Tapak and Kline have career night as IU beats Notre Dame

SOUTH BEND -- Entering the game Wednesday night, IU junior guard Ryan Tapak had only seen five minutes of action all season. Against Notre Dame, Tapak had a career night to help lead the Hoosiers (3-3) to a 66-63 win over the Irish (2-3).\nTapak scored eight points on the night. None was bigger than the three pointer he hit with 28 seconds left in the game and only three remaining on the shot clock to give IU a five-point lead.\n"It was just lucky that the ball got to me," Tapak said. "(IU sophomore guard) Bracey (Wright) drove middle, kicked it out. I knew the shot clock was low, so I had to get something up."\nTapak's previous career high was three points. IU coach Mike Davis said he had wanted to get Tapak more minutes earlier this season but never had the chance to do so. \n"I didn't want him to fight the pressure of (Notre Dame guard) Chris Thomas in the first half because Chris Thomas is really good on the ball," Davis said. "In the second half, they put another guy on him, so I just felt like he could come off some screens and make some shots, and he did."\nTapak had a chance to put the game out of reach with one-and-one free throws with 10.8 seconds left. He missed the front end, but Notre Dame freshman guard Colin Falls missed a three-point attempt, and IU hung on for the win.\nAs soon as Tapak left the locker room, he was looking for his parents who attended the game. His mom gave him a big hug and told him he played well. She said it would have been even better had he made his free throws.\nTapak wasn't the only Hoosier with a career night. IU sophomore forward Sean Kline also had 12 points in only 23 minutes. He spent most of the night on the bench with foul trouble.\n"He helped us a lot," Wright said of Kline. "He knocked down some shots, and he rebounded the ball. He played with a lot of energy. I think that's what everybody on our team did."\nFor the first time in his two-and-a-half year career at IU, Tapak saw minutes at the end of a game that really mattered. \n"I think it's bigger that the team won than it is I got playing time and succeeded," Tapak said. "This is a huge win for us. It's our first road win, and we've got a lot of young guys so it shows them we can win on the road."\n-- Contact sports editor Tyler V. Hoeppner at thoeppne@indiana.edu.