MISSION STATEMENT
Calvin Wooten added 18 points for Rutgers (12-14, 4-10 Big East), which snapped a four-game losing streak.
Chris Thomas scored 24 points to lead Notre Dame (21-7, 9-5).
Rutgers' last win against a Top 10 team was on Feb. 27, 1982, over West Virginia. In their history, the Scarlet Knights had defeated four Top 10 teams before Saturday.
Rutgers also reached its highest point total of the season, and highest under second-year coach Gary Waters.
Rutgers raced to a 24-point lead midway through the first half and Notre Dame was unable to get closer than 11 points the rest of the game.
The Fighting Irish, who came into the game shooting 45 percent from the field, were 10-for-29 (35 percent) in the first half and 23-for-61 (38 percent) for the game.
Coleman, who is Rutgers' leading scorer at 16 points per game, had scored a total of 14 points in losses to Connecticut, Pittsburgh and Seton Hall. He was scoreless against Pitt.
But he came out firing Saturday and scored 17 points in the first half, going 5-of-7 from 3-point range. Rutgers made 15 of its first 25 shots and finished the half at 57 percent (17-of-30).
Leading 12-8 with 16:10 left in the first half, Rutgers took control with a 31-11 run over the next 10:21 to take a 43-19 lead. Wooten and Coleman combined for 17 points in the span, with Wooten hitting three 3-pointers and Coleman two. During one stretch Rutgers made 10 consecutive shots.
Notre Dame responded in the final five minutes of the half, holding Rutgers scoreless for more than four minutes to close to 43-30 on two free throws by Dan Miller with 2:01 remaining. But Coleman answered with a fallaway 3-pointer from the right wing to push the lead back to 16.
POSTGAME NOTES
WITH THE WIN
The 95-82 victory over 9th-ranked Notre Dame is the first win over a top 10
opponent for Rutgers since the 74-64 victory over 6th-ranked West Virginia (2/27/82)
(Associated Press rankings). Last season Rutgers defeated 10th-ranked (ESPN/USA
Today Poll) Syracuse at the RAC, 82-72 on February 2, 2002. This is the sixth
win over a ranked opponent in the Gary Waters era and the 23rd in Rutgers’
history and is the sith win in the last seven home games vs. Notre Dame. The
95 points scored by the Scarlet Knights is the second most points scored for
Rutgers in BIG EAST play behind 97 vs. Villanova (1/9/99) in a 97-87 victory.
NOTRE DAME 8TH SELLOUT OF SEASON
With an attendance of 8,088 vs. Notre Dame, the Scarlet Knights record the 8th
sellout of the season, the 11th of the Gary Waters era and the 45th in the history
of the RAC. The eight sellouts ties the record for the most single-season sellouts
with the 1998-99 Scarlet Knights. The sellout vs. Notre Dame is also the sixth
sellout in the last seven home games for the Scarlet Knights. The 8,088 is a
season-high attendance, eclipsing the previous high of 8,023 set vs. Seton Hall
(2/25/03). The season attendance for the Scarlet Knights is 104,426, the 4th
highest total in Rutgers’ history and the 5th time the Scarlet Knights
have eclipsed the 100,000 plateau.
BEST FIELD GOAL AND THREE POINT PERCENTAGE OF THE GARY WATERS ERA
Connecting on 53.8 % (35-65) shots from the field and 61.1% (11-18) from behind
the arc vs. Notre Dame, Rutgers set new high marks for the Gary Waters’
era, eclipsing the previous highs of 53.7% (29-54) from the field vs. West Virginia
(1/26/03) and 56.3% (9-16) from three-point range vs. Boston College (2/8/03).
COLEMAN ON CAREER CHARTS
Jerome Coleman moved up in three categories in the Rutgers record book vs. Notre
Dame.
• With 27points, Coleman is now 36th in scoring all-time with 950 for
his career.
• With seven three-point field goals made, Coleman is now 4th on the all-time
three-point field goals made list with 167 and 9th on the single-season list
with 68.
COLEMAN SCORING VS. RANKED OPPONENTS AT HOME
Scoring 27 points vs. Notre Dame, Jerome Coleman averages 23.6 points per game
vs. ranked opponents in his Rutgers career. During his career, Coleman has led
Rutgers to a 6-2 record vs. ranked opponents at home. Scoring 27 points vs.
Notre Dame, Jerome Coleman notched his 7th 20 point game of the season and 18th
of his career, 12 of which have come at home.
SHERROD MOVES INTO 11TH PLACE ON ALL-TIME ASSISTS LIST
Dishing out five assists vs. Notre Dame, Mike Sherrod moved into 11th place
on the career assists list at Rutgers with 291, eclipsing Earl Johnson’s
(1996-99) 287 and Rich Brunson’s (1979-83) 289. Next on the list for Sherrod
is Phil Sellers (1972-76) with 293.
SHARP SHOOTING SCARLET KNIGHTS
The 56.7% (17-30) shooting from the field in the first half vs. Notre Dame was
the highest field goal percentage in a half since the Scarlet Knights shot 57.1%
(16-21) in the first half vs. Marshall (12/2/02). The Scarlet Knights connected
on 8-10 (80%) from three point range, the highest three point field goal percentage
in a half in the Gary Waters era and ties the most made three point field goals
in a half previously accomplished twice.
WOOTEN EXCELS IN FIRST HALF VS. IRISH
Tallying 11 points in the first half vs. Notre Dame, Calvin Wooten averaged
10.0 points in the first vs. The Fighting Irish this season. During the opening
sessions vs. Notre Dame this season, Wooten was 8-of-9 from the field and did
not miss a three-point field goal attempt, going a combined 4-of-4 from behind
the arc.
Official Basketball Box Score
Notre Dame vs Rutgers
03/01/03 4:00 pm at Louis Brown Athletic Center
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VISITORS: Notre Dame 21-7, 9-5
TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS
## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
12 CORNETTE, Jordan.... f 1-2 1-2 2-4 2 4 6 3 5 0 0 2 0 17
21 MILLER, Dan......... f 3-10 0-4 6-10 2 6 8 2 12 4 2 0 1 39
34 FRANCIS, Torin...... f 4-11 0-0 3-4 2 1 3 2 11 0 3 1 0 29
01 THOMAS, Chris....... g 8-20 4-11 4-4 6 3 9 4 24 2 3 0 1 40
13 CARROLL, Matt....... g 5-13 3-9 6-6 0 0 0 1 19 1 2 0 1 30
02 QUINN, Chris........ 1-1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 2 2 1 0 0 2 17
20 JONES, Torrian...... 1-3 0-1 7-8 4 2 6 2 9 3 1 0 0 26
50 TIMMERMANS, Tom..... 0-1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2
TEAM................ 1 2 3
Totals.............. 23-61 8-27 28-36 17 18 35 17 82 11 11 3 5 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 10-29 34.5% 2nd Half: 13-32 40.6% Game: 37.7% DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 3-9 33.3% 2nd Half: 5-18 27.8% Game: 29.6% REBS
F Throw % 1st Half: 12-16 75.0% 2nd Half: 16-20 80.0% Game: 77.8% 6
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HOME TEAM: Rutgers 12-14, 4-10
TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS
## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
01 LAMIZANA, Herve..... f 4-8 0-1 2-2 0 4 4 3 10 1 2 3 0 28
02 SHIELDS, Ricky...... f 1-2 1-1 0-0 0 5 5 0 3 6 0 0 1 20
55 WRIGHT, Kareem...... c 5-9 0-0 1-2 2 3 5 3 11 0 1 0 0 16
03 SHERROD, Mike....... g 2-7 0-0 0-1 0 2 2 4 4 5 2 0 0 29
11 COLEMAN, Jerome..... g 9-16 7-12 2-2 2 1 3 4 27 2 3 0 0 37
04 HILL, Adrian........ 2-3 0-0 0-0 3 1 4 0 4 1 2 2 0 8
13 WIGGAN, Juel........ 3-6 0-0 6-6 3 3 6 1 12 1 1 0 2 17
21 MCCOY, Jason........ 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1
32 AXANI, Sean......... 2-2 0-0 2-2 0 2 2 4 6 1 0 3 0 20
44 WOOTEN, Calvin...... 7-12 3-4 1-3 0 1 1 0 18 3 1 0 2 24
TEAM................ 3 1 4
Totals.............. 35-65 11-18 14-18 13 23 36 20 95 20 13 8 5 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 17-30 56.7% 2nd Half: 18-35 51.4% Game: 53.8% DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 8-10 80.0% 2nd Half: 3-8 37.5% Game: 61.1% REBS
F Throw % 1st Half: 5-6 83.3% 2nd Half: 9-12 75.0% Game: 77.8% 3
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Officials: Jim Burr, Jim Haney, Tony Greene
Technical fouls: Notre Dame-None. Rutgers-None.
Attendance: 8088
Score by Periods 1st 2nd Total
Notre Dame.................... 35 47 - 82
Rutgers....................... 47 48 - 95
8th sellout of the season - ties school record for sellouts in a season
Season high attendence
Points in the paint-ND 22,RUTGERS 38. Points off turnovers-ND 14,RUTGERS 17.
2nd chance points-ND 17,RUTGERS 11. Fast break points-ND 0,RUTGERS 20.
Bench points-ND 11,RUTGERS 40. Score tied-0 times. Lead changes-0 times.
