Notre Dame Defeats Siena, 107-96, to Reach Preseason NIT Semifinals

Troy Murphy scored 31 points to lead Notre Dame to a 107-96 victory over Siena Thursday in a second-round game in the Preseason NIT at South Bend, Ind.

Notre Dame (2-0) will play the winner of tonight’s game between New Mexico State and No. 10 Arizona in the semifinals next week.

Much the way they did in their victory over No. 4 Ohio State Tuesday, the Irish had problems with turnovers but shot well. They shot 60% (32 for 53), making 10 of 19 three-point attempts, to overcome 27 turnovers. Against Ohio State, they shot 50% and had 25 turnovers.

Siena (1-1) committed 34 fouls, allowing Notre Dame to shoot 15 more free throws. The Irish were 33 for 39 from the line.

David Graves and Matt Carroll both scored 16 points for Notre Dame, and Martin Ingelsby had 15.

Marcus Faison scored 22 points for Siena.

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In the first round of the Top of the World Classic at Fairbanks, Alaska, California got 20 points each from freshmen Joe Shipp and Nick Vander Laan to defeat Texas Christian, 91-83.

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In the twilight of their coaching careers, old friends Lefty Driesell and Jerry Tarkanian will get together again tonight. These days, they are far away from the spotlight that once shadowed them.

Instead of Maryland versus Nevada Las Vegas--the schools they took to national prominence--it will be Driesell’s Georgia State Panthers playing host to Tarkanian and the Fresno State Bulldogs.

“We’re both basketball nuts,” Driesell said in Atlanta. “If we weren’t nuts about it, we wouldn’t be coaching. Most people our age have already retired when they’ve had the success we’ve had. They’re out playing golf. But I have no hobbies and he has no hobbies, so this is what we do.”

While the game has generated some excitement on the downtown Atlanta campus--Georgia State hopes to sell out its 5,500-seat arena for the first time.

Driesell, 67, has produced two consecutive winning teams from a program that was the worst in the nation when he took over.

Tarkanian, 69, had hoped to have his best team since taking Nevada Las Vegas to consecutive Final Fours in 1990 and ’91. But Fresno State has been already hurt by injuries, with two key players--guard Courtney Alexander and center Marvin Ely--suffering stress fractures and expected to be sidelined for as many as six games.

Alexander averaged 21.4 points last season and Ely led Fresno State in scoring in two exhibition games.

This is believed to be the fourth time that two coaches with more than 700 victories have faced each other. Driesell (716) and Tarkanian (709) are among five active coaches who have reached that plateau.

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Austin Ainge, the son of Phoenix Sun coach and former Brigham Young standout Danny Ainge, has also chosen to play for the Cougars.

The school announced in Provo, Utah, that Austin Ainge, a 6-foot-1 point guard, signed a national letter-of-intent to play at BYU, where his father was a guard from 1978-81.

Austin Ainge averaged 17 points, six rebounds and five assists a game last season as a junior at Highland High School in Gilbert, Ariz. He plans to serve a two-year Mormon Church mission before playing.