Nov. 29, 2003

Recap?|? Box Score

• Notre Dame shot 19-of-20 from the free-throw line, making its first 15 FTs of the game before a Chris Quinn miss…the Irish also made their final free throw vs. NIU, for a streak of 16 consecutive free throws made.

• The Irish now are 16-1 in November during the four-year Mike Brey era, with the lone loss coming to Creighton on Nov. 26, 2002 (75-80).

• Since losing to Syracuse in the 2001-02 season, Notre Dame is 18-2 in its last 20 games at the Joyce Center (losses late in ’02-’03 vs. UConn and Syracuse)…the Irish are 37-10 at home in the Brey era (.787), 87-29 at home in the last eight seasons (.750) and 422-124 all-time at the Joyce Center (.773).

• The Irish now are 68-31 (.687) in the Brey era, with Monday’s game at Marquette slated to be ND’s 100th game under Brey…since losing three straight games in 2002, the Irish now are 32-11 in their last 43 regular-season games (.744).

• Junior G Chris Thomas reached 20-plus points (22) for the 25th time in 69 career games with the Irish while reaching double-digit points for the 57th time (ND is just 6-6 when he fails to score 10-plus, 42-11 when he hits double digits)…Thomas had scored 10-plus in 22 straight games (since scoring five in a loss at Pittsburgh) and has scored in double-digits in 32 of the last 34.

• Senior G Torrian Jones handed out a career-high six assists (he had five vs. Long Island as a freshman and vs. Virginia Tech as a junior).

• Junior F Jordan Cornette posted four-plus blocks (4) for the sixth time in his ND career but for the first time in 20 games (since blocking eight vs. Rutgers on Jan. 14, 2003.

• Sophomore F Torin Francis scored double-digits (13) for the 21st time in 36 career games with the Irish.

• Notre Dame now has made at least one three-point basket in 149 consecutive games, dating back to a game vs. UConn on Jan, 12, 1999 (at the Hartford Civic Center).s

RECORD-BOOK UPDATE

• Junior G Chris Thomas remains 29th on the ND career scoring charts and now has 1,192 points, just 13 behind Dave Batton’s 1,205…Thomas also ranks 10th all-time in scoring among ND guards, with Rich Branning ninth on that list (1,232)…Thomas posted three assists to push his career total closer to 500 (498, still fifth in ND history and now 18 behind Elmer Bennett)…he also drained five 3-point baskets to extend that career total to 163, still fifth in the ND record book and now just four behind current coordinator of basketball operations Martin Ingelsby (167).

• Junior F Jordan Cornette blocked four shots to leave his career total just shy of the century mark (99) while passing 1997 graduate Matt Gotsch (97) into fourth on the ND all-time blocks list (tops on that list are LaPhonso Ellis with 200, Ryan Humphrey’s 166 and Troy Murphy’s 126).

• Sophomore F Torin Francis registered his 66th career block, moving past Keith Tower and Ken Barlow for ninth on the ND career blocks list (next up is Tracy Jackson with 75)…Francis nearly has equaled Troy Murphy’s block total from his first two seasons with the Irish (76), while current junior Jordan Cornette (92) and LaPhonso Ellis (90, ’88-’90) are the only other ND players to total more blocks in their first two seasons of college basketball.