Jan. 11, 2003
* Notre Dame started the combination of sophomore Jacqueline Batteast and freshman Courtney LaVere at the forwards, sophomore Teresa Borton at center, and junior Le’Tania Severe and senior Alicia Ratay at the guards. This lineup is 2-2 this season (1-1 in BIG EAST Conference play). Today’s starting assignment was the 110th of Ratay’s career.
* Today’s loss marks the first time the Irish have suffered consecutive home defeats in the same season since the 1994-95 campaign, when Notre Dame lost to No. 13 Purdue (87-83) on Nov. 30, followed by a 75-73 loss to Michigan State on Dec. 7.
* Miami is just the third BIG EAST team ever to defeat Notre Dame at the Joyce Center, joining Connecticut (three times) and Villanova (once). The Irish now are 56-5 (.918) all-time at home in regular-season conference games.
* Notre Dame drops to 5-3 in BIG EAST home openers since it joined the league in 1995-96. The Irish had won their last three conference lidlifters at the Joyce Center entering today’s game.
* Miami defeats Notre Dame for just the third time ever, and the second time at the Joyce Center. The Hurricanes’ other win in South Bend came on Feb. 7, 1987, a 62-61 triumph. Today marked the first time Miami had beaten Notre Dame by more than one point. It also snapped a six-game Irish winning streak against the Hurricanes.
* Today’s loss is just the third for Notre Dame in its last 58 home games, and its fifth setback in the last 85 games at the Joyce Center. The Irish also drop to 71-6 (.922) all-time when playing at home as a ranked team.
* Notre Dame had five players score in double figures for the fourth time this season (Cleveland State, USC, Temple and Miami). The Irish have had at least three double-digit scorers in 12 of 13 games this season, posting an 8-4 record in those contests.
* The Irish shot better than 45 percent from the field for the ninth time this season, dropping to 7-2 in those games.
* Today’s loss marked the first time this season Notre Dame has lost a game decided by 10 points or less (now 4-1).
* Notre Dame is 1-3 this season in televised games, winning at Arizona State and falling vs. DePaul, Purdue and Miami.
* The 26 points scored by the Irish in the second half, matched their lowest second-period output of the year. They also scored 26 in the final 20 minutes vs. DePaul and Colorado State.
* Miami’s 80 points were the most allowed by Notre Dame this season, and the Hurricanes’ 44 first-half points matched the highest one-half production by an Irish opponent this year (44 by Purdue in the second half, 1/4/03).
* Miami set a Joyce Center opponent record with 80 field goal attempts, topping the previous standard of 74 shots by DePaul on Jan. 11, 1994.
* Miami freshman Tamara James scored 27 points today, the most scored by a opposing player since Villanova’s Jen Beisel tallied 30 points on Jan. 28, 1998 at the Joyce Center.
* Sophomore forward Jacqueline Batteast notched her fourth double-double of the season with 12 points and a game-high 11 rebounds, tying her season best in the latter category. Batteast also tied her career high with four blocked shots (vs. Army, 11/26/01), and her six assists and four steals both were one away from her career best in those areas.
* Sophomore guard Le’Tania Severe scored in double figures for the fifth consecutive game and the ninth time this year. She also tied her season high with six assists, a mark she previously reached three times.
* Senior guard Alicia Ratay made the 300th free throw of her career midway through the first half this afternoon. She now has made 303 charities in 347 attempts, good for an 87.3 percentage which ties her with LaSalle’s Jennifer Cole for fifth in NCAA history. Ratay needs four free throws to catch Karen Robinson (307 from 1987-91) for fourth place on the Notre Dame career free throws made list.
* Ratay made two three-pointers today, giving her 228 career treys and placing her just three behind Beth Morgan (231 from 1993-97) for second place in Notre Dame history. Sheila McMillen holds the school record with 249 career three-pointers from 1995-99. With her 2-for-3 effort from beyond the arc today, Ratay now has a .479 (228-476) career three-point percentage, the best in NCAA history.
* Ratay chalked up her 81st double-figure scoring game with 10 points today. She now is one behind Karen Robinson (82 from 1987-91) for fourth place on the Notre Dame career list.
* The Irish return to the hardwood at 7:30 p.m. (EST) Tuesday when they take on St. John’s at Alumni Hall in Jamaica, N.Y.
— ND —