Jan. 23, 2006
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Notre Dame senior All-America guard Megan Duffy (Dayton, Ohio/Chaminade-Julienne HS) has been selected as the BIG EAST Conference Player of the Week, the league office announced Monday. It’s the first time this season, and the second time in her career, that Duffy has been tapped for the conference’s top weekly individual honor, although she has earned a spot on the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll three times in 2005-06. She previously received the BIG EAST Player of the Week designation on Dec. 8, 2003.
Last week, Duffy averaged 19.5 points, 7.0 assists, 6.5 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game with a .550 field goal percentage (11-of-20) and a perfect 1.000 free throw percentage (13-of-13) as Notre Dame picked up victories over No. 10 DePaul and Georgetown. Against DePaul, Duffy nearly registered the second triple-double in school history (and first in 16 years), finishing with 23 points, nine assists and eight rebounds as the Irish earned their third win over a ranked opponent in five tries this season. Then, at Georgetown, she came back with team highs of 16 points and five assists, along with five rebounds, as Notre Dame carded its third victory in the past four games.
For the season, Duffy ranks among the top 15 in the BIG EAST in free throw percentage (1st – .923; 13th in NCAA as of Jan. 17), scoring (tie-9th – 15.9 ppg.), assists (6th – 4.29 apg.), steals (7th – 2.18 spg.) and assist/turnover ratio (11th – 1.70).
Duffy is the second Irish women’s basketball player to be named BIG EAST Player of the Week this year, following the selection of sophomore center Melissa D’Amico (Manorville, N.Y./William Floyd HS) on Dec. 19. In addition, freshman guard Lindsay Schrader (Bartlett, Ill./Bartlett HS) garnered the first BIG EAST Freshman of the Week citation of the season back on Nov. 21.
No. 24/22 Notre Dame (12-5, 3-3 BIG EAST) returns to the hardwood Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. (ET) when it travels to Piscataway, N.J., to take on No. 9 Rutgers at the Louis Brown Athletic Center. The game will be broadcast to a nationwide audience by College Sports Television (CSTV).
— ND —