Irish Return From Exam Break Saturday Against IUPUI

Dec. 15, 2006

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2006-07 ND Women’s Basketball: Game 10
Notre Dame Fighting Irish (6-3 / 0-0 BIG EAST) vs.
IUPUI Jaguars (5-4 / 0-0 Mid-Continent)

Storylines

• Notre Dame needs one win to become the 43rd NCAA Division I program ever to record 600 all-time victories.
• The Irish defense has tightened up since the calendar flipped to December, holding their last three opponents (all Big Ten Conference foes) to 56.7 ppg.

Irish Return From Exam Break Saturday Against IUPUI
Now that final exams and term papers are in the rear-view mirror, Notre Dame can turn its attention back to the hardwood, as it returns from a season-long 10-day break with a Saturday afternoon contest against IUPUI at the Joyce Center. Although regular combatants in several other sports, the Irish and Jaguars will be playing one another in women’s basketball for the first time this weekend.

Notre Dame has not seen action since Dec. 6, when the Irish charged past No. 10/9 Purdue, 67-58 at the Joyce Center. Notre Dame went on an 11-0 run in the final four minutes to seize control and held the Boilermakers to 1-of-9 shooting down the stretch.

Senior guard and co-captain Breona Gray erupted for a career-high 22 points in the victory, knocking down a personal-best four three-pointers, including the go-ahead trey with three minutes left. Junior guard and fellow captain Tulyah Gaines added 20 points for the Irish, including 16 markers in the second half and four free throws in the final minute to ice matters.

Rankings

• Notre Dame received one vote in this week’s Associated Press poll.
• IUPUI is not ranked.

Web Sites

• Notre Dame: http://www.und.com
• IUPUI: http://www.iupuijags.com
• BIG EAST: http://www.bigeast.org
• Mid-Continent: http://www.mid-con.com

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 599-269 (.690).

Notre Dame Head Coach Muffet McGraw

Saint Joseph’s ’77

• 20th season at Notre Dame
• 435-170 (.719) at Notre Dame.
• 523-211 (.713) 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
Only a month into the 2006-07 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 70.3 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 throughout the campaign, causing 22.7 turnovers per game (including a BIG EAST-best 12.8 steals per night). However, the flip side has seen the Irish allow opponents to shoot .416 from the floor (.386 from the three-point line), while the Irish claim just an 0.6 rpg. edge on the boards), two areas Notre Dame will continue to focus on as it works through the non-conference portion of the schedule.

Junior guard Charel Allen has been one of the main offensive catalysts for the Irish to this point, averaging a team-high 15.1 ppg., while scoring in double figures in eight of nine outings to date. The Monessen, Pa., native, who was limited last year while recovering from knee surgery in the summer of 2005, also is collecting 5.1 rebounds per game and was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll on Dec. 4 after averaging 18.0 ppg. and 6.0 rpg. against Richmond, Michigan and Indiana.

Allen’s classmate and backcourt running partner, Tulyah Gaines, is an early candidate as one of the conference’s most improved players. The speedy Gaines has assumed the large footprint left at the point by All-American (and WNBA Draft pick) Megan Duffy and has stoked the Notre Dame offensive fire to an even hotter level, averaging 10.9 points and 3.7 assists per game with a .508 field goal percentage. Gaines, who came into the season with a 3.7 ppg. career scoring average, has twice score 20 points in a game this year, including a career-high 25 points in a Nov. 13 overtime win vs. Bowling Green.

Another Irish junior, 6-foot-5 center Melissa D’Amico, continues to make strides in the post. The second-year starter is averaging 9.4 points and 5.0 rebounds per game with a .548 field goal percentage (eighth in the BIG EAST), and has scored in double figures four times this season, with her second career double-double vs. Indiana (15 points, 10 rebounds).

The most pleasing contributions of the year for Notre Dame to this point have come from its freshmen, three of whom have seen significant playing time. Guard Ashley Barlow is third on the team in scoring (10.1 ppg.) and tops in steals (2.6 spg., fourth in BIG EAST), and came up with a 19-point, 10-rebound effort vs. Bowling Green, including 11-of-12 free throws and the two clinchers with 3.8 ticks left in OT. Center Erica Williamson (5.6 ppg., 5.3 rpg., 1.3 bpg., .514 FG%) is proving to be a capable understudy to D’Amico, amassing season highs of 12 points and nine rebounds at USC. And, guard Melissa Lechlitner (4.8 ppg., 2.3 apg.) has shown little drop off at the point behind Gaines, registering five assists in a game twice this year, and carding a season-high 11 points (including 3-of-4 three-pointers) at Penn State.

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 253 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 ninth nationally in attendance (6,661 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 84 of its last 86 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 IUPUI
Coming off its best season since moving to the Division I level in 1998-99, IUPUI is looking for even bigger things this year, as the Jaguars are poised to make a run at the Mid-Continent Conference title and earn the first NCAA Tournament berth in school history.

IUPUI was predicted to finish third in the Mid-Con this season, earning three first-place votes on the heels of a 17-11 record and a trip to the semifinals of the conference tournament last year. The Jaguars have six letterwinners and two starters back from that club, along with a large crew of eight newcomers that are looking to take the program to the next level.

This season, IUPUI is 5-4 overall, having not won or lost more than two consecutive games to this point. The Jaguars are playing eight of their 13 non-conference games on the road, with a rugged schedule that already has included trips to Florida (lost 71-57 on Nov. 21), Butler (lost 58-53 on Nov. 29), Western Michigan (lost 78-63 on Dec. 9), with Saturday’s game at Notre Dame and a Jan. 2 visit to Western Kentucky still on the horizon.

IUPUI snapped a two-game losing streak on Wednesday night with a 65-57 victory over Lamar in Indianapolis. The Jaguars led the entire way, opening up a 13-point lead in the second half, and then turning back a Cardinal rally that saw the visitors get within four points in the final minute. Sophomore forward Jernisha Cann led the way with a double-double (18 points, 11 rebounds), while redshirt junior guard Alicia Booyer carded 13 points and six rebounds, and sophomore guard Brykeesha Tate collected 11 points and eight assists. IUPUI also forced 25 turnovers and decisively won the battle on the boards, 42-31.

Sophomore forward Tanika Mays leads the Jaguars in scoring this season at 13.3 ppg., and is second in rebounding (7.6 rpg.). Cann is second in scoring (12.7 ppg.) and tops on the glass (9.2 rpg.) and in steals (3.1 spg.), while Booyer also is scoring in double digits (10.4 ppg.).

Head coach Shann Hart is in her third season at IUPUI with a 29-36 (.446) record at the school. She previously coached at American and St. Mary’s (Md.) and has a career record of 156-131 (.544). Saturday will mark her first-ever game against Notre Dame.

The Notre Dame-IUPUI Series
Notre Dame and IUPUI will be playing one another for the first time ever in women’s basketball Saturday at the Joyce Center.

Other Notre Dame-IUPUI Series Tidbits

• IUPUI is one of two first-time opponents on Notre Dame’s 2006-07 schedule, joining Prairie View A&M in that category. IUPUI will be the 171st different opponent the Irish have faced in their 30-year history.
• Since joining the BIG EAST Conference in 1995-96, Notre Dame is 31-5 (.861) against first-time opponents, including an 11-1 (.917) record since the start of the 2000-01 campaign. The only loss in that six-plus year span: 72-66 at Colorado State on Nov. 21, 2001, leading to a current six-game Irish winning streak against new opponents.
• Notre Dame has won the past 11 games it has played against a first-time opponent at home. The last time the Irish lost to a first-time opponent at the Joyce Center was Jan. 18, 1996 (an 87-64 loss to Connecticut).
• Notre Dame is 106-32 (.768) all-time against other schools from the state of Indiana, including a 51-11 (.823) at the Joyce Center, where the Irish have defeated 14 of the past 16 Hoosier State opponents (only losses: 71-54 vs. Purdue on Jan. 4, 2003; and 54-51 vs. Indiana on Dec. 3, 2006).
• Notre Dame freshman guard Ashley Barlow is the younger sister of IUPUI senior men’s basketball guard David Barlow. David is averaging a team-high 14.4 points per game (seventh in the Mid-Con) for the Jaguars this season, and has led his team in scoring in five of nine games to date.
• Between Notre Dame and IUPUI, several of the top Class 4A girls’ basketball programs from Indianapolis are represented – Pike High School (ND’s Ashley Barlow), Perry Meridian High School (IUPUI’s Christina Cunningham), and North Central High School (IUPUI’s Ashley Conner). Pike and Perry Meridian also are members of Conference Indiana – and ironically, the two squads are scheduled to play one another Saturday at Perry Meridian, tipping off a half hour before Notre Dame and IUPUI start.
• Barlow and fellow freshman guard Melissa Lechlitner were teammates on the 2006 Indiana All-Star Team that swept a two-game series from their Kentucky counterparts back in June. IUPUI freshman forward Kabrenda Warfield played on that Kentucky squad.
• Notre Dame head coach Muffet McGraw and IUPUI head coach Shann Hart both currently serve on committees with the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA). McGraw is WBCA’s Division I Legislative Chair (and is a member of the group’s Board of Directors), while Hart serves as the Mid-Continent Conference captain.

Notre Dame vs. The Mid-Continent Conference
Notre Dame is 20-0 all-time against the current Mid-Continent Conference alignment, including a 10-0 record at the Joyce Center. The Irish also are 12-0 against the Mid-Con in the Muffet McGraw era (7-0 at home).

IUPUI is the first of back-to-back Mid-Continent Conference opponents for Notre Dame. The Irish will head to Valparaiso on Tuesday night for their annual matchup with the Crusaders.

Gray Named To BIG EAST Honor Roll
For the second consecutive week, a Notre Dame women’s basketball player was named to the BIG EAST Conference Weekly Honor Roll. On Monday, Irish senior guard and co-captain Breona Gray earned the designation, marking the first time in her career she has been chosen for a weekly award from the BIG EAST. Junior guard Charel Allen was named to the Dec. 4 BIG EAST Honor Roll, and Notre Dame now has had five players awarded that distinction a total of seven times since the conference created the Honor Roll prior to last season.

Gray played a critical role in Notre Dame’s 67-58 victory over No. 10/9 Purdue on Dec. 6 at the Joyce Center. The 5-9 defensive specialist erupted on the offensive end for a career-high 22 points on 8-of-12 shooting, including a personal-best four three-pointers (and the go-ahead triple with three minutes to play). Gray also shared team-high honors with seven rebounds (one off her career best) and three steals (tied her career high), as the Irish knocked off a top-10 opponent for the fifth consecutive season, and now have done so in 10 of the past 11 years.

For the season, Gray is averaging 7.0 points and 2.9 rebounds per game, while also tying for 13th in the BIG EAST at 2.0 steals per contest. She has started all nine games for the Irish this season, and has been in the Notre Dame starting lineup for 64 of the past 72 games, spanning three years.

Keeping The Home Fires Burning
Notre Dame has been largely solid at home this season, going 5-1 due in part to an explosive offense that has averaged 77.5 points per game on the Joyce Center hardwood. Led by junior guard Charel Allen (16.0 ppg.), the Irish also have four players scoring in double figures (and a fifth at 9.7 ppg.) through their first six home games and are shooting .469 from the floor in front of the Notre Dame faithful.

Staying Close To Home
Notre Dame is in the midst of a seven-game stretch covering exactly one month, during which time the Irish will play five home games and travel only twice (bus trips to Michigan on Dec. 1 and Valparaiso on Dec. 19).

Inside this span of games is a run of four consecutive matchups against in-state opponents from Dec. 3-19. Indiana tipped off that stretch on Dec. 3, followed by Purdue (Dec. 6), with IUPUI (Saturday) and Valparaiso (Tuesday) to follow. This block of consecutive in-state opponents is an extreme rarity for Notre Dame – to wit:

• Last time played four in-state opponents in same season: 2002-03 (Purdue [twice], Valparaiso, IPFW)
• Last time played four in-state opponents in regular season: 1993-94 (Butler [twice], Evansville [twice], Purdue)
• Last time played in-state opponents in consecutive games: Dec. 11 & 21, 1996 (Indiana and Valparaiso)
• Last time played four consecutive in-state opponents: Feb. 23-March 1, 1980 (Grace, Goshen, Huntington, Goshen); came in program’s last year as Division III member

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 – are averaging at least 14 minutes per game, all three have scored in double figures at least once, and Barlow has posted a double-double already this season (19 points, 10 rebounds vs. Bowling Green). Barlow also is third on the team in scoring (10.1 ppg.) and ranks among the BIG EAST Conference leaders in both free throw percentage (second at .935, also 11th in NCAA) and steals (fourth at 2.6 spg.). Williamson is carding 5.6 points and a team-high 5.3 rebounds per game and ranks 11th in the BIG EAST with 1.25 blocks per game. And, Lechlitner is logging 4.8 points and 2.3 assists per night with six three-pointers (tied for third on the squad).

The Five-Finger Discount
Notre Dame’s aggressive defense has forced 22.7 turnovers per game this season, logging 20-or-more takeaways in eight of nine games – the lone exception was a 19-turnover effort by Bowling Green on Nov. 13. 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 (and rank 22nd in the nation) with 12.8 steals per night. In fact, Notre Dame has posted double-digit steal totals in seven of nine games this season (and never fewer than eight in one game), with freshman guard Ashley Barlow committing the most larcenies to date (23, 2.6 per game, fourth in BIG EAST) and leading five Irish players with double-figure steals this season. Barlow also 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.

Defense Wins Championships
Notre Dame has stepped up its defensive intensity in the past three games, holding Michigan, Indiana and Purdue to an average of 56.7 ppg. while forcing 23.3 turnovers per night. The Irish also hold a special distinction, as they held the nation’s leading scorer (Western Michigan’s Carrie Moore) to her lowest output of the season, limiting her to 18 points in an 87-67 Notre Dame win on Nov. 19. In fact, it is one of only two times all season Moore has been held below 20 points – the other was 19-point effort against fellow BIG EAST Conference member Marquette on Nov. 23 at the Paradise Jam in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Moore currently is averaging 27.9 ppg. this season.

Making Adjustments
The Irish have been particularly sharp after halftime this season, averaging 40.4 ppg. in the second half and outscoring opponents by an average of more than six points in the period. Notre Dame also has come back to win after trailing at halftime twice this season – vs. Bowling Green and Purdue.

Irish Approaching Program Milestone
Notre Dame has recorded 599 victories during its 30-year history, amassing an overall record of 599-269 (.690) since the program was first granted varsity status as a Division III entity in 1977-78 (the Irish later moved to Division I in 1980-81).

With its next victory, Notre Dame would become the 43rd NCAA Division I program to win 600 games, and the third this season (following Vanderbilt and Colorado). Temple also has 599 lifetime victories, with the Owls’ next game slated for Sunday at home vs. Miami (Ohio).

In addition, Notre Dame would be the fourth BIG EAST Conference school to record 600 women’s basketball victories. The others are Connecticut (687), Rutgers (679) and Villanova (616) – win totals through Dec. 14.

Clutch When It Counts
Notre Dame is shooting an even 75 percent from the foul line (45-of-60) 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 Ashley Barlow and Melissa Lechlitner are a combined 17-of-18 (.944) at the charity stripe down the stretch. Barlow also hit some of the biggest foul shots of the season for Notre Dame in its Nov. 13 win over Bowling Green, going 4-for-4 in the final 23 seconds of overtime to help the Irish hand the Falcons their only loss of the season to date.

Note These Schedule Changes
Two changes to the 2006-07 Notre Dame schedule recently were announced.

• Dec. 19 at Valparaiso: Game will be televised live in South Bend on WHME-TV (Channel 46); tip time remains 7:05 p.m. CT (8:05 p.m. ET in South Bend).
• Jan. 23 at Marquette: Game will tip off at 8 p.m. CT (9 p.m. ET in South Bend), one hour later than previously announced due to a programming change with the game’s television broadcaster, CSTV, which still intends to carry the game live to a national audience.

Game #9 Recap: Purdue
Notre Dame had advice from Digger Phelps and an offensive reminder on their jerseys.

That one-two combo, coupled with a career-high 22 points by senior guard Breona Gray, helped the Irish overcome an 11-point deficit in the second half to beat No. 10/9 Purdue 67-58 on Dec. 6 at the Joyce Center.

Gray was 8-of-12 from the field and made a career-high four 3-pointers – the only 3-pointers the Irish had. Notre Dame head coach Muffet McGraw said she decided to have the team wear the jerseys with green borders to remind her team they had the green light to shoot 3s after going 1-of-14 in its previous game vs. Indiana.

It was the first time the Irish wore those jerseys in a home regular-season game. But McGraw said the key to the victory was the Irish using a 1-3-1 defense that Phelps, Notre Dame’s longtime men’s coach, had taught her staff before practices started.

Purdue (7-2) led through most of the game, opening a 41-30 lead when Lindsay Wisdom-Hylton scored nearly eight minutes into the second half. The Irish (6-3), who shot 58 percent in the second half, answered with a 14-4 run to cut the lead to 45-44 when Tulyah Gaines scored inside on a pass from Gray.

Gray hit a 3-pointer with 2:59 left to give Notre Dame its first lead, 53-52. Katie Gearlds then threw up an air ball from 12 feet along the baseline and Purdue was called for its second shot-clock violation. The Irish extended the lead to 59-52 on a fast break basket with 1:17 left by Gaines, who finished with 20 points (16 in the second half).

Wisdom-Hylton and Gearlds led Purdue with 15 points each and Jodi Howell scored 11 for the Boilermakers.

It was a sloppily played game by both teams. Notre Dame turned the ball over a season-high 23 times and Purdue had 20 turnovers – one shy of the season-high it had in its only other loss this season, 66-55 at No. 7 Connecticut on Nov. 30. The Boilermakers also made just 1 of 9 shots in the final four minutes.

Noting The Purdue Win

• Notre Dame’s last win over a ranked opponent (and a top-10 foe) came on Jan. 17, 2006 (78-75 vs. DePaul at the Joyce Center); the Irish have defeated 41 ranked opponents in the past eight-plus seasons, with nearly half of those wins (20) coming against top-10 opponents.
• The victory was the 550th for Notre Dame as a Division I member (1980-81 to present), as well as the program’s 599th overall win in its 799th all-time game during its 30th season.
• The Irish have won four of the past five games vs. Purdue at the Joyce Center.
• Notre Dame held Purdue to its lowest point total ever in the series, topping a 73-60 Irish win on March 15, 1996 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Lubbock, Texas (Notre Dame’s first-ever NCAA Tournament victory).
• The Irish defeated their highest-ranked Purdue squad since April 1, 2001, when Notre Dame downed the No, 9/8 Boilers, 68-66 in the NCAA national championship game at the Savvis Center in St. Louis.
• The Irish have defeated 14 of their last 16 in-state opponents, with their only losses coming to Purdue (Jan. 2003) and Indiana (Dec. 2006).
• The Purdue win was the second this season for the Irish when rallying from a double-digit deficit – they trailed by 13 points in the first half vs. Bowling Green on Nov. 13, but came back to defeat the Falcons in overtime, 85-81 at the Joyce Center.
• Notre Dame had two 20-point scorers in the same game for the second time this year – Tulyah Gaines had 25 and Charel Allen had 21 vs. Bowling Green on Nov. 13.
• Breona Gray’s previous career scoring high was 17 points vs. Syracuse (Jan. 5, 2005) and she had made a career-high two three-pointers on eight different occasions (most recently vs. Western Michigan on Nov. 19, 2006); Gray’s seven rebounds also were one off her career high (eight vs. USC on Nov. 27, 2005).
• Tulyah Gaines posted her second 20-point game of the year after coming in with a career high of 14 points and just five double-figure scoring games in her career.
• Charel Allen was held to single-digit scoring for the first time all season, but contributed in other ways, including a career-high five assists (previous: four on three times, last vs. Providence on Feb. 4, 2006).
• Notre Dame debuted new alternate home uniforms (white with green trim and blue lettering), marking the first time the Irish had ever played a regular-season home game with green on their uniforms – they did sport all green jerseys for their NCAA Tournament openers in 2000 (vs. San Diego) and 2001 (vs. Alcorn State), both of which were played at the Joyce Center and both of which took place on St. Patrick’s Day.

Injury Bug Bites Irish Early
Sophomore guard Lindsay Schrader will miss the 2006-07 season after suffering a torn ACL in her right knee during practice on Oct. 15. Schrader underwent corrective surgery on Oct. 27, with the normal rehabilitation timeline extending 6-9 months. Schrader was to be Notre Dame’s top returning scorer and rebounder this season, after averaging 10.5 points and 5.4 rebounds per game during her rookie campaign in 2005-06.

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 599-269 (.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 550-249 (.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 435-170 (.719) at the helm of the Irish and has a career record of 523-211 (.713) 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 special 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 are beginning their 12th season as a member of the BIG EAST Conference in 2006-07. The Irish have gone 145-39 (.788) all-time in regular-season conference games, posting the best winning percentage in league history. Connecticut is second with a .783 success rate. 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 112-10 (.918) since the start of the 2000-01 campaign when they go into the dressing room with the lead, including wins in 40 of their last 44 such contests. Three times this year, Notre Dame has led at the break, going on to win each time (Central Michigan, Western Michigan and Richmond).

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 161-10 (.942) record when they hold their opponents below 60 points in a game. Notre Dame has held its last three foes to less than 60 points, and is 2-1 in those games (wins over Michigan and Purdue, 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 95-3 (.969) 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 four times this season, winning on each occasion (Central Michigan, Bowling Green, Western Michigan and Richmond).

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 140 of their last 157 games (.892) at the 11,418-seat Joyce Center, including winning streaks of 51 and 25 games in that span. Notre Dame also has a 80-12 (.870) 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 62 of their last 67 non-BIG EAST contests (.925) 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 290-78 (.788) 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 ninth in the nation in average attendance (6,661 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 84 of their last 86 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).

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

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.

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 73 televised games, including 46 that were broadcast nationally.

Notre Dame made its 2006-07 television debut Nov. 16 when its road opener at Penn State aired live on College Sports Television (CSTV). That was the first of three Irish women’s basketball broadcasts for the national cable network, with the second coming Jan. 23 at Marquette (8 p.m. CT tip) and the third coming in the regular-season finale on Feb. 26 at DePaul (8 p.m. CT). The latter two contests are part of the BIG EAST-CSTV Game of the Week package, now in its second season. Counting the Penn State contest, CSTV now has aired 12 Notre Dame women’s basketball games during the past five seasons, with the first being that network’s inaugural broadcast of any sport (a Feb. 2003 game at Connecticut).

The Irish also are scheduled to make two appearances on the ESPN family of networks, beginning with a Feb. 4 home game against West Virginia that will be broadcast live on ESPNU and will start at 5:30 p.m. (ET). The following Sunday (Feb. 11), Notre Dame will play host to DePaul for a 5:30 p.m. (ET) game that will air on ESPN2 as part of that network’s “February Frenzy” split-national coverage designed to preview a similar coverage pattern for the NCAA Tournament. During the past six seasons, Notre Dame has appeared on the ESPN family of networks 28 times, averaging nearly five telecasts per year on “The Worldwide Leader in Sports”.

In addition, Notre Dame will play in five regionally-televised games this season. The first of those took place Dec. 6, when the Irish defeated No. 10/9 Purdue at the Joyce Center in a game seen live on Comcast Local (based in Detroit). On Dec. 30, Notre Dame will venture to Tennessee for a 2 p.m. (ET) contest at Thompson-Boling Arena that can be seen live on Comcast/Charter Sports Southeast. And, on Jan. 27, the Irish will visit Connecticut for a 7 p.m. (ET) matchup that will be carried live on Connecticut Public Television (CPTV).

Notre Dame will appear twice on the BIG EAST-Regional Sports Network (RSN) package this season with contests at South Florida (Jan. 13, noon ET) and home against Rutgers (Feb. 24, noon ET). SportsNet New York will serve as the flagship for the BIG EAST package, with additional clearances to be announced at a later date.

The other televised game for the Irish will be a local broadcast (WHME-TV in South Bend) of the Dec. 19 contest at Valparaiso.

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 made their und.com debut Dec. 3 vs. Indiana, with Saturday’s game vs. IUPUI the second video webcast scheduled for this season. The remainder of this year’s Internet video broadcast schedule to be announced at a later date.

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). Please note – additional promotions and giveaways may be added at a later date, so consult the Notre Dame promotions web site (www.notredamepromotions.com) for the latest information:

• Dec. 16 vs. IUPUI – Holiday Hoops Extravaganza … Teddy Bear Toss – fans bringing a stuffed animal to the game get $2 off their admission ticket and will be able to toss their stuffed animals on the court at halftime (done to benefit Toys-For-Tots) … Curious Kids Museum on the upper concourse of the Joyce Center … Notre Dame women’s basketball Beanie Bears to first 1,000 fans, courtesy of Notre Dame Federal Credit Union … post-game autograph session courtside with selected Irish players.
• Dec. 28 vs. Prairie View A&M – Hula Hoops … Faculty/Staff Day (half-priced tickets for all ND faculty and staff, as well as up to four guests) … Curious Kids Museum on the upper concourse of the Joyce Center … Notre Dame women’s basketball beach towels to first 1,000 fans, courtesy of Centennial Wireless … post-game autograph session courtside with selected Irish players.

Next Game: Valparaiso
On Tuesday, the Irish will make the one-hour trip west to Valparaiso for a 7:05 p.m. (CT) game with the Crusaders at the Athletics-Recreation Center. The game will be televised locally in the South Bend area by WHME-TV (Channel 46), which is picking up the feed from the game’s primary carrier, Lakeshore Public Television.

Valparaiso is 4-4 this season, but has dropped its last two contests against Indiana State (83-71) and Ball State (68-59). The Crusaders have won their only two home games of the season (vs. Northern Arizona and Bradley), and are slated to visit Northern Iowa Saturday afternoon before returning to face Notre Dame next week.