Irish Back On The Road Tuesday Night At Villanova

Feb. 12, 2007

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2006-07 ND Women’s Basketball: Game 25
Notre Dame Fighting Irish (16-8 / 7-4 BIG EAST) vs.
Villanova Wildcats (7-17 / 1-10 BIG EAST)

Storylines

• The past six games in the Notre Dame-Villanova series have been decided by an average of 2.8 ppg., with all six games in doubt heading into the final minute.
• Notre Dame has posted a +11.3 rebounding margin in its last three games.

Irish Back On The Road Tuesday Night At Villanova
After a three-game homestand that included a second victory over a ranked opponent and two nationally-televised wins, Notre Dame will look to translate that success to the road when it visits Villanova Tuesday for a 7:30 p.m. (ET) game at The Pavilion. It’s a quick turnaround for the Irish, who will be less than 48 hours removed from a 78-70 victory over DePaul Sunday night at the Joyce Center. Notre Dame trailed by six points on four occasions in the first half, but a 19-7 run to end the period put the Irish in the driver’s seat and the Blue Demons never got closer than five points the rest of the way. Notre Dame also helped its cause by sinking 7-of-8 free throws in the final 38 seconds to keep DePaul at arm’s length. Junior guard Charel Allen continued her recent resurgence with 25 points and a career-high 13 rebounds, registering her third career double-double (all this season). Freshman guards Ashley Barlow and Melissa Lechlitner added 13 points apiece, while junior guard Tulyah Gaines chipped in 12 points for the Irish.

Rankings

• Notre Dame is not ranked.
• Villanova is not ranked.

Web Sites

• Notre Dame: http://www.und.com
• Villanova: http://www.villanova.com
• BIG EAST: http://www.bigeast.org

Setting The Standard
Under the guidance of 20th-year head coach Muffet McGraw, Notre Dame has evolved into one of the country’s leading women’s basketball powers. The Irish have appeared in 13 NCAA Tournaments (including a current streak of 11 in a row) and advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 six times in the previous 10 years. Notre Dame also has reached the NCAA Women’s Final Four twice, winning college basketball’s ultimate prize with the 2001 national championship.

In its history, Notre Dame has developed eight All-Americans, nine WNBA players (including six draft picks in the past six years) and four USA Basketball veterans (eight medals won). Now in their 30th season in 2006-07, the Irish own an all-time record of 609-274 (.690).

Notre Dame Head Coach Muffet McGraw
Saint Joseph’s ’77

• 20th season at Notre Dame
• 445-175 (.718) at Notre Dame.
• 533-216 (.712) in 25 years as head coach.

NOTES

• 2001 consensus National Coach of the Year
• Four-time Naismith Coach of the Year finalist
• Four-time conference Coach of the Year
• BIG EAST Conference (2001)
• Midwestern Collegiate Conference (1991)
• North Star Conference (1988)
• East Coast Conference (@ Lehigh) (1983)

A Quick Look At The Fighting Irish
Now in the final month of the 2006-07 regular season, the growth of the Notre Dame women’s basketball team already is evident, and the best may be yet to come.

With a young and inexperienced roster that has only two seniors and is missing its top returning scorer from a year ago, the Irish have had to learn on the run – and run is exactly what they have done this season. Notre Dame is averaging 70.6 points per game thus far, a significant improvement over the previous five Irish squads, none of which has averaged better than 66.3 points per night.

Of course, the Irish have traditionally hung their hat on their defense, a trait that is much harder to master and takes a bit longer. On the one hand, Notre Dame’s aggressive style has rattled opponents, causing 21.2 turnovers per game (including a BIG EAST-best 11.3 steals per night). However, the flip side has seen the Irish allow opponents to shoot .423 from the floor (.369 from the three-point line), while the Irish claim just a 2.3 rpg. edge on the boards), two areas Notre Dame will continue to focus on during as it winds down BIG EAST play.

Junior guard Charel Allen has been one of the main offensive catalysts for the Irish to this point, averaging a team-high 16.7 ppg., while scoring in double figures in 21 of 24 outings to date. The Monessen, Pa., native, who is a two-time BIG EAST Player of the Week and three-time BIG EAST Honor Roll selection, also is collecting team highs of 6.7 rebounds and 2.13 steals per game.

Allen’s classmate and backcourt running partner, Tulyah Gaines, is easily one of the conference’s most improved players this season. The speedy Gaines has stoked the Notre Dame offensive fire to an even hotter level, averaging 9.8 points and 3.96 assists per game. Gaines, who came into the season with a 3.7 ppg. career scoring average, has scored 20 points in a game three times this year, including a career-high 27 points on Jan. 10 in a win over Cincinnati.

The most pleasing contributions of the year for Notre Dame to this point have come from its freshmen. Guard Ashley Barlow, who made her first career start Sunday vs. DePaul, is second on the team in scoring (10.9 ppg.) and steals (2.08 spg.), and came up with a career-high 21 points and nine rebounds on Dec. 28 vs. Prairie View A&M. Center Erica Williamson (6.3 ppg., 5.9 rpg., 1.4 bpg.) logged her first career double-double at South Florida with 11 points and 18 rebounds (an Irish freshman record). And, guard Melissa Lechlitner (5.7 ppg., 3.0 apg.) has been particularly sharp of late, ranking second in the BIG EAST with a 2.33 assist/turnover ratio in conference play (3.10 in her last eight games). She also scored a career-high 18 points vs. Syracuse and delivered a personal-best nine assists (without a turnover) against St. John’s.

Potent Notables About The Irish

• Notre Dame is among the nation’s winningest programs during the past 11 seasons (1996-97 to present), ranking seventh with 263 victories in that span.
• Notre Dame’s incoming class of 2007 (announced Nov. 8) has been ranked 11th in the nation by Blue Star Basketball, marking the 11th consecutive season that the Irish have had a top-25 recruiting class. Notre Dame is one of only three schools (along with Connecticut and Tennessee) to have an active streak of that length. A thumbnail sketch of the newest Irish signees can be found on page 8 of these notes.
• Notre Dame currently is ranked 10th nationally in attendance (6,323 fans per game). Last season marked the sixth consecutive campaign the Irish were among the national top 20 in attendance (No. 11 ranking). Notre Dame also has attracted 5,000-or-more fans to 92 of its last 94 home games, including three Joyce Center sellouts of 11,418 (most recently on Dec. 31, 2005 vs. Tennessee).
• For the sixth time in school history, Notre Dame has been selected to host NCAA Tournament action, as the Joyce Center will be the site of NCAA Tournament first- and second-round games in 2010. In four of the five previous instances, Notre Dame was involved in NCAA Tournament play, going 6-1 all-time and advancing to the NCAA Sweet 16 three times (2000, 2001, 2004), with only a first-round loss to Minnesota in 1994 blotting the resume. Notre Dame also hosted the 1983 NCAA Mideast Regional at the Joyce Center, with Georgia defeating Tennessee, 67-63 in the regional final.
• The Irish have become a regular fixture in the WNBA Draft in recent years, as six Notre Dame players have been selected in the past six seasons. All-America guard Megan Duffy was the most recent Irish player to be chosen, going to the Minnesota Lynx in the third round (31st overall pick) of the 2006 WNBA Draft. Other active Notre Dame players in the WNBA during the 2006 season included Ruth Riley and Jacqueline Batteast (league champion Detroit Shock), while Niele Ivey sat out this year as a free agent, rehabilitating an injury after previously playing with Indiana, Detroit and Phoenix. Riley’s WNBA title with Detroit was her second (she was the 2003 WNBA Finals MVP), while Batteast earned her first pro crown this year.
• Notre Dame has been an elite program in the classroom as well. The Irish posted a perfect 100-percent Graduation Success Rate (GSR), according to figures released by the NCAA in October 2006. Notre Dame was one of 16 Division I-A programs to achieve this distinction, and one of only two BIG EAST programs (Syracuse is the other). Furthermore, since Muffet McGraw became the Irish head coach in 1987, every Notre Dame women’s basketball player that has completed her athletic and academic eligibility at the University has graduated.

A Quick Look At Villanova
Much like Notre Dame this season, Villanova has had to deal with the challenges of youth and inexperience. The Wildcats lost four of five starters from last year’s club that advanced to the WNIT quarterfinals, with those graduating seniors taking with them two-thirds of the VU scoring offense from 2005-06.

Villanova (7-17, 1-10 BIG EAST) also has dealt with some hard luck finishes this season, losing nine games by eight points or less, including five during the Wildcats’ current nine-game losing streak. Most recently, VU dropped a 56-51 decision at Seton Hall on Sunday afternoon after taking an eight-point lead at halftime. SHU took a two-point lead on a jumper with 13 seconds left and the Wildcats turned the ball over before they could set up for a tying or winning basket.

Junior forward Stacie Witman scored a career-high 26 points and added seven rebounds against Seton Hall, knocking down 10-of-17 shots (5-of-7 three-pointers) in the game. As a team, Villanova actually made more three-point field goals than two-point baskets, going 10-of-16 (.625) from long range, but 9-of-30 (.300) inside the arc.

Senior forward Jackie Adamshick ranks among the BIG EAST leaders this season in both scoring (16th – 13.8 ppg.) and rebounding (eighth – 8.2 rpg.). Witman is second on the team in scoring (12.0 ppg.), while sophomore forward/center Lisa Karcic is third in scoring (11.2 ppg.) and second in rebounding (6.2 rpg.).

Villanova head coach Harry Perretta is in his 29th season on the Main Line with a 535-309 (.634) career record. He is 8-13 all-time vs. Notre Dame.

The Notre Dame-Villanova Series
Notre Dame leads the all-time series with Villanova, 13-8, although the teams have split 10 previous games on the VU campus (at either Jake Nevin Field House or the Wildcats’ current home, The Pavilion). The Irish won 11 of the first 14 games played against Villanova, but the Wildcats have had the upper hand in the series of late, winning five of the past seven matchups with Notre Dame.

The Last Time Notre Dame and Villanova Met
Jenna Viani scored five of her game-high 22 points in overtime, including three important free throws as Villanova slipped out of the Joyce Center with a 69-65 victory over Notre Dame on Feb. 7, 2006. The loss thwarted an Irish bid to match (at the time) the second-largest comeback win in NCAA history (and the largest in BIG EAST Conference annals). The Irish had four players score in double figures, led by guard Lindsay Schrader who tossed in 16 points and shared team-high honors with six rebounds. Guard Megan Duffy once again displayed the heart of a champion, finishing with 15 points, six rebounds, five assists and three steals while playing all 45 minutes.

Guard Charel Allen played a pivotal role in Notre Dame’s second-half comeback, scoring all 14 of her points in the final 20 minutes of regulation, connecting on 7-of-10 shots in that span. Forward Courtney LaVere logged her third consecutive double-digit game with 12 points and five rebounds.

Viani paced a quartet of Villanova players in double figures, with all-BIG EAST forward Liad Suez-Karni registering a triple-double (14 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists), the first by an Irish opponent in more than 17 years. Kate Dessart Mager and Jackie Adamshick tallied 10 points apiece for the Wildcats, who shot a Notre Dame opponent season-high .456 (26-of-57) from the field.

The Wildcats (13-8, 4-6) used a 16-4 first-half run to take command, with Dessart Mager scoring six points to highlight the spurt. A pair of free throws by Schrader in the final moments of the first half only slightly cut into the margin, as Villanova took a 32-20 lead to the locker room.

Fortunes didn’t appear to get any better for Notre Dame in the first 3:29 of the second half, as Villanova went on an 11-2 run and opened up its largest lead of the night at 43-22 on Dessart Mager’s layup. That’s when the Irish went to work, going on a stirring 30-9 run over the ensuing nine minutes and change, tying the score at 52-52 on Schrader’s three-point play with 7:14 to go.

Suez-Karni came back less than a minute later with a three-point play of her own, but Notre Dame kept charging and when Allen canned a jumper in the lane with 2:08 remaining, the Irish had their first lead of the night at 58-56. Notre Dame then blanked Villanova on its next possession, but with the lead and the ball inside the last two minutes, Duffy saw her pass on the left wing slip through Allen’s hands and the Wildcats converted on their next trip down, as Viani tied the game on a layup at the 1:09 mark.

Allen tried to put her team back in front, but Adamshick blocked her jumper in the paint with 40 seconds to go. Villanova then opted not to call a timeout, and Viani came through again, slashing to the basket for a layup and a 60-58 edge with 22 seconds remaining. Notre Dame then tried the same strategy with success, as Duffy took the inbounds pass and raced down court, driving the left side and putting in the game-tying layup with 11 seconds to go. Adamshick got off a shot with two seconds left, but it missed and her attempt at a putback came after the horn, sending the game to overtime.

Adamshick redeemed herself in the extra session, putting Villanova ahead to stay on a layup with 23 seconds gone. Viani followed with another basket a minute later with the teams then trading two free throws. Duffy tried to bring Notre Dame back one last time, burying a three-pointer from the top of the key with 36 seconds to play. The Irish then chose to foul Viani, but she made both charities to rebuild a three-point lead with 22 seconds left. Notre Dame’s last opportunity went by the boards when Duffy’s three-point attempt, under heavy pressure from three Wildcats, was short and Viani corralled the rebound. She then sank one of two free throws to provide the final margin.

The Last Time Notre Dame and Villanova Met At The Pavilion
Jackie Adamshick had 25 points and Kate Dessart Mager scored the winning jumper to lead Villanova to a 59-54 upset over No. 4 Notre Dame on Jan. 9, 2005 at The Pavilion.

Betsy McManus added four free throws in the final 25 seconds for Villanova (9-4, 2-0 BIG EAST), snapping Notre Dame’s six-game winning streak.

The Fighting Irish (13-2, 2-1) never had an answer for Adamshick in the first half or Dessart Mager in the second. The two combined to go 16-for-30 from the floor with seven rebounds. Dessart Mager – who scored all of her 14 points in the second half – made a turnaround jumper that barely beat the shot clock buzzer for a 51-49 lead with 1:39 left and the small, boisterous crowd erupted.

She and McManus each added two free throws before Notre Dame’s Jacqueline Batteast hit a three-pointer with 13.3 seconds left to make it 55-52. It wasn’t enough, though, as Villanova sealed the game at the free-throw line.

Batteast scored 22 points and Teresa Borton added 17 for Notre Dame. The Irish shot 44 percent from the floor, but Villanova scored 19 points off 20 Irish turnovers.

After missing her only shot in the first half, Dessart Mager went 5-for-6 in the second half and scored six straight points in one stretch that helped the Wildcats take a seven-point lead. When the Irish pulled to 44-43, Adamshick delivered with a 3-pointer from the left side.

But Adamshick – who shot 11-for-23 and fell two points shy of matching her career high – didn’t score again. The Irish got baskets from Borton and Courtney LaVere to make it 47-47. Dessart Mager and Batteast then swapped baskets before Dessart Mager hit the winner.

Other Notre Dame-Villanova Series Tidbits

• More than half (11) of the 21 games in the series have been decided by eight points or less, with Notre Dame winning six of those 11 close contests.
• The past six regular-season games in the series have been exceptionally tight, decided by a grand total of 17 points (2.8 ppg.), and all six games have been in doubt inside the final minute of play. Yet, last year’s 69-65 Villanova win was the first OT game in the series.
• Last season’s game broke a trend in the historically low-scoring series, with both teams topping 60 points (albeit in overtime) for the first time since Dec. 12, 1998 (a 63-62 Irish win at the Joyce Center).
• Notre Dame head coach Muffet McGraw is native of Pottsville, Pa., and a 1977 graduate of Saint Joseph’s University. McGraw is a member of three halls of fame in the Philadelphia area – the SJU Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame (inducted 1986), the Philadelphia Big Five Hall of Fame (inducted 1990) and the SJU Athletics Hall of Fame (inducted 2002).

Allen Named BIG EAST Player Of The Week
For the second time this season, junior guard Charel Allen has been chosen as the BIG EAST Conference Women’s Basketball Player of the Week, the league office announced Monday. Allen also has previously been named to the BIG EAST Honor Roll three times this season.

In victories over No. 17/16 Louisville and DePaul last week, Allen averaged 23.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists with a .515 field goal percentage. Against UofL, she tallied team highs of 21 points, seven rebounds and four assists, not to mention the go-ahead basket with 8:05 to play. Four days later against DePaul, Allen posted her third career double-double (all this season) with a game-high 25 points and a career-best 13 rebounds.

For the season, Allen leads the team and ranks seventh in the BIG EAST in scoring (16.7 ppg.), while also collecting 6.7 rebounds per game (tied-19th in the BIG EAST). What’s more, Allen is among the conference leaders in free throw percentage (fourth, .844) and steals (sixth, 2.13 spg.), and she has scored in double figures 21 times in 24 games this season, including 25-point outings in four of her last eight contests.

Notre Dame (16-8, 7-4 BIG EAST) returns to the hardwood Tuesday night when it travels to Villanova for another BIG EAST Conference game. Tipoff time from The Pavilion in suburban Philadelphia is set for 7:30 p.m. (ET).

It’s Clear As Glass
Notre Dame’s strength on the boards has been evident in its last three games and played a critical role in its wins over West Virginia, No. 17/16 Louisville and DePaul. The Irish have averaged 41.0 rpg. and allowed their opponents just 29.7 rpg. in the past three games (a +11.3 rpg. margin), with WVU’s 23 rebounds standing as a Notre Dame opponent season-low. The Irish also limited the BIG EAST’s top rebounding club, UofL, to a season-low 29 rebounds, including only 12 caroms in the second half.

The West Virginia and Louisville games marked the first time Notre Dame held consecutive opponents to less than 30 rebounds since Feb. 9-12, 2005 vs. Providence (24 rebounds) and Georgetown (21 rebounds).

Pine Time Players
Part of the reason for Notre Dame’s success this season can be traced to the production the Irish have gotten from their bench (comprised almost entirely of their freshmen class). The Notre Dame reserves are averaging 23.1 points per game and are outscoring the opposition’s bench by 8.7 points per game.

For the year, the Irish second unit has outscored the opponent reserves in 19 of 24 games, with Notre Dame posting a 14-5 record in those contests.

Peaking When It Counts
When the regular season enters its stretch run in the month of February, Notre Dame historically seems to raise its level of play. Since joining the BIG EAST Conference in 1995-96, the Irish are 68-17 (.800) in February games, including a 40-3 (.930) mark at home. Two of those February home losses for the Irish in the past 12 seasons came against Villanova (48-45 on Feb. 26, 2002; 69-65 in overtime on Feb. 7, 2006), with the other coming at the hands of Connecticut (79-64 on Feb. 19, 2006).

In the 20-year Muffet McGraw era (1987-present), the Irish are 116-32 (.784) in the month of February, including a 62-9 (.873) home record. In that time, Notre Dame has not had a losing February, and only once did the Irish end the month at .500 (4-4 in 1988-89, McGraw’s second season in South Bend).

The Best Things In Life Are Free
Notre Dame ranks seventh in the nation in free throw percentage (.771), through games of Feb. 8. Should it hold up, that figure would shatter the school’s single-season record for foul shooting (.743), currently held by the 1996-97 Final Four squad.

The Irish also lead the BIG EAST Conference with a .766 free throw percentage in league play. The BIG EAST record for foul shooting in regular-season conference games is .787, set by Seton Hall in 1986-87.

Clutch When It Counts
Notre Dame is shooting 76.4 percent from the foul line (94-of-123) this season inside the final five minutes of regulation and overtime.

Upon closer inspection, the Irish have gotten some of their most critical free throw production from their freshmen – guards Melissa Lechlitner and Ashley Barlow are a combined 21-of-25 (.840) at the charity stripe down the stretch.

Poise Under Pressure
The Irish are 9-4 this season in games decided by 10 points or less, including a 4-1 record when the margin is five points or fewer. Going back the previous two seasons (2004-05 to present), Notre Dame is 12-5 in five-point games and 29-11 in 10-point contests – with four of those 11 losses coming in overtime.

In addition, four times this season, the Irish have sent a player to the free throw line with less than five seconds remaining in regulation or overtime and the game hanging in the balance. In those clutch situations, Notre Dame is 7-for-8 at the charity stripe, with the only miss being a semi-intentional one by senior guard Breona Gray on the second of two tries with 1.2 seconds to go in a 60-59 win at Valparaiso on Dec. 19.

Junior Achievement
The common basketball adage holds that college players make their biggest improvement between their freshman and sophomore seasons. However, for Notre Dame, it’s been the time between the sophomore and junior years that has been conducive to the most development.

Three of the top four Irish scorers this season are juniors and all three are posting the best scoring averages of their careers – guards Charel Allen (16.7 ppg.) and Tulyah Gaines (9.8 ppg.), and center Melissa D’Amico (8.2 ppg.). Allen came into the year with an 8.1 ppg. career average, while D’Amico had a two-year ratio of 4.0 ppg., and Gaines was averaging 3.7 ppg. Between them, the junior trio had a combined 37 double-figure scoring games in two seasons entering the 2006-07 campaign – so far this year alone, they have 41 double-digit efforts.

Spread The Wealth
The Irish have fielded at least three double-figure scorers in 15 games this season, going 12-3 in those contests (losses at Penn State, South Florida and No. 17/18 Marquette). Notre Dame also has had four double-figure scorers on seven occasions (6-1 record, loss at USF in overtime) and five double-digit scorers four times (3-1).

Keeping The Home Fires Burning
Notre Dame has been largely solid at home this season, going 13-1 due in part to a crisp offense that has averaged 78.6 points per game on the Joyce Center hardwood. Led by junior guard Charel Allen (18.4 ppg.), the Irish also have three players averaging at least 12.0 ppg.through their 14 home outings and are shooting .459 from the floor in front of the Notre Dame faithful.

Contribute Early, Contribute Often
Notre Dame’s freshman class has wasted little time in making its presence felt this season. Three of the Irish rookies – guards Ashley Barlow and Melissa Lechlitner, and center Erica Williamson – make up the team’s primary bench rotation, with all three averaging at least 17 minutes per game, all three having scored in double figures at least five times, and both Barlow and Williamson have posted double-doubles this season.

Barlow, who got her first career start this past Sunday vs. DePaul, also is second on the team in scoring (10.9 ppg.) and ranks among the BIG EAST Conference leaders in both free throw percentage (second at .860; also 14th in NCAA as of Feb. 9) and steals (tied-seventh at 2.08 spg.). Williamson is carding 6.3 points, 5.9 rebounds and a team-high 1.39 blocks per game, ranking seventh in the conference in the latter category. And, Lechlitner is logging 5.7 points and 3.0 assists per night with a 1.66 assist/turnover ratio. Lechlitner has been even better in conference play, placing second in the BIG EAST with a 2.33 assist/turnover ratio – that includes a 3.10 mark in her last eight games with 31 assists and just 10 turnovers (four giveaways came at Pittsburgh on Jan. 31).

The Five-Finger Discount
Notre Dame’s aggressive defense has forced 21.2 turnovers per game this season, logging 20-or-more takeaways in 17 games. In addition, the Irish caused an opponent season-high 30 turnovers at Michigan on Dec. 1, the first 30-turnover outing by the Notre Dame defense since Feb. 25, 2004 (37 turnovers by Miami at the Joyce Center).

The Irish also lead the BIG EAST Conference with 11.29 steals per night. In fact, Notre Dame has posted double-digit steal totals in 16 games this season, with junior guard Charel Allen committing the most larcenies to date (51, 2.13 per game, sixth in BIG EAST) and leading three Irish players with at least 50 steals this season.

In addition, freshman guard Ashley Barlow recorded a combined 11 steals vs. Western Michigan (six) and at USC (five). That made her the first Notre Dame player with back-to-back five-steal games since March 30-April 1, 2001, when Niele Ivey did so against Connecticut (five) and Purdue (six) at the NCAA Women’s Final Four in St. Louis.

Game #24 Recap: DePaul
Junior guard Charel Allen poured in a game-high 25 points and snared a career-high 13 rebounds, leading Notre Dame to a 78-70 BIG EAST Conference win over DePaul on Sunday night before an ESPN2 national television audience and an enthusiastic crowd of 7,579 at the Joyce Center. The victory completed an unblemished three-game homestand for the Irish (16-8, 7-4 BIG EAST), who are now 13-1 at the Joyce Center this season. Allen, who registered her third career double-double (all this year), chalked up five key points during a 14-5 second-half run as Notre Dame turned back a determined Blue Demon squad down the stretch. Freshman guards Ashley Barlow and Melissa Lechlitner scored 13 points apiece, while junior guard Tulyah Gaines added 12 points and a team-high five assists for the Irish.

Behind Allie Quigley’s 11 consecutive points to start the game, DePaul moved out to a six-point lead on four occasions in the first half, the last coming at 19-13 on Quigley’s transition layup with 7:45 remaining in the period. Notre Dame came out of the gate slowly, missing on 10 of its first 12 shots from the floor, but the Irish came back and used a 9-0 run to take its first lead of the day, extending out to a 22-19 edge on two foul shots by Gaines at the 5:42 mark. A trey by Allie Quigley tied the game 28 seconds later, but Allen’s two free throws with 4:51 left put the hosts back in front for good. The Notre Dame lead ballooned to six points twice in the closing moments of the half, including a 32-26 spread by the intermission.

DePaul halved the deficit on its first possession of the second half, as Missy Mitidiero knocked down her lone three-pointer of the game. However, the Irish answered with an 11-2 run during the next two and a half minutes, capped by Allen’s layup off a pretty Gaines assist at the 16:25 juncture. The Blue Demons came back with a run of their own, using a 10-2 spurt to get as close as 47-43 when Threatt hit a jumper in the lane with 10:13 to play.

That’s when Allen came through with her biggest plays of the night, converting an old-fashioned three-point play and adding a long jumper in a span of 21 seconds to help Notre Dame rebuild a nine-point lead. The Irish opened their advantage to as much as 13 points twice, the second at 68-55 with 2:42 to play, before DePaul began a frantic last-minute rally that included three consecutive three-point baskets. Smith buried the final two treys in the surge, getting the Blue Demons to 71-66 with 47 seconds to go. But, the visitors would get no closer, as Notre Dame made 7-of-8 free throws in the last 38 seconds to preserve the win.

Noting The DePaul Win

• The victory ensured Notre Dame of its 15th consecutive winning season, 19th in the 20-year Muffet McGraw era and 26th in the 30-year history of Irish women’s basketball.
• Notre Dame wins its fourth consecutive game over DePaul at the Joyce Center, although the Blue Demons still lead the all-time series, 15-11.
• The Irish topped the 75-point mark for the 11th time in 14 home games this season.
• Notre Dame’s 46 second-half points were the most the Irish have scored vs. a BIG EAST opponent in the final 20 minutes of a game this season.
• The Irish changed their starting lineup for the first time all year, inserting freshman guard Ashley Barlow in place of junior center Melissa D’Amico.
• Charel Allen topped the 20-point mark for the fifth time in the past eight games, scoring at least 25 points four times in that span.
• Allen’s 13 rebounds broke her old personal best of 10, set on two occasions (most recently vs. Syracuse on Jan. 20).
• Melissa Lechlitner turned in her first double-digit scoring night since that same Syracuse contest.
• Tulyah Gaines dished out at least five assists for the seventh time in 10 games.
• Crystal Erwin collected a season-high eight rebounds.
• The Irish were held without a three-point basket for the second time this season (also 0-1 vs. Prairie View A&M on Dec. 28).
• The crowd of 7,579 was Notre Dame’s second-largest home audience of the year.

2006-07: The Anniversary Season

• 2006-07 marks the 30th season of Notre Dame women’s basketball, with the Irish having compiled an all-time record of 609-274 (.690) since making their varsity debut in 1977-78. Actually, Notre Dame spent its first three seasons at the Division III level, playing under the banner of the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) before making the move to Division I status in 1980-81 (the NCAA began sponsoring a women’s basketball championship the following season). The Irish have an overall Division I record of 560-254 (.688).
• This year also represents Muffet McGraw’s 20th season as the head women’s basketball coach at Notre Dame and her 25th campaign overall, including her five-year run at Lehigh (1982-87). McGraw’s record is a stellar one – she is 445-175 (.718) at the helm of the Irish and has a career record of 533-216 (.712) in her silver anniversary season on the sidelines.
• In addition, Notre Dame is celebrating the 35th anniversary of women’s athletics at the University during the 2006-07 season. All Irish women’s sports teams will hold events to commemorate this milestone during their respective seasons. What’s more, all Notre Dame women’s teams are sporting 35th anniversary logo patches on their uniforms for the ’06-07 campaign.

Notre Dame Ranked 11th In Preseason BIG EAST Coaches’ Poll
According to a preseason poll of the BIG EAST Conference coaches, Notre Dame will finish 11th in the conference this season. Those were the results released at the league’s annual Media Day Oct. 26 at the ESPN Zone in New York’s Times Square. The Irish earned 108 points, while reigning BIG EAST Championship victor, Connecticut (221 points, 11 first-place votes) was tabbed first, ahead of regular-season champion Rutgers (215 points, five first-place votes). The BIG EAST sent 11 teams to the postseason last year, including seven NCAA Tournament qualifiers (Notre Dame was one).

The Irish now are in their 12th season as a member of the BIG EAST Conference in 2006-07. The Irish have gone 152-43 (.779) all-time in regular-season conference games, posting the second-best winning percentage in league history. Connecticut is first with a .789 success rate (311-83). Notre Dame also has finished among the top three in the final BIG EAST regular-season standings nine times in its first 11 seasons in the conference, including a share of the BIG EAST title in 2000-01.

Half And Half
During the past seven seasons, Notre Dame has been nearly unbeatable when it has the lead at halftime. The Irish are 120-11 (.916) since the start of the 2000-01 campaign when they go into the dressing room with the lead, including wins in 48 of their last 53 such contests. Notre Dame has led at the break 12 times this year, winning on 11 occasions (Central Michigan, Western Michigan, Richmond, IUPUI, Valparaiso, Prairie View A&M, Cincinnati, St. John’s, Syracuse and West Virginia). The Jan. 31 loss at Pittsburgh was Notre Dame’s first setback when leading at the half since Jan. 7, 2006 (led Seton Hall 32-27, but ended up losing, 74-61 at the Joyce Center).

The Best Offense Is A Good Defense
During the past 12 seasons, Notre Dame has discovered that a solid defensive effort can almost certainly guarantee a victory. In fact, since the beginning of the 1995-96 season (Notre Dame’s first in the BIG EAST Conference), the Irish have an amazing 165-10 (.943) record when they hold their opponents below 60 points in a game. Notre Dame has held seven foes to less than 60 points this season, and is 6-1 in those games (wins over Michigan, Purdue, Valparaiso, Prairie View A&M, Syracuse and Louisville; loss to Indiana).

But Sometimes You Have To Score If You Want To Win
Not resting solely on its defensive laurels, Notre Dame also seemingly has found the magic mark when it comes to outscoring its opponents. During the past 12 seasons (1995-96 to present), the Irish are 99-3 (.971) when they score at least 80 points in a game. The only blemishes on that record are a pair of overtime losses to Texas A&M (88-84) and Michigan State (87-83) in 1995 and a 106-81 loss to Connecticut in 1998. Notre Dame has topped the 80-point mark eight times this season, winning on each occasion (Central Michigan, Bowling Green, Western Michigan, Richmond, Prairie View A&M, Cincinnati, St. John’s and Syracuse).

The eight 80-point games are the most for the Irish in a single season since 2000-01, when Notre Dame reached that level 15 times during its run to the national championship.

Now That’s A Home Court Advantage
One of the hallmarks of Notre Dame’s success has been its stellar play at home. In fact, the Irish have been virtually untouchable at home in recent years, winning 148 of their last 165 games (.897) at the 11,418-seat Joyce Center, including winning streaks of 51 and 25 games in that span. Notre Dame also has an 86-12 (.878) record in BIG EAST Conference play at the Joyce Center, sporting a 31-game league winning streak at home before it ended with a 48-45 loss to Villanova in the ’02 home finale. The Irish have been particularly strong when it comes to non-conference games at home, winning 64 of their last 69 non-BIG EAST contests (.928) at the Joyce Center, dating back to the 1994-95 season. Four of the losses in that span came at the hands of Big Ten Conference opponents – Wisconsin in 1996 (81-69), Purdue in 2003 (71-54), Michigan State in 2004 (82-73 OT) and Indiana this year (54-51), with the fifth defeat coming to Tennessee last year (62-51). The Purdue loss also snapped a 33-game non-conference home winning streak which began after the UW setback.

Since its inaugural season in 1977-78, Notre Dame has played all of its games at the Joyce Center, posting a 298-78 (.793) record at the venerable facility. Three times (1999-2000, 2000-01 and 2003-04), the Irish went a perfect 15-0 at home, setting a school record for home wins in a season. The 2006-07 campaign will tie for the most regular-season home games (16) in school history, although in 2004-05, the Irish played host to all four rounds of the Preseason WNIT before its regular 12-game home slate began.

Jammin’ The Joyce
Beginning with its national championship season of 2000-01, Notre Dame has ranked among the top 20 in the nation in attendance each of the past six years. This season looks to be no exception, as the Irish currently are 10th in the nation in average attendance (6,323 fans per game), according to the latest unofficial weekly rankings compiled by the University of Wisconsin Sports Information Office.

What’s more, each of the top 20 women’s basketball crowds in Joyce Center history have occurred during the 20-year tenure of head coach Muffet McGraw (1987-present), with 19 of those 20 occurring in the past seven seasons (2000-01 to present). Lastly, the Irish have attracted at least 5,000 fans to 92 of their last 94 home games, including 15 contests with at least 8,000 fans and the first three sellouts in the program’s history (two in 2000-01, one in 2005-06).

States of Grace
Notre Dame is one of 12 schools in the country to have more than one player on its roster who was named a high school Player of the Year in their home state. Irish junior guard Tulyah Gaines was tapped as the 2004 Gatorade Nevada Player of the Year, while sophomore guard Lindsay Schrader was chosen as the 2005 Illinois Miss Basketball and Illinois Gatorade Player of the Year.

Oh Captain, My Captain
Senior guard Breona Gray and junior guard Tulyah Gaines are team captains for the 2006-07 season. Both players are serving as captains for the first time in their careers, and each received the captain’s honor following a vote of their teammates prior to the season.

Notre Dame On The Small Screen
Notre Dame will have 11 of its regular-season games televised during the 2006-07 season. Highlighting this year’s television docket are five nationally-televised Irish women’s basketball contests, including a pair of games on the ESPN family of networks a week apart in early February.

This year’s TV slate continues a recent trend that has seen the Irish become a regular fixture on television. Beginning with the NCAA championship season of 2000-01 and continuing through this year, Notre Dame has played in 80 televised games, including 49 that were broadcast nationally.

Notre Dame On The Airwaves
For the 11th consecutive season, every Irish women’s basketball game (home and away) will air on commercial radio in South Bend, and for the seventh year in a row, Notre Dame can be heard on the flagship station of the Artistic Media Partners (AMP) Network – WDND-AM (ESPN Radio 1490) in South Bend. Veteran broadcaster and AMP sports director Sean Stires is now in his seventh season handling the play-by-play for Notre Dame. The Irish also can be heard free of charge on the Internet at Notre Dame’s official athletics web site (www.und.com).

Irish Debut Free Video Coverage
In the latest instance of the wide-ranging media avenues afforded the Notre Dame women’s basketball program, the Irish will have several of their 2006-07 home games televised free of charge through the official Notre Dame athletics web site (www.und.com). Thanks to the considerable efforts of CSTV Online (based in Carlsbad, Calif.) and its new Fighting Irish All-Access package, fans of Notre Dame women’s basketball can watch every minute of exciting action at the Joyce Center live from the comfort of their own homes. The video will be supplemented by an audio simulcast of the Notre Dame radio broadcast, led by veteran sportscaster Sean Stires.

This free service is limited to those home games that have not been selected for broadcast by other TV outlets. The Irish have been seen on und.com six times this season (Indiana, IUPUI, Cincinnati, St. John’s, Syracuse and Louisville), with one more Internet video broadcast scheduled for this season (Feb. 21 vs. Georgetown).

Joyce Center Arena Renovation On Tap
On Oct. 5, Notre Dame announced plans for a nearly $25 million renovation of the Joyce Center arena, including new chairback seating, a four-sided digital video scoreboard, and a club/hospitality area (as part of a new two-story addition to be built on the south side of the facility).

The $24.7 million renovation project has been underwritten with a $12.5 million leadership gift from Philip J. Purcell III, a Notre Dame alumnus and Trustee, and the retired chairman and CEO of Morgan Stanley. Upon completion, the arena will be known as Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center. The Purcell gift, combined with other benefactions, including a $5 million gift from 1959 Notre Dame graduate and Tampa Bay Devil Rays owner Vince Naimoli, brings the total contributions to the project to $22 million.

In accordance with University policies for new construction, work on the renovation will begin after the project is fully funded and designed. The University is actively seeking additional contributions.

Promotional Corner
Here’s a rundown of some upcoming promotions and giveaways at future Notre Dame women’s basketball games this season. Tickets may be purchased in advance at the Irish athletics ticket office (second floor of the Joyce Center through Gate 1; 574-631-7356), on game day at the Gate 10 ticket windows of the Joyce Center, or via the Internet at Notre Dame’s official athletics web site (www.und.com/tickets). Consult the Notre Dame promotions web site (www.notredamepromotions.com) for the latest information:

• Feb. 21 vs. Georgetown – Fan Appreciation Night … Wacky Wednesday (buy one ticket, get one free) … Notre Dame women’s basketball keychains to the first 1,000 fans, courtesy of Notre Dame Federal Credit Union … post-game autograph session on upper arena concourse with selected Irish players.

Next Game: Providence
Notre Dame remains on the road Saturday when it travels to Providence for a 2 p.m. (ET) BIG EAST game at Alumni Hall. The much-improved Friars (13-11, 3-8 BIG EAST) will play host to South Florida Tuesday night before turning their attention to the Irish.