November 25, 2002


NOTRE DAME DOWNS FURMAN 75-50
IN GUARDIANS CLASSIC SEMIFINALS

Box Score

KANSAS CITY, MO. -- Notre Dame's starting backcourt of Chris Thomas, Matt Carroll, and Dan Miller combined to score 55 points to lead the Fighting Irish to a 75-50 win over Furman in Guardians Classic semifinal round action Monday night.

Thomas and Miller tallied a game high 20 points each and teamed with Carroll to connect on 7-of-11 3-pointers to key Notre Dame (4-0) to its fourth straight win. In all the Irish drained 8-of-12 3-pointers in cruising to the win.

Furman (1-3) got 16 points from Kenny Zeigler and 15 from Karim Souchu, but the Paladins converted only 1-of-9 3-point attempts in the contest in dropping their third straight game.

Furman will play IUPUI in the Guardians Classic consolation championship game Tuesday night beginning at 6:00 p.m. CST followed by Notre Dame and Creighton in the championship game. Tipoff is scheduled for 8:30 p.m.

Notre Dame grabbed an early lead 5-2 on a 3-pointer by Carroll just a minute into the game and never looked back. Leading 23-17 with just under eight minutes to play, Notre Dame fashioned a 13-0 run over the next four minutes to take a commanding 36-17 advantage following a pair of free throws by Miller with 3:45 left in the half.

Trailing 39-23 at intermission, Furman scored the first eight points of the second half to slice Notre Dame's lead to 39-31 following a pair of Guilherme Da Luz free throws at the 17:20 mark, but the Irish answered with a quick 10-0 run highlighted by a pair of 3-pointers by Thomas and Carroll to make it a 49-31 game.

Furman shot only 40.0 percent for the game (20-of-50) while Notre Dame fared little better, converting 43.3 percent froom the field (26-of-60). The Irish, however, generated 24 points from 3-point range to Furman's three and went 15-of-19 from the free throw line to Furman's 9-of-12. Notre Dame claimed a slight advantage in rebounding, 33-31, with Torin Francis registering a game high nine boards.