' Ricky Shields, followed by two consecutive steals and fast break buckets by the Scarlet Knights, cut the Irish lead to two.
Even though Rutgers' frenetic defensive pressure forced the Irish into committing an uncharacteristic nine turnovers in the first half, Notre Dame still held a narrow 35-32 lead heading into half-time.
"Their perimeter pressure brought the crowd into the game and really rattled us all night," said Coach Brey. "Their defense made it tough for us to find open looks throughout the game."
Rutgers' momentum at the end of the first half carried over to the beginning of the second half as the Scarlet Knights built a 10-point lead with ten minutes remaining in the game. Rutgers' half-court defense put the clamps down on the Irish offense in the second half holding Carroll to only two second-half points. Thomas was never able to get on track either, as he finished with only six points, all on free throws.
"They shut us down for a long time in the second half," said Brey. "They really went after Chris Thomas tonight. I think the law of averages caught up with Chris. He's a tough kid, and he'll bounce back."
For the second straight game, Notre Dame had to contend with another strong physical post player. Last Saturday, Georgetown's Michael Sweetney scored 35 against the Irish.
Tonight was Rashod Kent's turn. Kent muscled his way to 18 points, 15 rebounds, four blocks, and four steals.
Notre Dame's interior defenders Ryan Humphrey, Tom Timmermans, and Harold Swanagan tried valiantly to keep the wide-bodied, 6-foot-6, 275 pound Kent from establishing inside position, but Kent was just too tough.
Despite hitting only two 3-pointers the entire game, the Irish still only found themselves down seven points with two minutes remaining in the game.
When Rashod Kent fouled out, sending David Graves to the free-throw line, the Irish seemed poised to make another comeback, but they would come up just a little short in the end. Graves hit both of his free throws, cutting the Rutgers lead to five.
Over the next minute and a half, the Irish would whittle the Scarlet Knights' lead down to one after Chris Thomas sank two timely free-throws. The Irish then quickly fouled Rutgers' Mike Sherrod with 26 seconds left. Sherrod nailed both free throws, pushing the Rutgers lead to three, 65-62.
Out of timeouts, Notre Dame looked confused on their next position and quickly turned the ball over. With 14 seconds left, Rutgers freshman Ricky Shields missed two free throws, giving the Irish one final hope to tie the game. With three seconds left to go, Chris Thomas' 3-point shot from the corner rimmed out, giving the Scarlet Knights the 65-62 victory.
"We put ourselves in a position to win at the end of the game," said Brey. " Rutgers was a very confident team tonight. We gave ourselves a chance, but we just came up a little short."
Ryan Humphrey led the way for the Irish, registering the 23rd double-double performance of his career. Humphrey finished with 18 points and 19 rebounds. Rashod Kent was the leading scorer for Rutgers with 18, while Rickey Shields chipped in 16.
The Irish will not have a lot of time to recover from the loss. On Sunday, Notre Dame returns home to face Syracuse at the Joyce Center. The Irish will be looking to avenge an earlier 56-51 road loss to the Orangemen.
"I love our team. We have been playing great lately," said Coach Brey. "We don't want to be swept by Syracuse on Sunday. I know we will be excited to play, and I know our fans will be excited as well."
Game Notes:
With the loss Thursday, the Irish fell into a second place tie with Syracuse in the Big East West Division.
Despite the loss, the Irish still appear to be in good position to make the 64-team NCAA tournament with an RPI ranking of 25.
Thursday's game marked the eighth consecutive time the Irish have lost on national television, dating back to the end of the 2000-'01 season
Sunday's game against Syracuse will be televised on ABC, with coverage beginning at 3:30 EST.
All Sports Stories for Friday, February 15, 2002
