Dec. 8, 2001
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NOTRE DAME, Ind. – For the first time this season, Notre Dame will kick off an extended homestand when it plays host to USC Sunday at 1 p.m. (EST) at the Joyce Center. It will be the first of three consecutive home games for the Irish, who also will play six of their next eight contests in the friendly confines of the Joyce Center.
A number of streaks will be in play when Notre Dame takes the floor for its game with USC. The Irish will be looking to snap a two-game losing streak, just their third multi-game skid in the last five seasons. Notre Dame also will be out to extend the nation’s longest homecourt winning streak, a run which currently stands at 40 games dating back more than three years. Additionally, the Irish own a 25-game non-conference winning streak at home, a string which goes back five seasons.
Notre Dame (2-4) is hoping to bounce back after a 70-57 loss at No. 7/8 Purdue on Thursday night. In addition to being a rematch of the 2001 NCAA championship game, Thursday’s contest also featured the third ranked opponent the Irish have faced this season.
Junior guard Alicia Ratay scored a team-high 12 points and freshman forward Jacqueline Batteast added 10 points for Notre Dame, which remained winless in six visits to Mackey Arena. Ratay also reached a personal milestone, becoming the 19th player in school history to score 1,000 career points.
Although Notre Dame never led against Purdue, the Irish dogged the Boilermakers all night long, staying within striking distance. After Purdue opened up an eight-point first half lead, Notre Dame came right back and sliced the deficit to 21-18 before the Boilermakers rebuilt a seven-point lead at the half.
Purdue looked to pull away early in the second half, grabbing a 41-30 lead with 15:15 left. The Irish fought back with a 7-1 run over the next two minutes to get within five points at 42-37. However, that would be as close as Notre Dame would get. The Boilermakers sank three quick baskets to push the lead back in double figures and then made 10-of-14 free throws in the final five minutes to preserve the win.
SCOUTING THE IRISH – Notre Dame looks to write a new chapter in its rapidly-developing history as the Irish defend their first NCAA championship in 2001-02. Seven monogram winners, including two starters, return from last season’s title-winning squad, giving head coach Muffet McGraw a broad foundation from which to build this year. In addition, the Irish welcome six talented freshmen to the fold, a group heralded as perhaps the finest recruiting class in school history and ranked as high as third by several national publications.
McGraw is in her 15th year at Notre Dame with a 324-121 (.728) record and has led the Irish to six straight NCAA Tournament appearances and eight overall. She was a near-unanimous choice as national coach of the year in 2000-01, winning top honors from the Atlanta Tipoff Club (Naismith Award), Associated Press, Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA), and Sports Illustrated for Women. She also was named the BIG EAST Coach of the Year, marking the third different conference to recognize McGraw as its top skipper since she took the reins at Notre Dame in 1987.
Both of Notre Dame’s returning starters were honored by the BIG EAST coaches in their preseason balloting. Senior guard/forward Ericka Haney (5.3 ppg., 4.5 rpg.) was a second team preseason all-conference pick and brings explosive quickness and versatility to the Irish lineup, along with veteran leadership. As Notre Dame’s only captain, she will be called upon to assume a greater mantle of responsibility in ’01-02. She tallied a season-high eight points Thursday at Purdue. Junior guard Alicia Ratay (14.8 ppg., 5.5 rpg.) was a first team preseason all-BIG EAST choice and is one of 30 finalists for the Naismith Award after setting an NCAA record for three-point percentage (.547) by a sophomore last season. She carded a team-high 12 points Thursday at Purdue and became the 19th player in school history to score 1,000 career points.
Joining Ratay in the backcourt is sophomore Le’Tania Severe (9.7 ppg., 3.8 rpg, 5.5 apg), who was hampered by injuries last season, appearing in just 22 games, but has confidently taken control of the Irish offense this season. She smashed several of her previous career highs against Colorado State with 15 points and a trio of three-point field goals, the first of her career. She rang up three more career highs Thursday at Purdue, tallying eight rebounds and eight assists in 37 minutes of court time. Juniors Monique Hernandez (0.3 ppg., 0.7 rpg.) and Karen Swanson (5.0 ppg., 2.0 rpg.), along with sophomore Jeneka Joyce (5.3 ppg., 1.7 rpg.) give McGraw tremendous flexibility in her guard rotation. Joyce has showed her value in Notre Dame’s last three games, averaging nine points per outing and hitting 52.6 percent (10-19) of her three-point attempts. Additionally, freshmen Allison Bustamante (3.0 ppg., 2.0 rpg.) Jill Krause (0.0 ppg., 2.0 rpg.) and Kelsey Wicks (3.8 ppg., 2.8 rpg.) provide the Irish with solid ballhandling and perimeter shooting depth. However, Bustamante will be sidelined for another seven to 10 days with a high left ankle sprain, an injury she suffered in practice on Nov. 28.
A pair of freshmen (and former Parade All-Americans) are making an immediate impact on the Notre Dame front line, as forward Jacqueline Batteast (12.0 ppg., 7.5 rpg.) and center Teresa Borton (6.2 ppg., 6.2 rpg.) have started all six regular season games for the Irish. Batteast was named the 2001-02 preseason BIG EAST Rookie of the Year and her combination of speed, athleticism and perimeter shooting ability already make her a valuable weapon in the Irish arsenal. Batteast was named the BIG EAST Rookie of the Week last Monday after posting her second double-double of the season against Army (season-high 18 points and 12 rebounds) and tallying 17 points and nine rebounds against Michigan. Meanwhile, at 6-3, Borton is a smooth and versatile post player with excellent mobility and a solid defensive presence. She showed tremendous promise in her first collegiate game against Valparaiso, scoring a game-high 14 points and grabbing a game-best nine rebounds. Junior Amanda Barksdale was one of the nation’s top shot blockers last season and has recovered nicely after missing Notre Dame’s first four games with a stress reaction in her right leg- she posted six points, four rebounds and four blocked shots in 16 minutes Thursday at Purdue. Meanwhile, freshman Katy Flecky was a two-time Miss Colorado Basketball and offers the Irish an physical presence in the post. She missed the Michigan game and saw limited action against Purdue after suffering a concussion in practice on Nov. 28.
SCOUTING USC – Although the season is only a month old, it already has been one of twists and turns for USC, which comes into Sunday’s battle with Notre Dame with a 3-4 record. However, that mark is deceiving, as the Women of Troy already have faced two ranked teams this season, defeating No. 12 Florida, 71-68 at the Paradise Jam in the U.S. Virgin Islands, and falling at second-ranked Tennessee, 106-66. Take out their 40-point setback at UT, and the USC has lost its other three games by an average of just 4.3 points per game, including two two-point losses (and one overtime setback to BYU).
The Women of Troy, who collected votes in both major national polls this week, got back into the win column Tuesday night, snapping a two-game losing skid with a 96-54 win over Cal State Northridge at the Los Angeles Sports Arena. USC had four players score in double figures, led by Aisha Hollans, who tossed in a game-high 24 points and added nine rebounds. Ebony Hoffman and Rachel Woodward chipped in with double-doubles – Hoffman finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds, while Woodward came off the bench to log 17 points and 10 rebounds. The Women of Troy shot a solid 50.7 percent from the field to help cement the victory.
USC may be able to relate to Notre Dame in terms of its youth quotient. While the Irish have six freshmen and two sophomores on this year’s squad, the Women of Troy have two freshmen and five sophomores on their 2001-02 roster. In fact, it has been two of these young guns that have led USC in the early part of this season.
Hollans, a sophomore guard, is averaging 21.1 points and 6.0 rebounds per game, connecting on a team-high 12 three-point field goals this season. Another player to watch is Hoffman, a sophomore forward who is second on the squad with 13.1 points per game and is setting the pace with 7.4 rebounds per contest. She also is hitting on a team-best 46.1 percent from the field and 86.4 percent from the free throw stripe. Woodward (10.9 ppg.) and senior guard Tiffany Elmore (10.3 ppg.) also are scoring in double figures for USC this season.
As a team, the Women of Troy are shooting 41.5 percent from the floor, 31.3 percent from the three-point arc and 69.2 percent from the free throw line. They also hold a +7.6 rebounding margin, pulling down 42.3 rebounds per game. However, USC’s main downfall this season has been its penchant for turnovers – it was given up the ball more than 23 times per game this season.
The Women of Troy are coached by Chris Gobrecht, who is in her fifth season at USC and 23rd season overall. A 1977 graduate of USC, she holds a 51-68 (.429) record with the Women of Troy and a 383-271 (.586) mark overall, a record which also includes stops at Cal State Fullerton (1980-85), Washington (1986-96) and Florida State (1997). She is 0-3 in her career against the Irish.
THE NOTRE DAME-USC SERIES – Contrary to the long-standing rivalry Notre Dame and USC have had on the football field (73 games and counting), the two schools have a very short history on the hardwood. The Irish hold a 2-1 edge in the all-time series with the Women of Troy, including a 1-0 mark at the Joyce Center. In their only other meeting at Notre Dame on Dec. 27, 1999, the Irish claimed a 74-59 victory over USC behind 19 points from then-freshman guard Alicia Ratay.
Notre Dame and USC will be playing for the third consecutive season – they last faced one another on Dec. 28, 2000 in Los Angeles, with the Irish pulling out a 70-61 win over the Women of Troy. In a physical game that saw 54 fouls between the two clubs, Notre Dame moved clear of USC thanks to 23 points from Ruth Riley and 12 points each from Ratay and Ericka Haney. The Irish shot 51.2 percent from the field and outscored the Women of Troy, 25-17 at the foul line to notch their 12th consecutive victory to open the 2000-01 season.
USC earned its only win over Notre Dame on Jan. 2, 1985, downing the Irish, 69-53 in a game played at Cal State Fullerton. Laura Dougherty scored 20 points and Trena Keys added 12 points for Notre Dame in a losing effort.
OTHER NOTRE DAME-USC SERIES TIDBITS – The first three games in the series were played within a one-week span (Dec. 27-Jan. 2). Sunday’s game will be the first to fall outside that window … Although USC head coach Chris Gobrecht is 0-3 in her career against Notre Dame, another member of her coaching staff has solved the Irish in the past. Second-year assistant coach Colleen Matsuhara is 2-2 against Notre Dame in her 22-year coaching career – she was Nebraska’s head coach when the Huskers downed the Irish, 89-88 in double overtime in 1982, and then was an assistant for Texas when the Longhorns knocked off Notre Dame, 84-59 in 1986. Additionally, she dropped a narrow 72-71 decision to the Irish in 1994 when she was the head coach at UC Irvine.
NOTRE DAME-USC CONNECTIONS – Notre Dame has no California residents on its roster and USC has no Indiana products on its squad. However, in a strange twist, there are three Texas natives scheduled to play in Sunday’s contest – Irish junior center Amanda Barksdale (Friendswood, TX/Clear Brook HS) joins USC junior guard/forward Erin Young (Dallas, TX/Highland Park HS) and sophomore guard Ryane Alexander (Copperas Cove, TX/Copperas Cove HS) as residents of the Lone Star State … Tenth-year Notre Dame women’s volleyball head coach Debbie (Landreth) Brown was twice named the national player of the year while helping USC win the 1976 and ’77 national championships in women’s volleyball. She recently guided the Irish to their sixth consecutive BIG EAST Conference title and 10th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. Brown also is a three-time BIG EAST Coach of the Year (1995, 2000, 2001).
NOTRE DAME AGAINST THE PACIFIC-10 CONFERENCE – Notre Dame has posted a 9-13 (.409) all-time record against the current members of the Pacific-10 Conference, but owns a solid 8-5 (.615) mark under head coach Muffet McGraw. In fact, the Irish had won their last six games against Pac-10 opponents before Arizona broke that string with a last-second 72-70 win over Notre Dame on Nov. 24 in Tucson. In addition to Arizona (2-1), the Irish hold winning records against Pac-10 members USC (2-1) and Washington (1-0). Notre Dame also has played UCLA (4-8), Stanford (0-2) and Arizona State (0-1) in its history, but has never faced California, Oregon, Oregon State or Washington State.
IRISH HOPING TO ENJOY ALL THE COMFORTS OF HOME – After a rugged first month of the season that saw Notre Dame face three ranked opponents and play four of its first six games away from home, the schedule now appears to balance out over the next month. The Irish will play six of their next eight games at the Joyce Center, including a three-game homestand which begins Sunday against USC. Following Wednesday’s tilt with Western Michigan, Notre Dame will go on a 10-day hiatus for exams before returning to the court Dec. 22 against Marquette. After the Marquette contest, the Irish will have another six days off for the Christmas holidays before coming back Dec. 28 with a visit to Rice.
RUNNING THE GAUNTLET – For the third time in the last four seasons, Notre Dame played three ranked opponents in its first six games, going 0-3 against Colorado State, Michigan and Purdue (all away from home). In 1998-99, the Irish went 3-0 against Top 25 foes, although all three of those contests were at home. Meanwhile, in 1999-2000, Notre Dame was 1-2 against ranked opposition, and like this season, all three of those games were played away from the familiar surroundings of the Joyce Center.
BATTEAST NAMED BIG EAST ROOKIE OF THE WEEK – Freshman forward Jacqueline Batteast was selected as the BIG EAST Conference Rookie of the Week, the league office announced Monday. It’s the first weekly award of Batteast’s career, and she is the first Irish player to earn the conference’s top rookie award since Alicia Ratay garnered the honor for the sixth time on Feb. 21, 2000.
Batteast, the 2001-02 preseason BIG EAST Rookie of the Year, averaged 17.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game last week as Notre Dame defeated Army, 89-57, and lost to No. 16/17 Michigan, 78-63. Batteast notched her second double-double of the season in the win over Army, finishing with game-high totals of 18 points, 12 rebounds and four blocked shots – the latter total also is tied for the most rejections by a BIG EAST player this season. Batteast followed that performance up with 17 points and nine rebounds against Michigan.
JOYCE JUMPING INTO THE FRAY – Sophomore guard Jeneka Joyce has been a potent weapon for Notre Dame in the last three games. The Topeka, Kan., native has averaged nine points per game, including a season-high 11 markers in last Sunday’s loss to No. 16/17 Michigan. She also has developed a top three-point threat for the Irish, hitting 52.6 percent (10-19) of her shots from long range in the last three games. For the season, she leads the team in three-point percentage (.471), ranks second in field goal percentage (.478) and is averaging 5.3 points per game.
NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK – With six freshmen on this year’s roster, Notre Dame is certainly going through some growing pains. However, the Irish rookies are getting a great deal of college experience this season, as evidenced by their production through the first six games of the 2001-02 campaign. Notre Dame’s freshmen have accounted for 41.3 percent of the points (160 of 387), 48.8 percent of the rebounds (123 of 252) and 40.8 percent of the minutes (489 of 1200) recorded by the Irish this season. Additionally, Notre Dame has started at least two freshmen (Jacqueline Batteast and Teresa Borton) in every game this year, both of whom are among the team leaders in points and rebounds, and four of the six Irish rookies are averaging 11 minutes per contest.
A SEVERE DEVELOPMENT – Sophomore guard Le’Tania Severe has quickly adapted to her new role as the starting point guard for the Irish, filling the large shoes of All-American Niele Ivey. In just her second game as a starter, Severe poured in a career-high 15 points at No. 20/22 Colorado State, canning the first three three-point field goals of her career. She also has been adept at distributing the ball to her teammates, handing out at least five assists four times and dishing out a career-high eight assists Thursday at Purdue. In addition, she pulled down a career-best eight rebounds and played 37 minutes against the seventh-ranked Boilermakers.
Through the first six games of this season, Severe is third on the team with 9.7 points per game and leads the squad with 5.5 assists per game. Entering the 2001-02 campaign, her previous career bests were seven points and two assists and she had yet to make a three-point field goal in her tenure with the Irish.
IT’S BATTEAST, TO SAY THE LEAST – Although the 2001-02 season is only four games old, freshman forward Jacqueline Batteast is already showing flashes of the potential which led the BIG EAST coaches to vote her as the league’s preseason Rookie of the Year. The South Bend, Ind., resident, who was chosen as the BIG EAST Rookie of the Week on Monday, already has posted two double-doubles this season (13 points/11 rebounds at Colorado State and 18 points/12 rebounds vs. Army) and has scored in double figures in five of Notre Dame’s six games. This season, Batteast is second on the team in scoring at 12.0 points per game and leads the squad with 7.5 rebounds per outing.
CRASHING THE BOARDS – Despite losing its top two rebounders from last year (Ruth Riley and Kelley Siemon), Notre Dame doesn’t appear to have broken stride in the rebounding department this season. The Irish have averaged 42.0 rebounds per game in their first six games of 2001-02, owning a +5.7 edge on the glass.
Leading the charge on the boards for Notre Dame have been a pair of freshmen – forward Jacqueline Batteast is setting the pace at 7.5 rebounds per game, while center Teresa Borton is second with 6.2 caroms per contest. In fact, six different players are averaging at least 3.5 rebounds per game. Additionally, the Irish have been potent on the offensive glass, collecting 15.3 offensive rebounds per game. Borton is setting the pace with 18 offensive caroms, nearly half of her 37-rebound total this year.
THE BEST OFFENSE IS A GOOD DEFENSE … – Over the last five-plus 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 89-1 (.989) record when they hold their opponents to less than 60 points in a game. Curiously, the only time that notion didn’t come to pass was last season, when Rutgers handed Notre Dame a 54-53 loss, one of only two setbacks the Irish suffered en route to the 2001 national championship.
The Irish already have added to this total twice during the 2001-02 season, holding Valparaiso to 35 points in the season opener on Nov. 18 and limiting Army to 57 points on Nov. 26.
… 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 last five-plus seasons (1995-96 to present), the Irish are 80-3 (.964) 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 contributed another win to that growing record when it rang up 89 points in a win over Army on Nov. 26.
NOTRE DAME MAKING A LIVING BEYOND THE ARC – Notre Dame has established itself as one of the top three-point shooting teams in the nation over the last three season. The Irish led the nation in three-point percentage last season, hitting 46.4 percent of their shots from long distance – in fact, over the last six seasons, Notre Dame has averaged better than 10 three-point attempts per game. The Irish also set a new school record with 28 three-point tries in their win over Army on Nov. 26.
However, this year’s season-opening win over Valparaiso produced an offensive anomaly for Notre Dame. The Irish were held without a three-point field goal, breaking a streak of 50 consecutive games in which they had made at least one trey. Prior to that game, the last time Notre Dame had gone dry from beyond the arc was Jan. 26, 2000, at St. John’s.
Notre Dame didn’t waste time in starting up a new three-point streak, canning 39 triples in their last five games (7.8 treys per game). The Irish have now made at least one three-pointer in 151 of their last 153 games, a streak which stretches back more than four seasons.
KILLER B’S IN THE IRISH LINEUP – Notre Dame had a decidedly youthful look in its starting lineup when it opened the season Nov. 18 against Valparaiso, as freshmen Jacqueline Batteast and Teresa Borton got the nod at forward and center, respectively. In doing so, the pair were first rookie tandem in 20 years to start a season opener for the Irish – Ruth Kaiser and Mary Beth Schueth cracked the starting five in a 78-44 win over St. Joseph’s (Ind.) on Dec. 2, 1981. Borton paced the Irish with 14 points and nine rebounds against the Crusaders, while Batteast scored two points and grabbed five rebounds against Valparaiso.
Batteast, a 6-1 native of South Bend, was a consensus All-American as a senior at Washington High School after averaging 26.0 ppg., 16.0 rpg. and 4.4 bpg. She also has been chosen as the 2001-02 BIG EAST Conference Rookie of the Year. Borton joined Batteast as a Parade All-America selection last season at West Valley High School in Yakima, Wash., where the 6-3 post player rang up 17.9 ppg. while leading her school to the Class 3A state title.
THE END OF ONE STREAK … – For the first time since the end of the 1997-98 season, Notre Dame is not ranked in either of the major national polls this week, earning 37 points in the Associated Press poll and 41 points in the ESPN/USA Today poll which would put the Irish 28th in both surveys if they were extended. This week’s exclusion snapped a 60-week run in the ESPN/USA Today poll and a 56-week stretch in the AP rankings.
… BUT THE CONTINUATION OF ANOTHER – Thanks to Kent State’s loss at home to Rhode Island on Dec. 1, Notre Dame now owns the longest active home winning streak in the nation at 40 games. The Irish have not lost a game at the Joyce Center since Dec. 8, 1998, when Connecticut logged a 106-81 victory. Notre Dame’s home winning streak next will be put to the test on Sunday when the Irish welcome USC to the Joyce Center.
RATAY NAMED NAISMITH CANDIDATE FOR SECOND CONSECUTIVE YEAR – Notre Dame junior guard Alicia Ratay has been selected as a preseason candidate for the 2001-02 Naismith College Basketball Player of the Year Award. It marks the second time in as many seasons that Ratay has been named to the 30-player preseason Naismith watch list.
Ratay averaged 12.9 points and 5.1 rebounds per game last season, and set an NCAA record for three-point percentage (54.7 percent) by a sophomore on the way to third-team all-BIG EAST Conference honors – she was the only sophomore to make any of the three all-league squads. Ratay also is a former BIG EAST Rookie of the Year and was named an honorable mention All-American by the Associated Press in 2000. She will be looking to follow in the footsteps of her former teammate, Ruth Riley, who won the 2000-01 Naismith Award, becoming the first Notre Dame women’s basketball player to be so recognized.
The Naismith Awards, in their 34th year, are given in honor of the inventor of the game of basketball – Dr. James Naismith. The awards program was founded by the Atlanta Tipoff Club, an organization dedicated to recognizing the achievements of student-athletes in basketball. The Awards, including Men’s and Women’s College Player of the Year, Men’s and Women’s Coach of the Year, Male and Female Prep Player of the Year and Men’s and Women’s Official of the Year, are determined by a vote of the Naismith Board of Selectors. In addition, the Board of Selectors, comprised of a select group of leading basketball coaches, journalists and administrators, honors a Men’s and Women’s Outstanding Contributor to Basketball. The 2001-02 Naismith Award will presented April 5, 2002 in Atlanta.
NOTRE DAME PICKED SECOND IN BIG EAST PRESEASON BALLOTING – Fresh off a share of their first-ever BIG EAST championship last season, the Irish have been picked to finish second in 2001-02 according to a preseason poll of the league’s coaches which was released at BIG EAST Media Day on Oct. 25. Notre Dame claimed two first-place votes and 155 points overall, trailing only Connecticut (11 first-place votes, 167 points). Rutgers, Boston College and Villanova round out the top five, with VU picking up the remaining first-place vote.
Individually, junior guard Alicia Ratay was a first team preseason all-BIG EAST selection after earning third-team honors last year. The Lake Zurich, Ill., native set an NCAA record for three-point percentage by a sophomore last season (.547) and is the top returning scorer for the Irish in 2001-02 after charting 12.9 points per game a year ago.
Senior guard/forward Ericka Haney also was recognized by the conference coaches, earning second team preseason all-BIG EAST laurels. She joins Ratay as one of two starters back from last year’s NCAA championship squad and averaged 11 ppg. and 5.7 rpg. during the ’00-01 campaign.
In addition, freshman forward Jacqueline Batteast was chosen as the preseason BIG EAST Rookie of the Year. It’s the latest in a series of early-season honors for the South Bend, Ind., product, who also has been named a first team freshman All-American by the Women’s Basketball News Service and has been tabbed as one of the Top 21 “New Players of Impact” by Women’s College Hoops.com.
OH CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN – This season, for only the fourth time in school history, Notre Dame has just one captain – senior guard/forward Ericka Haney. She is the first solo captain for the Irish since Sheila McMillen in 1998-99 and the second in head coach Muffet McGraw’s 15-year tenure.
IRISH HAIL FROM SEA TO SHINING SEA – The 13 players on this season’s Notre Dame roster hail from 10 different states, including two each from Florida, Illinois and Ohio. Other states represented on the Irish roster include Colorado, Indiana, Kansas, New Mexico, Texas, Washington and Wyoming. The all-time Notre Dame women’s basketball roster features players from 34 different states, including 23 during the Muffet McGraw era. Ironically, the most common home state on the Irish all-time roster – Michigan (14) – is not represented on this season’s roster.
FUN WITH NUMBERS – This season, Notre Dame fans are seeing a pair of jersey numbers on the floor that haven’t made an appearance in quite some time. Freshman guard Kelsey Wicks has chosen to wear No. 24, becoming the first Irish player since Andrea Alexander (1990-94) to sport those digits. In addition, freshman forward Jacqueline Batteast is wearing No. 21 this season, a number which has not been modeled by an Irish player since All-American Beth Morgan wore the same jersey from 1993-97. Prior to Morgan, the last Notre Dame player to wear No. 21 was current Irish assistant coach Coquese Washington, who had the number from 1989-93.
NOW THAT’S A HOME COURT ADVANTAGE – Notre Dame is looking to continue some impressive streaks in 2001-02. The Irish have won a school-record 40 consecutive games at home, which became the longest active streak in the nation when Kent State’s 43-game run came to an end Dec. 1 with a loss to Rhode Island. The Irish have not lost at home in three years, dating back to a defeat at the hands of top-ranked Connecticut on Dec. 8, 1998. Notre Dame also has a 49-3 (.942) record in BIG EAST games at the Joyce Center, with Connecticut the only league team to solve the Irish at home.
Notre Dame also sports a five-year, 25-game non-conference winning streak at the Joyce Center – a streak that includes victories over a trio of sixth-ranked teams (UCLA and Duke in 1998-99 and Purdue in 2000-01), as well as 25th-ranked Illinois in ’98-99. Notre Dame’s last non-conference loss at the Joyce Center came way back on Dec. 9, 1996, when 19th-ranked Wisconsin toppled the Irish, 81-69. Overall, the Irish are 65-2 (.970) at the Joyce Center in their last 67 home games, with the only losses coming to Connecticut.
Since its inaugural season in 1977-78, Notre Dame has played all of its games at the Joyce Center. The Irish own a 228-65 mark for a .778 winning percentage since that first season. Last year, the Irish were a perfect 15-0 for the second year in a row. The 15 victories are a school record for home wins in a season and the first time Notre Dame teams have been undefeated at home during the regular season. During the last five-plus seasons, Muffet McGraw’s squad is 78-4 (.951) at the Joyce Center.
SEASON TICKET SALES REACH ALL-TIME HIGH FOR IRISH – Attendance at Notre Dame women’s basketball games in 2000-01 increased nearly 88 percent compared to the previous season – and indications suggest another significant jump is in order for the 2001-02 campaign. Coming off the 2001 NCAA championship, there already have been more than 6,700 season tickets sold to the general public and University faculty and staff for the ’01-’02 women’s basketball season. That’s compared to 2,700 a year ago and 940 in 1999-2000- a jump of nearly 150 percent over last season, and a whopping 700 percent rise in just two years.
The sale of season tickets for the ’01-02 campaign actually began midway through Notre Dame’s 2001 championship season. All seats are reserved for Irish women’s games for the first time this season – all seating in previous years had been general admission.
The Irish ranked ninth nationally in attendance last year at 6,376 fans per game, compared to 3,392 in 1999-2000. Notre Dame also recorded the first two women’s basketball sellouts in school history, as 11,418 fans packed the Joyce Center for victories over top-ranked Connecticut and Georgetown.
Both of Notre Dame’s home games in 2001-02 have attracted more than 7,300 fans, placing both among the top 10 crowds in school history. In fact, all of the top 20 crowds in the Notre Dame record book have occurred during the 15-year tenure of head coach Muffet McGraw.
NOTRE DAME FACES TOUGH SCHEDULE IN 2001-02 – Notre Dame is slated to play 10 teams which reached the postseason as part of a rugged schedule this year. On the docket are seven NCAA Tournament squads, including four (Connecticut – 1/1, Purdue – 7/8, Colorado State – 12/15 and Michigan – 16/16) which are ranked in the Top 25 in the latest Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today polls. In addition, eight Irish opponents (Arizona, Boston College, DePaul, Rice, Rutgers, USC, Villanova and Virginia Tech) are receiving votes in one or both of the major rankings this week.
IRISH ON THE SMALL SCREEN – Notre Dame is getting a good deal of face time in 2001-02, playing on television six times, including a pair of nationally-televised contests – Nov. 21 at Arizona (Fox Sports Net) and Jan. 21 at Connecticut (ESPN). In addition, Notre Dame will appear three times as part of the BIG EAST regular-season television package, playing host to Virginia Tech (Jan. 26) and traveling to Villanova (Jan. 12) and Rutgers (Feb. 16). All three of those games will be telecast live on Fox Sports Chicago as part of the league’s TV deal. The BIG EAST Championship semifinals on March 4 also will be aired on the BIG EAST TV package, while the conference title game on March 5 will be broadcast live on ESPN2.
Additionally, Thursday’s rematch of the 2001 NCAA championship game between Notre Dame and Purdue was televised live statewide by LeSea Broadcasting, which includes WHME-TV (Channel 46) in South Bend and WHMB-TV (Channel 40) in Indianapolis.
NOTRE DAME RECEIVES COMMITMENTS FROM PAIR OF TOP 25 PROSPECTS – Notre Dame head coach Muffet McGraw announced Nov. 15 that two of the nation’s top high school student-athletes have chosen to continue their careers with the Irish, signing national letters of intent to attend Notre Dame beginning in the fall of 2002. Megan Duffy (Dayton, OH/Chaminade Julienne HS) and Courtney LaVere (Ventura, CA/Buena HS) are the first players to commit to the Irish during the early signing period.
Duffy, a 5-7 guard, averaged 17 points per game last season for Chaminade Julienne High School in Dayton, Ohio. She was a 2001 first-team Division I all-state selection and earned honorable mention All-America accolades from Street & Smith’s. Additionally, Student Sports tabbed her as a junior All-America selection. She was rated as high as No. 24 in the country by the All-Star Girls Report (ASGR) and No. 29 by School Sports.
LaVere, a 6-3 forward, tallied 13.8 points and eight rebounds per game last season for Buena High School in Ventura, Calif. She also shot 54 percent from the field and 73 percent from the free throw line for BHS, which was ranked in the top 10 nationally throughout the 2000-01 season by USA Today. In addition, LaVere was an All-America honoree by both USA Today and Street & Smith’s last year, and she already has been selected as a preseason third-team All-American for the ’01-02 campaign by School Sports. Like Duffy, LaVere also was a first-team all-state selection last season. She is a consensus top-15 player according to all of the major recruiting services – No. 10 by the Blue Star Index, No. 13 by School Sports and No. 15 by ASGR.
The additions of Duffy and LaVere already have given Notre Dame one of this year’s top 10 recruiting classes, according to at least one recruiting outlet. The Blue Star Index has ranked the latest group of Irish signees eighth in the nation, marking the sixth consecutive year in which Blue Star has placed Notre Dame’s recruiting class among the Top 20 in the country.
BOOK ON NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON TO HIT SHELVES IN DECEMBER – Fans of Notre Dame women’s basketball will be able to relive the 2000-01 NCAA championship season in a new book by Mark Bradford entitled “Nice Girls Finish First.” The book, which is slated to hit store shelves on Monday, is the story of how the Irish and head coach Muffet McGraw put together a squad of truly remarkable young women, some of whom overcame great odds, to win the national championship last April. Included in the book are in-depth interviews with members of the Notre Dame senior class and starting lineup, giving an unique perspective on what it goes into putting together a championship team.
Bradford is a sportswriter for the South Bend Tribune, and also has done freelance work for the Associated Press and Indianapolis Star. The Mishawaka, Ind., resident has covered Notre Dame football and men’s and women’s basketball for the last six years.
KRAUSE FEATURED IN “CONFESSIONS OF A FRESHMAN” – Freshman guard Jill Krause is giving fans an inside look at the the 2001-02 Irish women’s basketball team through regular diary entries on the Notre Dame athletic website, www.und.com. Entitled “Confessions of a Freshman,” the Glenview, Ill., native is detailing her journey as a first-year player on the defending NCAA championship squad. Her diary entries may be accessed either from the front page or the women’s basketball page on the Notre Dame website.
HANEY SHINES ON BIG EAST ALL-STAR TEAM – For the second time in as many years, Notre Dame sent a player with the BIG EAST Women’s Basketball All-Star Team, as guard/forward Ericka Haney joined the squad for its six-game swing of Germany this summer. Haney followed in the footsteps of Niele Ivey, who helped lead the BIG EAST All-Stars to a 5-1 record during a junket through Canada in the summer of 2000.
Haney helped the BIG EAST, which was led by Syracuse head coach Marianna Freeman, to an unbeaten 6-0 record during its tour, scoring a team-high 18 points in a 103-57 win over Ludwigsburg/Malmsheim in the final game of the trip.
Haney finished with a team-high 13.0 points per game and collected 4.5 rebounds per game during her European vacation. She also scored in double figures in five of the All-Stars’ six wins.
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