No. 5 Irish Visit No. 10 Scarlet Knights On Saturday

Feb. 18, 2005

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(#5 AP/#7 ESPN/USA Today) Notre Dame Fighting Irish (23-3, 11-2)
vs.
(#10 AP/#10 ESPN/USA Today) Rutgers Scarlet Knights (19-5, 10-2)

The Date and Time: Saturday, Feb. 19, 2005, at Noon ET.

The Site: Louis Brown Athletic Center (8,000) in Piscataway, N.J.

The Tickets: Still available through the Notre Dame athletics ticket office (574-631-7356), the Rutgers athletics ticket office (732-445-2766) or at the door on game day.

The Radio Plans: Saturday’s game will be broadcast live on WDND-AM (ESPN Radio 1580) and WNDV-AM (1490) in South Bend with Shawn Lewallen (play-by-play) calling the action. These broadcasts also are available through the Notre Dame athletics web site at www.und.com.

Real-Time Statistics: Live in-game statistics, courtesy of College Sports Online’s GameTracker, are available for the Rutgers game, via the Notre Dame (www.und.com) and Rutgers (www.scarletknights.com) athletics web sites.

Web Sites: Notre Dame (www.und.com), Rutgers (www.scarletknights.com).

TWO OF BIG EAST’S BEST COLLIDE AS #5/7 IRISH VISIT #10 RUTGERS SATURDAY
For the fifth time this season, No. 5/7 Notre Dame will take the floor against a top-10 opponent when it travels to Piscataway, N.J., Saturday for a noon (ET) game against 10th-ranked Rutgers. The Irish, who are 4-0 against top-10 foes this year, hold a slim half-game lead over both the Scarlet Knights and No. 11 Connecticut in the BIG EAST Conference standings and Saturday’s matchup will go a long way toward determining the regular-season conference champion and the top-seeded team for the upcoming BIG EAST Championship.

Notre Dame (23-3, 11-2 BIG EAST) stretched its winning streak to 10 games Tuesday night with a 54-47 victory at No. 25/22 Boston College. In addition to picking up their seventh win over a ranked opponent this season, the Irish erased a 15-point first half deficit, registering their largest comeback since a 16-point rally over UConn at the 2001 NCAA Final Four.

Senior All-America forward Jacqueline Batteast tossed in a game-high 15 points, while junior guard Megan Duffy scored all 14 of her points in the second half. Duffy was 8-for-8 at the foul line and added four steals while playing all 40 minutes.

Rutgers (19-5, 10-2) is in the midst of a four-game winning streak after recording a 64-54 victory at Syracuse Wednesday evening. Senior guard Cappie Pondexter scored a game-high 25 points, including seven in a game-ending 10-0 run as the Scarlet Knights fought past a scrappy Syracuse team.

Pondexter leads RU in scoring (13.4 ppg.), followed closely by freshman guard Matee Ajavon (12.9 ppg.). Junior forward Michelle Campbell is third in scoring (12.3 ppg.) and leads the Scarlet Knights in rebounding (5.6 rpg.) and field goal percentage (.579).

Head coach C. Vivian Stringer is in her 10th year at Rutgers with a 194-109 (.640) record. A 33-year coaching veteran, she is 8-9 all-time vs. Notre Dame.

A QUICK LOOK AT THE FIGHTING IRISH
It’s hard to say a 13-3 team was at a crossroads in its season, but Notre Dame found itself in such a situation entering its Jan. 16 game with No. 20 Purdue. The Irish had opened with wins in 13 of their first 14 games, including a memorable run to the Sportsview.tv Preseason WNIT title that included victories over a pair of top-10 opponents (No. 6 Duke and No. 10 Ohio State). However, after rising as high as third in the polls, a pair of bitter losses to BIG EAST foes Villanova and No. 16 Connecticut sapped some of the team’s confidence and left them searching for answers heading into the Purdue contest.

After a tense struggle through the first 10 minutes, Notre Dame pulled away and put together its second-highest offensive production of the season while ending a four-game losing streak to its in-state rival. The victory sparked a current season-high 10-game winning streak that has seen Notre Dame win six times by double figures, and five times against ranked opponents (two vs. top-10 foes). In addition to the Purdue victory, the Irish also have come back from a 13-point deficit to defeat No. 6/7 Rutgers, gone on the road to oust No. 9/10 Connecticut (snapping the Huskies’ 112-game BIG EAST regular-season home winning streak) and fought past nationally-ranked Boston College twice.

Despite the added focus shown to her by opposing teams, senior All-America forward Jacqueline Batteast was a major catalyst for the Irish this season, averaging 17.9 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. A four-time BIG EAST Player of the Week and member of the Wooden Women’s Award Midseason Top 20 List, Batteast has scored in double digits 23 times this season, has earned game-high scoring honors on 15 occasions and has six double-doubles. She also moved into the top five on Notre Dame’s career lists for points (1,780), rebounds (918), blocks (159) and double-doubles (38). In addition, with 10 rebounds at Providence Feb. 9, she became the third Irish player to amass 1,700 points and 900 rebounds in her career, joining All-Americans Katryna Gaither and Ruth Riley.

Junior guard Megan Duffy also has stepped up her play this season, registering 11.6 points per game with a team-high 5.5 assists (second in the BIG EAST and 23rd in the nation) and 2.77 steals per game (first in the BIG EAST). Duffy also leads the league and is second nationally with a .916 free throw percentage (109-119) this season, sparking the Irish to a .745 free throw ratio, the second-best mark in the league.

In the post, senior center Teresa Borton is showing capable leadership by example. In the past 13 games, Borton is averaging 10.9 ppg. and 6.8 rpg. with a .610 field goal percentage (61-100) and has eight double-figure scoring games. For the season, she has posted career-best numbers in almost every statistical category, ranking third on the team in scoring (9.0 ppg.), second in rebounding (6.0 rpg.) and first in both blocked shots (1.65 bpg.) and field goal percentage (.575).

SOME POTENT NOTABLES ABOUT THE FIGHTING IRISH

• Notre Dame won its first seven games this season, the second-best debut in the program’s history. The 2000-01 squad opened with a 23-game win streak en route to school’s first national championship. The Irish also reached the double-digit win mark Dec. 19 at Marquette, getting their 10th win faster than any team in school history (the ’00-01 team did it two days later on Dec. 21, 2000).
• Notre Dame’s current 10-game winning streak is its longest since a school-record 23-game run to open the 2000-01 season. It’s also the ninth double-digit winning streak in school history and the seventh in Muffet McGraw’s 18 seasons as head coach.
• The Irish are 10-1 on the road this year, and won their first five road games this season for the second time in school history. The 2000-01 club opened with a 10-game road winning streak to set the school standard. Ironically, Notre Dame struggled in true road games last year, losing its first four and six of its first seven on the opposition’s floor.
• Notre Dame picked up its 20th win of the season Feb. 5 at Pittsburgh. The Irish have now posted 12 consecutive 20-win seasons (one of only six schools in the nation that can make that claim) and 16 in the 18-year Muffet McGraw era. In addition, Notre Dame reached the 20-win mark in its 23rd game this season, marking the fourth-fastest run to 20 victories in school history. The 2000-01 club opened with 23 consecutive wins, while the 1998-99 and 1999-2000 squads each did it in 22 games. However, in terms of calendar dates, the Irish logged their 20th win faster than any Notre Dame team except the 2000-01 unit, which reached the mark on Jan. 31.
• The Irish have been a fixture near the top of the RPI charts this year. Through Feb. 16, Notre Dame is fourth in the WBCA/Summerville RPI rankings, with the nation’s 22nd-toughest schedule.
• Notre Dame has appeared in the top 10 of the AP balloting 13 times in the first 15 polls of the year, checking in at No. 5 this week. On three other times in school history have the Irish spent longer in the AP top 10 during one season – 1998-99 (16 weeks), 1999-2000 (15 weeks) and 2000-01 (18 weeks). All told, Notre Dame has now spent 69 weeks in the AP top 10 and has a 107-18 (.856) all-time record when it’s ranked in the top 10.
• The Irish have posted 37 wins over AP Top 25 opponents in the past seven seasons (1998-99 to present), including seven this year (No. 6 Duke, No. 10 Ohio State, No. 20 Purdue, No. 6 Rutgers, No. 9 Connecticut, No. 16 Boston College and No. 25 Boston College). Notre Dame is tied for the third-most Top 25 wins this season, exceeded only by Duke’s nine wins and Ohio State’s eight victories. During the past two years, the Irish have 14 wins over ranked opponents.
• Notre Dame has defeated 23 top-10 opponents in its history, adding to that total with four victories this season. The four top-10 wins represent the second-highest total in school history (and tie Penn State and Rutgers for the most by any team in the nation this season) – the 2000-01 squad holds the Irish record with seven top-10 victories.
• Notre Dame owns a unique distinction with victories over both the No. 2 (Ohio State) and No. 3 (Duke) teams in this week’s Associated Press poll. In fact, the Irish are one of only two teams to defeat Duke so far this season, and also one of just two squads to solve OSU in 2004-05.
• Head coach Muffet McGraw has a 407-152 (.728) record in 18 seasons with the Irish, having logged the milestone 400th victory Jan. 23 against Rutgers. She also has a 495-193 (.719) overall record in 23 seasons, leaving her only five victories shy of the 500-win plateau for her career.

A QUICK LOOK AT RUTGERS
Certainly, Rutgers (19-5, 10-2) moved to the forefront of the women’s college basketball scene with its three consecutive victories over top-10 opponents in an eight-day span in January. However, as most BIG EAST Conference observers will tell you, the Scarlet Knights’ success is no accident.

Early on this season, RU tested the patience of even its most ardent supporters. The Scarlet Knights were without the services of All-American guard Cappie Pondexter (personal reasons) for the first eight games of the year, and they also had to break in an extremely talented, yet inexperienced group of freshmen. Rutgers rolled through its bracket at the Paradise Jam in the U.S. Virgin Islands, but had a pair of small blemishes with road losses at Old Dominion and Temple.

Pondexter returned to the active roster on Dec. 29 against Tennessee, and her return kicked the Scarlet Knights’ play up several notches, highlighted by the thrilling eight-day spree at the start of the new year. That run also ignited a jump of historical proportions through the Associated Press poll, as RU went from No. 24 to No. 4 in only two weeks, the biggest rise in the survey’s 29-year history.

A brief hiccup by Rutgers in late January (3-3 record) has given way to a current four-game winning streak that has been highlighted by a 76-62 victory over (then) No. 10 Connecticut on Feb. 13 in Piscataway. That victory lifted the Scarlet Knights back into the top 10 of both polls, a spot they cemented with a 64-54 victory at Syracuse Wednesday night. Pondexter scored a game-high 25 points, including seven in a game-ending 10-0 run as RU broke free of the pesky Orange.

Despite her early hiatus, Pondexter leads the Scarlet Knights in scoring (13.4 ppg.) and three-point percentage (.410), while freshman guard Matee Ajavon is second in scoring (12.9 ppg.) and tops in both assists (3.3 apg.) and steals (2.0 spg.). Junior forward Michelle Campbell has added a strong post game for Rutgers, averaging 12.3 points and a team-best 5.6 rebounds per game, along with a sharp .579 field goal percentage.

Legendary head coach C. Vivian Stringer is in her 10th season at Rutgers with a record of 194-109 (.640) at the school. She also has coached at Cheyney (Pa.) and Iowa during her 33-year career and has an overall record of 714-244 (.745), having been the only coach to guide three different schools to the NCAA Final Four. She is 8-9 in her career against Notre Dame.

THE NOTRE DAME-RUTGERS SERIES
In what has been the true definition of a rivalry, Notre Dame and Rutgers have put on some of the most exciting games in recent BIG EAST Conference women’s basketball history. The Scarlet Knights lead the all-time series, 11-9, including a 6-3 edge at the Louis Brown Athletic Center.

The rivalry between Notre Dame and Rutgers dates back to the 1982-83 season, when the teams met for the first time at DePaul’s Orange Crush Classic in the famed Rosemont Horizon. The Scarlet Knights won that initial game, 81-74, and added two more wins four years later, before the series went on hiatus for nearly a decade.

Once both schools joined the BIG EAST in time for the 1995-96 campaign, the rivalry was rekindled, with Notre Dame winning the first league game, 66-54 early that season and RU coming back to win the second matchup, 73-62 in Piscataway. During the following six years, the Irish won seven of the next 11 series games, but never came away with more than two consecutive victories.

The most memorable games in that stretch included a pair of overtime games in the 1999-2000 season – Notre Dame won the regular-season contest, 78-74, as Alicia Ratay went 7-for-7 from three-point range, including two in the final 16 seconds of regulation to force OT, while Rutgers won the rematch, 81-72 in the BIG EAST Championship semifinals. A year later, the Scarlet Knights toppled the Irish from their No. 1 ranking and handed Notre Dame the first of only two losses in its national championship season, 54-53 in Piscataway.

In the past two seasons (2003-04), RU piled up three consecutive wins over Notre Dame, including two comebacks from sizeable deficits. In 2003, Notre Dame led by 15 points with less than 13 minutes remaining at home, but the Scarlet Knights rallied for a 64-61 win. Last season in the BIG EAST Championship quarterfinals, the Irish took a 17-2 lead, only to see Rutgers clamp down on defense and pull ahead in the final 90 seconds for the win. However, Notre Dame earned a measure of redemption earlier this year, erasing a 13-point Rutgers lead to post a 63-47 win on Jan. 23 at the Joyce Center.

Senior All-America forward Jacqueline Batteast leads all current Notre Dame players with an average of 20.8 points against the Scarlet Knights (she missed the 2002 regular-season game with a knee injury). Junior forward Courtney LaVere also has a double-figure career average vs. RU (11.5 ppg.).

THE LAST TIME NOTRE DAME AND RUTGERS MET
In Notre Dame’s first matchup with Rutgers, the Irish had the better second half. Senior All-America forward Jacqueline Batteast made sure of that.

After sixth-ranked Rutgers held Notre Dame to its lowest scoring half of the season (20 points) in the first half, the 11th-ranked Irish held the Scarlet Knights to their lowest scoring half (16 points) in the second. Batteast had two more points in the second half than the Knights, finishing with 27 points to lead the Irish to a 63-47 victory on Jan. 23 at the Joyce Center.

Batteast scored the first 12 points of the second half to get the Irish (16-3, 4-2 BIG EAST) back into the game, then added six more points during a 23-0 run that put the game away.

The Scarlet Knights (13-4, 4-1) looked to be too quick for the Irish in the first half, jumping to a 13-point lead. But in the second half, Notre Dame’s zone defense was too much for the Knights, repeatedly forcing them to take bad shots to avoid shot-clock violations.

In the first half, the Scarlet Knights turned 16 Notre Dame turnovers into 19 points. But the Irish turned the ball over just five times in the second, while the Knights turned it over eight times, leading to 10 points for the Irish.

The Scarlet Knights, who shot 47 percent in the first half and led by as many as 13, shot just 17 percent in the second.

Batteast was the only Irish player in double figures, but junior guard Megan Duffy had a career-high 11 assists, including eight in the second half with only one turnover, and sophomore forward Crystal Erwin added nine rebounds. Chelsea Newton had 18 points and Cappie Pondexter added 17 for Rutgers.

THE LAST TIME NOTRE DAME AND RUTGERS MET IN PISCATAWAY
Jacqueline Batteast blistered the nets for a game-high 25 points on 10-of-17 shooting, but it was not enough as Notre Dame dropped a 69-55 decision to Rutgers on Feb. 28, 2004, at the Louis Brown Athletic Center in Piscataway, N.J.

Megan Duffy chalked up 14 points on five-of-nine shooting, including two-of-three from behind the three-point line. Duffy also dished out a game-high four assists and snared four rebounds. Courtney LaVere returned to the starting lineup for the first time since Jan. 4 and plucked a team-high seven rebounds.

Cappie Pondexter scored 20 points to lead three Scarlet Knights in double figures. Michelle Campbell nearly posted a double-double with 16 points and nine rebounds, while Chelsea Newton made all five of her shots and wound up with 11 points. As a team, Rutgers posted a .580 field goal percentage (29 of 50), the highest by a Notre Dame opponent in 2003-04.

Notre Dame looked sharp early on, bolting to an 11-6 lead as Batteast scored her team’s first six points. However, the Scarlet Knights came back with eight of the next 10 points and took their first lead with 10:51 to go in the first half. The Irish tied the score twice in the ensuing three minutes, but Rutgers then fashioned a 7-0 run to take its largest lead of the period at 23-16 at the 5:41 mark. That margin quickly vanished in the face of eight straight Notre Dame points, the last coming on a Batteast jumper that resulted in a 24-23 edge with 3:39 remaining. Campbell and Newton responded with late jumpers and the hosts took a three-point lead to the locker room.

The score remained tight in the first five minutes of the second half, with Notre Dame closing the gap to 34-32 on another jumper by Batteast with 14:54 to play. That’s when Rutgers rocked the Irish with a game-turning 19-4 run that saw the Scarlet Knights knock down eight consecutive shots from the floor, while the visitors missed seven of eight in that span. When the dust settled, Rutgers led 53-36 with nine minutes to play and Notre Dame couldn’t get closer than 12 points the rest of the way. The Scarlet Knights wound up shooting 72.7 percent (16-of-22) from the field in the final 20 minutes to seize control of the contest.

OTHER NOTRE DAME-RUTGERS SERIES NOTES

• Rutgers is one of only two BIG EAST Conference opponents with a winning series record against Notre Dame. The other is Connecticut, which is 16-4 all-time against the Irish.
• Notre Dame will be playing Rutgers for the 21st time on Saturday, making the Irish-Scarlet Knights series the most frequent among BIG EAST Conference opponents. Notre Dame has also played 21 times vs. Georgetown (19-2), with 20 meetings vs. Connecticut (4-16) and Syracuse (18-2).
• Half of the 20 games in the series have been decided by single-digit margins, with two contests going into overtime. The series has been especially close of late, with eight of the past 12 games decided by nine points or less, including four of the last six (all by six or less). Overall, Rutgers holds a narrow victory margin in the series of 3.5 points per game.
• To add to the recent nail-biting theme in the series, Notre Dame has held a 15-point lead in two of the past three games with Rutgers (2003 at the Joyce Center, 2004 in the BIG EAST Championship), only to see the Scarlet Knights come back and defeat the Irish on both occasions. Then, in their first meeting this year, Rutgers led Notre Dame by 13 points in the first half, before the Irish rallied to post a 63-47 victory at the Joyce Center.
• Notre Dame is 7-4 all-time when it is ranked heading into the Rutgers game (3-2 in Piscataway). Saturday’s game represents the eighth time both squads will be ranked at tipoff, with the Irish owning a slim 4-3 advantage.
• Two of the top women’s basketball coaches in the country will meet when Notre Dame’s Muffet McGraw squares off with Rutgers’ C. Vivian Stringer. The two coaches have combined to post a staggering record of 1,209-437 (.735) in 56 seasons of coaching, averaging better than 21 wins per year. McGraw and Stringer also have guided 28 teams to the NCAA Tournament, reaching the Final Four on five occasions.

THE BEAST OF THE BIG EAST
Notre Dame is 135-30 (.818) in regular-season competition against the rest of BIG EAST Conference, owning the best conference winning percentage of any current member of the BIG EAST since joining the circuit for the 1995-96 campaign. The Irish also have finished either first or second in the BIG EAST eight times in their nine-year membership, and claimed a share of their first-ever regular-season conference championship in 2001.

When including postseason competition (BIG EAST and NCAA tournaments), Notre Dame is 148-39 (.791) against league opponents – when factoring in these 22 postseason tilts, the Irish are 75-8 (.904) at home, 60-25 (.706) on the road and 13-6 (.684) at neutral sites all-time vs. BIG EAST foes.

POLLING PLACE
Notre Dame is 184-43 (.811) all-time when it is ranked in the Associated Press poll at tipoff (the Irish are fifth entering Saturday’s game at Rutgers). When playing at home, Notre Dame has been especially strong, going 86-10 (.896) as a ranked host after posting a 13-2 record at the Joyce Center this season. Conversely, the Irish are 74-25 (.747) all-time when they play on the road as a ranked team.

Upon closer inspection, Notre Dame has been very sharp when it’s ranked in the top 10 of the AP poll. The Irish are 107-18 (.856) as a top-10 squad, including a 52-4 (.929) record at home. In fact, prior to its Dec. 2 overtime loss to then-No. 15 Michigan State, Notre Dame had a 41-game home winning streak when it was ranked in the AP top 10, dating back to December of 1998.

RISING UP
Notre Dame has posted a 7-2 record against ranked opponents this season, including a 4-0 mark against top-10 foes. Here’s a look at the Irish statistical leaders against Top 25 clubs this year:

• Jacqueline Batteast – 17.8 ppg., 5.9 rpg., three 20-point games, one double-double
• Megan Duffy – 12.9 ppg., 5.4 apg., .475 FG% (28-59), .481 3FG% (13-27), six five-assist games
• Charel Allen – 8.8 ppg., 4.0 rpg., .527 FG% (29-55), .833 3FG% (5-6)
• Teresa Borton – 8.2 ppg., 6.8 rpg., 2.1 bpg., .492 FG% (30-61)
• TEAM – 66.3 ppg., .460 3FG% (23-50), .773 FT% (150-194)

BATTEAST NAMED BIG EAST PLAYER OF THE WEEK FOR FOURTH TIME
For the fourth time this season, and the fifth time in her career, senior All-America forward Jacqueline Batteast has been selected as the BIG EAST Conference Player of the Week, the league office announced Monday. The 6-foot-2 wing also was tapped for the honor on Nov. 22, Dec. 20 and Jan. 24, and she is the first player this season to be named BIG EAST Player of the Week four times.

In addition, Batteast is only the second Notre Dame player ever to garner the league’s top weekly award four times in the same season, joining 2001 consensus National Player of the Year Ruth Riley, who also earned four awards in 2000-01. Batteast’s five career BIG EAST Player of the Week selections tie her with Katryna Gaither (1993-97) for the second-most in school history – Riley had nine from 1997-2001.

Batteast averaged 21.5 points, 9.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game last week, as the Irish stretched their winning streak to a season-long nine games. At Providence on Feb. 9, she posted her sixth double-double of the year (38th of her career) with game highs of 23 points and 10 rebounds in a 75-57 Notre Dame victory. Three days later at home against Georgetown, she rolled up a game-best 20 points, along with eight rebounds and five assists as the Irish led all the way in a 72-58 conquest of the Hoyas.

DUFFY SELECTED TO ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT SECOND TEAM
Junior guard Megan Duffy has been named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District V Second Team, it was announced Thursday. Duffy continues a long line of successful student-athletes in the Irish women’s basketball program, with her selection marking the sixth time in the past seven seasons a Notre Dame female cager has received academic all-district honors. Ruth Riley was a three-time all-district pick, going on to earn Academic All-America® recognition in 2000 and 2001 (being named the ’01 Academic All-America® Team Member of the Year), and Alicia Ratay was a two-time academic all-district choice in 2002 and 2003.

Duffy currently holds a 3.454 cumulative grade-point average in the College of Arts and Letters, where she is pursuing a double major in psychology and computer applications. During the fall 2004 semester, she earned Dean’s List honors after compiling a 3.833 GPA.

On the court, Duffy ranks second in the nation in free throw percentage (.916) and 23rd in assists (5.6 apg.), while also leading the BIG EAST Conference in steals (2.77 spg.), ranking fifth in assist/turnover ratio (2.01) and 17th in scoring (11.6 ppg.). She was a preseason second-team all-BIG EAST selection, and later was named to the Sportsview.tv Preseason WNIT All-Tournament Team after guiding Notre Dame to the championship.

THE QUICK DISH
With apologies to ESPN.com’s Melanie Jackson, Notre Dame has its own true “Quick Dish” in junior guard Megan Duffy. During the past 13 games (starting with the first matchup vs. Syracuse on Jan. 5), Duffy is averaging 6.6 assists per game, with at least five handouts in 11 of 13 contests. In that time, she also has posted a sharp 2.39 assist/turnover ratio (86 assists, 36 turnovers).

And lest you think these numbers have been piled up against Podunk Tech, Notre Dame has played five ranked opponents (No. 16 Connecticut, No. 20 Purdue, No. 6/7 Rutgers, No. 9/10 Connecticut and No. 16/13 Boston College) in that 13-game span, and Duffy has averaged 6.8 assists per game with a 1.70 assist/turnover ratio (34 assists, 20 turnovers) against those top-25 squads.

THE SEASON FOR SHARING
One of the key elements in Notre Dame’s success this season has been its penchant for distributing the ball well. In fact, the Irish have 434 assists (16.69 apg.; second in the BIG EAST and 21st in the nation as of Feb. 15) on 646 field goals made (24.8 per game), including a Preseason WNIT-record 29 handouts in the season opener vs. Illinois State.

Junior guard Megan Duffy leads the way at 5.5 assists per game (second in the BIG EAST and 23rd in the nation), with at least five dimes in 17 contests this year, including a career-high 11 assists vs. Rutgers on Jan. 23. Duffy also is second in the BIG EAST with 6.38 apg. in conference play.

ROAD WARRIORS
The Irish are 10-1 on the road this season, a far cry from last year’s struggles away from the Joyce Center, when they lost their first four and six of their first seven true road contests. In fact, Notre Dame won its first five road games this year, marking only the second time in school history the Irish opened with five or more road victories (they won 10 in a row to begin the 2000-01 campaign).

Accenting Notre Dame’s play on the road has been its defensive prowess. The Irish are holding opponents to 52.7 ppg., a .337 field goal percentage (204-for-606) and a .239 three-point percentage (47-for-197) away from home and have allowed more than 60 points only once in their 11 road games this year (61 by Syracuse on Jan. 19, although SU needed a Rochelle Coleman bucket with five seconds left to reach the mark).

PINE TIME PLAYERS
Notre Dame is 15-0 this year (6-0 vs. BIG EAST Conference opponents) when its bench outscores the opposition’s reserves. For the season, the Irish understudies are averaging 17.2 ppg., compared to 14.3 ppg. for Notre Dame opponents. Freshman guard Charel Allen has been the top Irish reserve this season, logging 8.0 ppg.

Notre Dame’s bench play has been especially important during its current 10-game winning streak. The Irish are getting an average of 21.6 ppg. from their reserves in that stretch, compared to 15.2 ppg. from the opposition’s bench. Allen (10.3 ppg.) has been the key bench contributor during the streak with four double-figure games – 17 points at Syracuse (Jan. 19), 16 points at Pittsburgh (Feb. 5), 14 points vs. Georgetown (Feb. 12) and 11 points at No. 9/10 Connecticut (Jan. 30).

THREE-FENSE
In the past 23 games, Notre Dame has limited its opponents to a .254 three-point percentage (104-for-409), after Irish foes were shooting .333 from beyond the arc (17-for-51) in the first three games of the season. On Dec. 9, Notre Dame held Dayton to an opponent season-low .071 three-point percentage (1-for-14), with the Flyers missing their final 13 three-point attempts.

For the season, Notre Dame leads the BIG EAST in three-point percentage defense, holding opponents to a .264 mark (121-for-458) from long range.

THE FIVE-FINGER DISCOUNT
Notre Dame ranks second in the BIG EAST Conference in steals this season, averaging 9.58 thefts per game (249 total). The Irish have come up with at least 10 steals in 11 games and had a season-best 20 thefts on Nov. 22 vs. Colorado State, the most by a BIG EAST team this season.

Individually, junior guard Megan Duffy is tops in the conference in steals (2.77 spg., 72 total), while her backcourt mate, sophomore Breona Gray is second on the team with 1.23 steals per game (32 total). Two other Notre Dame players have 30 steals this year – senior All-America forward Jacqueline Batteast and freshman guard Charel Allen.

LOTS OF FREE STUFF
When given the opportunity, Notre Dame has taken advantage of its trips to the free throw line this season. The Irish are second in the BIG EAST Conference, shooting 74.5 percent from the charity stripe. In fact, they set a school record by going a perfect 18-for-18 on Nov. 30 at Valparaiso, which also matches the best mark by any team in the country this season.

Notre Dame has been led at the gift line by junior guard Megan Duffy (.916, 109-119), freshman guard Charel Allen (.833, 50-60) and senior All-America forward Jacqueline Batteast (.827, 105-127). Duffy currently ranks first in the BIG EAST and second in the nation in free throw percentage (as of Feb. 15), while Batteast is second in the conference and has shown the greatest improvement among all Irish players this season with a 20-percent jump from last year’s career low .627 mark.

One side note about Duffy’s free throw prowess – the Irish junior struggled at the line early in her freshman season, shooting just 59.3 percent (16-27) during her first 15 collegiate games. However, in the 74 games since then (Jan. 20, 2003 to present), Duffy is connecting at an .875 clip (224-256) on her foul shots. She also has made 117 of her last 128 free throws (.914) in the past 32 Irish games, dating back to Feb. 28, 2004.

STILL MORE FREE STUFF
Notre Dame has made more free throws (420) than its opponents have attempted (416) this season. The margin is more pronounced in BIG EAST Conference games, where the Irish have converted 199 foul shots, while their opponents have tried only 185 free throws.

McGRAW’S MILESTONES
Entering this season, Notre Dame head coach Muffet McGraw had the opportunity to reach three career coaching milestones. Here’s a look at her progress toward each landmark:

• Winningest basketball coach at Notre Dame – picked up 394th victory with the Irish on Dec. 19 at Marquette, passing longtime men’s coach Digger Phelps (393 wins from 1971-91).
• 400th victory at Notre Dame – registered 400th win at Notre Dame on Jan. 23 vs. Rutgers (current record: 407-152, .728)
• 500th victory overall – needs five wins (current record: 495-193, .719)

BATTEAST NAMED TO WOODEN AWARD MIDSEASON TOP 20 LIST
Senior All-America forward Jacqueline Batteast has been named to the John R. Wooden Women’s Award Midseason Top 20 List, recognized the leading candidates for the honor that goes to the nation’s outstanding women’s college basketball player. In March, approximately 15 finalists for the Wooden Women’s Award will be placed on the voting ballot by the award’s National Advisory Board, which is comprised of some of the country’s leading sportswriters and sportscasters who cover women’s basketball on a regular basis. Those ballots will then be mailed to more than 250 voters across the nation, with the top five vote-getters earning Wooden Award All-America honors, as well as a trip to the Wooden Award trophy presentation ceremony April 9 at the Omni Hotel in Los Angeles.

DETHRONING THE CHAMPS
Notre Dame achieved a historic basketball feat on Jan. 30, becoming the first school ever to defeat both the reigning men’s and women’s NCAA champions in the same season on two occasions. On that Sunday night, the Irish women ousted Connecticut, 65-59 in Storrs, a mere three hours after the Notre Dame men also toppled the Huskies, 78-74 in South Bend.

Last season, Notre Dame became just the fourth school since the inception of the NCAA women’s basketball tournament in 1982 to have both its men’s and women’s basketball teams beat the defending national champions in the same season. The Irish women did their part by ousting Connecticut (66-51) on Jan. 13, 2004, while the Notre Dame men completed the double with an 84-72 win at Syracuse on Feb. 16, 2004.

The only other schools that can lay claim to this accomplishment are Duke (1998-99), Tennessee (1999-2000), Michigan State (1999-2000) and North Carolina (2004-05), with Notre Dame, Michigan State and UNC being the only institutions to turn the trick in the regular season (Duke’s women beat Tennessee in the ’99 NCAAs, while Tennessee’s men downed Connecticut in the ’00 NCAAs).

THE BOSTON COLLEGE RECAP
Junior guard Megan Duffy scored all 14 of her points in the second half as No. 5/7 Notre Dame overcame a 15-point deficit to beat No. 25/22 Boston College, 54-47 for its 10th consecutive victory Tuesday night at Conte Forum in Chestnut Hill, Mass.

Senior All-America forward Jacqueline Batteast scored a game-high 15 points for the Irish, who dropped the Eagles (16-7, 7-5) to 0-6 this season against ranked opponents. Clare Droesch was the only BC player to end up in double figures, tallying 10 points.

Duffy’s two free throws gave the Irish a 44-43 lead with 2:22 to go. After a BC turnover, freshman guard Charel Allen converted on a baseline drive to push Notre Dame’s edge to three points.

The Eagles closed to 46-45 on Lisa Macchia’s layup with 1:08 to go, but senior center Teresa Borton’s offensive rebound and layup off a desperation three-point attempt by Duffy made it 48-45 with 31 seconds remaining.

Duffy hit four free throws and sophomore guard Breona Gray added a pair in the closing 23 seconds to secure the victory.

The Fighting Irish took a 42-41 lead, their first since the opening minute of the game, on Allen’s putback with 4:03 left, but BC regained the edge on Kathrin Ress’ foul-line jumper 13 seconds later. It was the Eagles’ first basket in 9:01.

After Notre Dame sliced an 11-point halftime deficit to six, BC opened a 39-28 lead on Aja Parham’s baseline jumper with 13:51 left. But the Irish scored 12 of the next 14 points, cutting it to 41-40 on Batteast’s putback with 5:23 left.

The Eagles held the Irish to their lowest scoring half of the season, leading 26-11 with 1:57 left in the period before taking a 26-15 edge at the break. BC held Notre Dame to 21.7-percent shooting from in the half (5-of-23), mainly double-teaming leading scorer Batteast nearly every time she touched the ball in the low post to disrupt the offensive rhythm.

NOTING THE BOSTON COLLEGE WIN

• Notre Dame’s 10-game winning streak is its longest since a school-record 23-game run to open the 2000-01 season.
• The Irish also become the first team to clinch a first-round bye for the upcoming BIG EAST Conference Championship, which takes place March 5-8 at the Hartford Civic Center.
• Notre Dame’s 23 victories match the fifth-highest total in school history, a mark attained on four other occasions (most recently during the 1995-96 season).
• The Irish improve to 7-2 against ranked opponents this season and have 14 wins over Top 25 opponents in the past two years (five vs. top-10 foes).
• The Irish sweep the season series from Boston College, moving to 10-4 all-time against the Eagles and earning their first victory at Conte Forum since Feb. 3, 2001 (81-65).
• Notre Dame held BC to its second-lowest point total in the series, surpassed only by a 60-44 win on Feb. 10, 2002 in South Bend.
• The Irish are 10-1 on the road this season after going 5-9 away from home last year.
• Notre Dame rallied from a 15-point deficit to defeat Boston College, marking its largest comeback since March 30, 2001, when the Irish erased a 16-point margin to oust Connecticut, 90-75 in the NCAA Final Four at the Savvis Center in St. Louis.
• Notre Dame’s .345 field goal percentage was a season low, topping the old mark of .347 vs. Michigan State on Dec. 2.
• The Irish scored 15 first-half points, their lowest single-half output since March 9, 2003, when they forged a 13-13 halftime tie with Villanova in a BIG EAST Championship quarterfinal contest (VU won 50-39).
• Junior guard Megan Duffy has just four turnovers in her last four games (one vs. BC while playing all 40 minutes – her eighth 40-minute game of the year).
• During its 10-game win streak, Notre Dame has held its opponent to under 40 percent shooting eight times.
• The Irish came up with at least 10 steals for the 11th time this season.

HALF AND HALF
Over the past five seasons, Notre Dame has been nearly unbeatable when it has the lead at halftime. The Irish are 94-7 (.931) since the start of the 2000-01 campaign when they go into the dressing room with the lead. Notre Dame is 17-0 in such games this season, including a 7-0 record in BIG EAST Conference play.

THE BEST OFFENSE IS A GOOD DEFENSE …
During the past decade, 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 146-8 (.948) record when they hold their opponents to less than 60 points in a game, including a 17-1 mark this season (9-1 in BIG EAST games, including a 6-0 record in the past six games).

… 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. Over the past decade (1995-96 to present), the Irish are 90-3 (.968) 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 tacked two more wins onto that ledger with its victories this season over Illinois State and Purdue.

SWEET SUCCESS
Notre Dame is one of only five schools in the country to have appeared in the NCAA Sweet Sixteen six times in the past eight seasons (1997-2004). The others are Connecticut (eight times), Tennessee (eight times), Duke (seven times) and Louisiana Tech (seven times).

THE GOLD STANDARD
Having clinched their 12th consecutive 20-win season with a 75-47 victory at Pittsburgh on Feb. 5, the Irish are one of just six teams nationwide to have an active streak of at least 11 consecutive 20-win seasons. The others in these elite club are Tennessee (29), Texas Tech (15), Louisiana Tech (13), Old Dominion (13) and Connecticut (11) – Tennessee is the only other team to extend its streak so far this season (through Feb. 17).

NOTRE DAME AMONG RECENT WINS LEADERS
Notre Dame has won 225 games over the past nine seasons, which is the sixth-most wins of any school in the country during that time.

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 126 of their last 137 games (.920) at the 11,418-seat Joyce Center. Notre Dame also has a 75-8 (.904) home record in BIG EAST play.

The Irish have been particularly strong when it comes to non-conference games at home, winning 54 of their last 57 non-BIG EAST contests (.947) at the Joyce Center, dating back to the 1994-95 season. The only three losses in that span all came against Big Ten Conference teams – Wisconsin in 1996 (81-69), Purdue in 2003 (71-54) and Michigan State in 2004 (82-73 in OT).

Since its inaugural season in 1977-78, Notre Dame has played all of its games at the Joyce Center, posting a 276-72 (.793) record at the venerable facility. In three of the past five seasons (1999-2000, 2000-01 and 2003-04), the Irish were a perfect 15-0 at home, setting a school record for home wins in a season.

JAMMIN’ THE JOYCE
Beginning with its national championship season of 2000-01, Notre Dame has ranked in the top 15 in the nation in attendance each of the past four years, and current returns indicate this season may be no different. According to the Feb. 14 unofficial national attendance rankings (as compiled by the University of Wisconsin Sports Information Office), Notre Dame is 15th in the nation with an average of 5,690 fans per game.

All of the top 20 crowds in the Irish record book have occurred during the 18-year tenure of head coach Muffet McGraw (1987-present). And, as more evidence of Notre Dame’s rapid elevation to “hot ticket” status in South Bend, 19 of the top 20 crowds in school history have been recorded in the past six seasons (1999-2000 to present), including 12 audiences of 8,000 or more fans, and 64 of the past 66 home games with at least 5,000 fans filing into the Joyce Center.

NOTRE DAME ON THE SMALL SCREEN
The Irish are scheduled to make at least 13 appearances on regional or national television during the 2004-05 season (additional broadcasts may be announced at a later date).

Notre Dame made its TV debut this season on Nov. 20 when it defeated No. 10/9 Ohio State, 66-62 in the championship game of the Sportsview.tv Preseason WNIT. That contest was shown globally via broadband Internet connection at www.sportsview.tv, as well either live or delayed on several Comcast SportsNet outlets nationwide. The American Forces Network, which broadcasts to more than one million U.S. service men and women in 176 countries, also aired the game.

The Irish returned to the airwaves Dec. 2 when they dropped an 82-73 overtime decision to No. 15 Michigan State on College Sports Television (CSTV). That was the first of three Notre Dame games that aired nationally on the fledgling cable network, which has signed an agreement with the BIG EAST Conference to carry a national women’s basketball Game of the Week eight times in 2004-05. The Irish also lost to No. 16 Connecticut, 67-50 on Jan. 12 at the Joyce Center and won at No. 25/22 Boston College, 54-47 on Feb. 15 in front of the CSTV cameras.

In addition, Notre Dame played twice on ESPN2 this year. On Jan. 16, the Irish downed No. 20 Purdue, 86-69 in the BIG EAST/Big Ten Challenge at the Joyce Center. Two weeks later on Jan. 30, Notre Dame was back on ESPN2 as it defeated No. 9/10 Connecticut, 65-59 at Gampel Pavilion.

The BIG EAST also added two Irish games to its regional television package this season. Notre Dame lost at Villanova, 59-54 on Jan. 9 and defeated No. 6/7 Rutgers, 63-47 on Jan. 23, both on BIG EAST Television. Among those affiliates carrying the BETV package are Comcast SportsNet outlets in Chicago, Philadelphia and the Mid-Atlantic region, as well as Fox Sports Net outlets in New York, New England and Pittsburgh.

Detroit-based Comcast Local (Channel 3 on Comcast cable systems in South Bend) is the latest television outlet to select Notre Dame women’s basketball games for broadcast. The newly-formed network will air five Irish games this season – at USC (Nov. 26), and home games vs. Washington (Dec. 11), St. John’s (Jan. 26), Georgetown (Feb. 12) and West Virginia (Feb. 26) – with former Irish All-America center, WNBA champion and 2004 Olympic gold medalist Ruth Riley slated to provide color commentary on the final three broadcasts.

NOTRE DAME ON THE AIRWAVES
Once again this season, every Irish women’s basketball game (home and away) airs on the flagship stations of the Artistic Media Partners (AMP) Network – WDND-AM (ESPN Radio 1580) and WNDV-AM (1490) in South Bend. Veteran broadcaster and AMP sports director Sean Stires is now in his fifth season handling the play-by-play for Notre Dame. The Irish also can be heard on the Internet at Notre Dame’s official athletics web site (www.und.com) by subscribing to College Sports Pass, which gives listeners full multimedia access to a variety of Irish athletics events for only $6.95 per month.

OH CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN
For the fourth time in school history (all during the Muffet McGraw era), Notre Dame will have three players sharing the captain’s duties this year. Senior forward Jacqueline Batteast, senior center Teresa Borton and junior guard Megan Duffy all were accorded the honor based upon a vote of their teammates prior to the season. All three are serving as captains for the first time in their respective careers.

IRISH ADD TWO PLAYERS DURING EARLY SIGNING PERIOD
Notre Dame head coach Muffet McGraw has announced that Lindsay Schrader, a 6-0 guard from Bartlett, Ill., and Chandrica Smith, a 6-1 forward from Stone Mountain, Ga., have chosen to continue their careers with the Irish, signing National Letters of Intent to attend Notre Dame beginning in the fall of 2005.

With the additions of Schrader and Smith, Notre Dame’s newest recruiting class is ranked 16th in the nation by Blue Star Index. That marks the ninth consecutive year the Irish have had a top-20 class, according to that publication, which makes Notre Dame one of only three schools in the nation that can claim that distinction (Connecticut and Tennessee are the others).

Schrader has been widely regarded as one of the top all-around players in the state of Illinois while attending Bartlett High School the past three seasons. She is a three-time all-state selection, a two-time Illinois Miss Basketball finalist, and a two-time Street & Smith’s All-America selection who has averaged 20.1 points, 9.8 rebounds, 3.1 steals and 1.8 blocks per game in her prep career. Her finest all-around season came as a junior in 2003-04, when she averaged 20.8 ppg., 10.8 rpg. and 2.0 bpg. while earning first-team all-state honors from the Associated Press, Chicago Tribune and Champaign News-Gazette. She also was a sixth-team All-America selection by Street & Smith’s and was a finalist for Illinois Miss Basketball honors, an award she will likely contend for once again this season.

On the summer camp circuit, Schrader was an Underclass All-Star at the 2002 adidas Top Ten Camp, before attending the Nike All-America Camp in both 2003 and 2004. She is ranked among the top 30 high school seniors in the nation by three separate recruiting services – Blue Star Index (14th), All-Game Sports (21st) and All-Star Girls Report (26th overall – eighth among shooting guards).

In addition, Schrader made a significant impact at the 2004 USA Basketball Youth Development Festival in Colorado Springs. Playing for the North Team that won the silver medal, she ranked third at the Festival in scoring (14.8 ppg.) and rebounding (8.6 rpg.), as well as second in field goal percentage (.542). All three figures were team highs, as were her 2.2 steals per game. For her efforts, Schrader was invited to attend the 2004 USA Women’s Junior World Championship Qualifying Team Trials, where she was one of 17 finalists for the 12-player team that won the gold medal this past August.

Smith currently attends Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Va., where she transferred prior to her senior season. Previously, she was a standout at Stephenson High School in Stone Mountain, Ga., where she averaged 12.5 points, 8.1 rebounds, 3.5 steals and 2.4 blocks per game with a .620 field goal percentage. She also was a key component in the Jaguars’ run to a 32-1 record and the Georgia 5A state championship last year. In fact, during her first three prep seasons, her teams posted a combined 89-7 (.927) record with three trips to the Georgia state championship and one state title.

Smith herself has received numerous accolades during her high school career. She is a two-time honorable mention All-America selection by Street & Smith’s and was a Student Sports All-American in 2004. In addition, she attended the adidas Top Ten Camp three consecutive years and was named to its prestigious all-star team all three years (Underclass All-Star in 2002 & 2003; Upperclass All-Star in 2004). Last season, she was an honorable mention 5A all-state selection and a first-team all-county choice. She is ranked as high as 29th in the nation among high school seniors by All-Star Girls Report.

Like Schrader, Smith also attended the 2004 USA Basketball Youth Development Festival in Colorado Springs. Playing for the South Team, she averaged 5.4 points and 2.6 rebounds per game, scoring a personal-best 13 points in the bronze-medal game victory over the East squad.

Muffet McGraw SIGNS CONTRACT EXTENSION THROUGH 2010-11 SEASON
On Nov. 6, Notre Dame announced that Muffet McGraw has signed a two-year extension to continue as head coach of the Notre Dame women’s basketball program through the 2010-11 season.

McGraw, who is now in her 18th season with the Irish, most recently signed a four-year contract extension in July 2002 that took her through the 2008-09 season. Her first 17 seasons at Notre Dame have been highlighted by 15 20-win campaigns (including a current string of 11 straight), 11 NCAA tournament appearances (including a current streak of nine straight) and the 2001 NCAA title. Entering the 2004-05 season, she had a 384-149 (.720) record at Notre Dame.

In 2003-04, McGraw skillfully guided her team to a 21-11 record and a second consecutive berth in the NCAA Sweet Sixteen (the fourth for the Irish in five years). McGraw’s charges placed second in the BIG EAST Conference, their eighth top-two finish since joining the league nine years ago. In addition, the Irish went 15-0 at home, their third perfect record at the Joyce Center in the past five seasons, and extended their overall home win streak to 20 games, the second-longest in school history and eighth-longest active string in the nation heading into the 2004-05 campaign.

McGraw has continued to enhance her reputation as one of the nation’s outstanding big-game coaches and tacticians, piloting Notre Dame to a school-record seven wins over top 25 teams during the 2003-04 regular season. During her 17-year tenure with the Irish, McGraw has compiled 40 victories over nationally-ranked opponents, including 30 in the past six seasons (an average of five per year).

Under McGraw’s guidance, the past nine years have been the most successful in Notre Dame’s history as the Irish have compiled an impressive 225-69 (.765) record, including a sparkling 124-28 (.816) regular-season mark in BIG EAST play, the best winning percentage in league history. Notre Dame also has averaged 25 victories per campaign during that span, with two 30-win seasons to its credit. The Irish have won at least one NCAA tournament game every season over that time, advancing to the Sweet Sixteen six times (1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004) and the Final Four twice (1997 and 2001).

PROMOTIONAL CORNER
Here’s a rundown of some upcoming promotions and giveaways at future Notre Dame women’s basketball games this season:

• Feb. 26 vs. West Virginia – Notre Dame women’s basketball beanbag bears (first 1,000 fans)

NEXT GAME: WEST VIRGINIA
For the first time since the Christmas holiday, Notre Dame will have a week-long break, going on hiatus until Feb. 26, when the Irish return to the Joyce Center for a 2 p.m. (ET) contest against West Virginia. It will be Senior Day for Notre Dame, as the Irish honor their departing veterans – All-America forward Jacqueline Batteast and center Teresa Borton, as well as senior managers Kathleen Tallmadge and Caitlin Early. The game will be televised live on a regional basis via Comcast Local (Channel 3 on Comcast cable systems in South Bend), with Comcast SportsNet Chicago (DirecTV Channel 640) picking up the broadcast on a same-day delayed basis at 4 p.m. (ET).

West Virginia (14-9, 5-7 BIG EAST) opened the season on fire, reeling off nine consecutive victories. However, the Mountaineers have cooled off dramatically since the start of the new year, losing nine of their last 14 games. Still, WVU has several upperclassmen returning from last year’s club that advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 12 seasons. The Mountaineers will play host to Georgetown Saturday and welcome Providence next Tuesday before making the trip to South Bend.

Notre Dame leads the all-time series with WVU, 11-1, including a 6-0 record at the Joyce Center. However, in their last matchup, the Mountaineers earned their first victory in the series with a 64-51 win on Jan. 17, 2004 in Morgantown.