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Head Coach Mike Brey | Georgetown Coach Craig Esherick
March 4, 2001
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Mike Sweetney scored 19 points and Ruben Boumtje Boumtje added 16 as No. 21 Georgetown dominated inside and beat No. 13 Notre Dame 79-72 on Sunday.
The Hoyas (23-6, 10-6 Big East) made 10 of 12 free throws in the final 2:17, earning a bye in the first round of Big East tournament. The loss kept Notre Dame (19-8, 11-5) from its first 20-win regular season in 12 years.
Georgetown outrebounded the Irish 53-38 – with Sweetney and Boumtje each grabbing nine rebounds – and shot 50 percent in the second half. The Hoyas were 16 of 21 from the free throw line while the Irish were just 7 of 12.
The Hoyas, who led 37-34 at halftime, opened the second half with a 9-2 run to take a 46-36 lead. The Irish quickly cut the lead to six points on a pair of baskets by Troy Murphy. The Hoyas answered with a 10-0 run with Sweetney scoring on a 16-footer banked high off the backboard and from underneath and went when 56-40 on a driving layup by Kevin Braswell.
The Irish closed to 64-58 when Matt Carroll hit a 3-pointer with 3:56 left but missed their next four shots as they lost two straight for the first time since January.
Demetrius Hunter scored 13 points, hitting a pair of 3-pointers in the second half when the Irish appeared ready to make runs. Braswell scored 12 and Lee Scruggs scored 11.
Murphy had 19 points for the Irish, but shot only 8 of 21 from the floor and fouled out with 48 seconds left. The crowd chanted “One more year” as Murphy, a junior who could leave for the NBA, walked to the bench.
Ryan Humphrey, Notre Dame’s second-leading scorer at 14.7 points a game, was held to five points. Matt Carroll scored 13 and Harold Swanagan had a season-high 12 points.
The Hoyas outrebounded the Irish 30-18 in the first half as Georgetown scored 24 of its 37 points following misses while the Irish had only five points on second chances.