Dec. 23, 2002
Recap?|? Box Score?|? Photo Gallery
* Notre Dame started the same lineup it has used in six of its first seven games. Sophomores Jacqueline Batteast and Katy Flecky were the forwards, sophomore Teresa Borton was at center, and junior Le’Tania Severe and senior Alicia Ratay made up the Irish backcourt. With today’s starting assignment, Ratay moved into a tie with Mary Gavin (1984-88) for sixth place on the Notre Dame career games started list with 105.
* The Irish now are 7-1 for the third time in the last five seasons, and only the fifth time in school history.
* Notre Dame registers its 33rd consecutive non-conference win at the Joyce Center, extending a streak that dates back to Dec. 9, 1996.
* The Irish now are 71-4 (.947) all-time when playing at home as a ranked team, including wins in 45 of their last 47 games (4-0 this season).
* Notre Dame cards its 80th victory in its last 83 home games, and its 55th in the last 56 outings at the Joyce Center.
* Irish head coach Muffet McGraw collects her 349th career win at Notre Dame, lifting her all-time ledger to 349-128 (.732) in 16 seasons at the school (437-169, .721, in 21 years overall). McGraw needs one win to join Digger Phelps at the only Irish basketball coaches (men’s or women’s) to record 350 wins at Notre Dame.
* Since joining the BIG EAST Conference in 1995-96, Notre Dame now is 106-2 (.981) when holding opponents to less than 60 points.
* Today’s game marked Notre Dame’s first one-point victory since a 63-62 win over Villanova at the Joyce Center on Dec. 12, 1998.
* Sophomore forward Jacqueline Batteast notched her second double-double of the season with 18 points and a game-high 10 rebounds.
* Senior guard Alicia Ratay was perfect on all four of her free throw attempts, including the game-winning charities with 9.3 seconds to play. Ratay is shooting 91.4 percent from the foul line this year (32-35), and she is shooting 87.2 percent for her career (292-336). The latter figure would rank among the top 10 in NCAA history (currently puts her sixth all-time).