Notre Dame Notre Dame/Kentucky Kentucky Men's College Basketball recap on ESPN

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) -- Tayshaun Prince couldn't hide an ear-to-ear grin as he dribbled across the frontcourt with time ticking down Saturday in Kentucky's 82-71 victory over No. 25 Notre Dame.

He'd been called passive during Kentucky's uncharacteristic 3-5 start, then overshadowed by younger teammates during the Wildcats' recent five-game winning streak.

But the lanky swingman put together his most complete game of the season Saturday with 19 points, eight rebounds, two assists and two blocked shots as he and his teammates muscled past the Fighting Irish.

"I think I had a great game both offensively and defensively," Prince said. "I really wanted to attack the offensive glass and get inside and get some shots in the paint instead of settling for outside jump shots.

"I knew if I wanted to perform the way I did today, I'd have to go in there upbeat and with some intensity."

Keith Bogans had 14 points, and freshmen Gerald Fitch and Erik Daniels had 13 and 10 for Kentucky (9-5).

The victory was the sixth straight for the Wildcats, who next are home to No. 4 Tennessee, then travel to No. 21 Ole Miss and No. 14 Alabama.

"We've got to keep winning," Kentucky coach Tubby Smith said. "We've got five losses, so we've got to stay very focused."

Troy Murphy scored a season-low 14 points to lead five players in double figures for Notre Dame (9-5). Murphy, who came in averaging 24 points, made only six of 15 shots but pulled down 11 rebounds for his seventh double-double of the season.

David Graves had 13 points, Ryan Humphrey and Martin Inglesby 12 each and Matt Carroll 11 for Notre Dame, which has lost three of its last four games.

"I think we came in here very ready to play, which wasn't the case at Syracuse and Seton Hall," Notre Dame coach Mike Brey said. "At this point, I'm a little concerned, but we've had a tough road stretch by anyone's terms."

Both teams shot less than 41 percent from the floor and less than 33 percent from behind the 3-point line as bodies flew at every loose ball and with each cut through the paint.

Prince was in the thick of it all, showing an aggressiveness and an emotional intensity rarely seen this season.

He battled inside for rebounds at both ends of the floor, many times tapping the ball to himself or an open teammate. He knifed down the lane to tap in several missed shots. He used his long arms and wiry frame to harass Murphy every time he touched the ball.

"Tayshaun is a gamer and a multitalented player," Smith said. "Today, I was most impressed with his defensive effort. He can guard anyone from the point guard to the center with some degree of success.

"He's really maturing. You can tell by his attitude and his demeanor. He's been more aggressive and more physical lately."

The Wildcats missed their first six shots as Notre Dame took a 14-4 lead.

But Kentucky's second team of Daniels, J.P. Blevins, Cliff Hawkins, Marquis Estill and Marvin Stone then forced seven consecutive turnovers and held the Irish scoreless on 11 straight possessions during a 13-0 run to give the Wildcats a 17-14 lead at the 7:30 mark.

Back-to-back 3-pointers by Graves gave Notre Dame a 24-21 lead with 4:30 remaining. Kentucky then closed out the half with a 12-2 run, capped by 3-pointers by Prince and Fitch, to take a 33-26 halftime lead. "Their pressure put us on our heels," Brey said. "They stepped it up in that first half and really rattled us."

Kentucky increased the lead to 39-28 less than two minutes into the second half. An 11-2 run, capped by Inglesby's long 3-pointer, pulled Notre Dame to 41-39 with 12:59 to play.

Up 51-47, Daniels scored six points during a 13-3 run to put the Wildcats up 64-50 with 6:45 remaining.

Notre Dame pulled within five points down the stretch, but would get no closer as Kentucky hit 11 of 12 free throws in the final three minutes to seal the game.

"Kentucky has a lot of weapons," said Humphrey, who pulled down a game-high 13 rebounds and blocked three shots. "They have the luxury of having a lot of guys who can step up. If one guy doesn't, they have another who will. A lot of teams don't have that."

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Men's College Basketball Scoreboard

Notre Dame Clubhouse

Kentucky Clubhouse