Dec. 3, 2001
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – University of Notre Dame freshman forward Jacqueline Batteast (South Bend, Ind./Washington HS) has been selected as the BIG EAST Conference Rookie of the Week, the league office announced Monday. It’s the first weekly award of Batteast’s career, and she is the first Irish player to earn the conference’s top rookie award since Alicia Ratay garnered the honor for the sixth time on Feb. 21, 2000.
Batteast, the 2001-02 preseason BIG EAST Rookie of the Year, averaged 17.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game last week as Notre Dame defeated Army, 89-57, and lost to No. 16/17 Michigan, 78-63. Batteast notched her second double-double of the season in the win over Army, finishing with game-high totals of 18 points, 12 rebounds and four blocked shots – the latter total also is tied for the most rejections by a BIG EAST player this season. Batteast followed that performance up with 17 points and nine rebounds in Sunday’s loss to Michigan.
Notre Dame (2-3) returns to action Thursday at 7 p.m. (EST) when it heads to West Lafayette, Ind., for a battle with No. 10/11 Purdue at Mackey Arena. It will be a rematch of last season’s NCAA championship game which was won by the Irish, 68-66.
– ND –