Beating TCU Means Irish Celebrate Again

The date was not lost on Notre Dame Coach John McLeod.

“For us to keep playing after St. Patrick’s Day, we haven’t done this in six years,” MacLeod said Tuesday, after the Irish beat Texas Christian, 82-72, at South Bend, Ind., in the second round of the National Invitation Tournament.

“It’s exciting.”

Pat Garrity scored 20 points and Pete Miller had 16 for the Irish (16-13), who abandoned their plodding game and came out running to advance to a Thursday game against Michigan, a winner over Oklahoma State Tuesday.

Damian Walker had 16 points to lead TCU (22-13), which was angry about having to travel despite having the better record and drawing a bigger crowd to its first-round game.

“I don’t think we played sound basketball this whole game. You kind of expect that coming in,” TCU Coach Billy Tubbs said. “I’d like to issue a challenge: Any time Notre Dame wants to play us, they can come to Fort Worth.”

Connecticut 63, Bradley 47--Richard Hamilton scored 15 of his 24 points in the second half, sparking a 16-5 run to lead the Huskies (16-14) into the quarterfinals with a victory over Bradley (17-13) at Storrs, Conn.

Michigan 75, Oklahoma State 65--Louis Bullock made six three-point baskets and scored 28 points for the Wolverines (21-11) in a victory at Ann Arbor, Mich.

Bullock, a sophomore guard who already holds Michigan’s career three-point record, made five in the second half, two in a 9-3 run that finished off the Cowboys (17-15).

Nebraska 78, Nevada 68--Mikki Moore scored 21 points and Tyronn Lue had 18 for the defending champion Cornhuskers (18-14), who opened an early lead and held off Nevada (21-10) at Reno.