Dec. 22, 1999
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) – Sophomore Troy Murphy scored 32 points to lead Notre Dame to a 75-62 win Wednesday over Rider in the first-ever meeting of the two teams.
Murphy, the nation’s sixth-leading scorer, helped the Irish (6-5) break open a tight game in a key second-half surge, scoring four points to give Notre Dame a 52-44 lead it never relinquished.
The 6-foot-10 sophomore was 11-of-19 from the field and 10-of-11 from the free-throw line and also grabbed nine rebounds.
Sophomore center Harold Swanagan added 11 points and 12 rebounds – both season-highs.
Michael Crawford led the Broncs (5-5) with 19 points, including 5-of-8 from beyond the 3-point arc. Mario Porter added 16 points for Rider.
Crawford helped Rider dissolve a seven-point halftime deficit, pulling the Broncs to within 46-44 with 13:49 left on his fifth 3-pointer of the game. But freshman Matt Carroll answered with a 15-footer, his first basket of the game after six straight misses.
Notre Dame outrebounded Rider, 39-23.