Nov. 8, 2007
2007-08 ND Women’s Basketball: Game 1
Preseason WNIT — First Round
#24/rv Notre Dame Fighting Irish (0-0 / 0-0 BIG EAST) vs. Miami (Ohio) RedHawks (0-0 / 0-0 MAC East)
DATE: November 9, 2007
TIME: 9:00 p.m. ET
AT: Notre Dame, Ind. – Joyce Center (11,418)
SERIES: MU leads 4-1
1ST MTG: 1/17/81 (MU 93-53)
LAST MTG: 12/28/94 (MU 79-76)
RADIO: ESPN Radio 1490 AM/UND.com (Sean Stires, p-b-p)
TV: UND.com
LIVE STATS: UND.com
TICKETS: (574) 631-7356
Storylines
- Notre Dame is making its third appearance in the Preseason WNIT and first since winning the title in 2004.
- The Irish are 17-3 (.850) in season openers under head coach Muffet McGraw, including an active 12-game winning streak.
No. 24 Notre Dame Tips Off Preseason WNIT Friday Against Miami (Ohio)
Notre Dame will be hoping history repeats itself when it opens the 2007-08 season Friday at 9 p.m. (ET) against Miami (Ohio) in the first round of the Preseason Women’s National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) at the Joyce Center. The last time the Irish played in the Preseason WNIT in 2004, they reeled off four consecutive wins, the last two against top-10 opponents, to win the tournament championship and ignite a 27-win season.
Notre Dame completed its exhibition schedule on Monday with a 96-64 win over Division II member Hillsdale at the Joyce Center. Six Irish players scored in double figures, led by senior guard Tulyah Gaines, who converted 8 of 11 shots from the floor.
Miami (Ohio) brings back all five starters and 11 letterwinners from last year’s squad that went 12-18, with a 6-10 record (fourth-place finish) in the Mid-American Conference’s East Division. The RedHawks played two closed scrimmages during the preseason and will make their ’07-08 public debut Friday night.
Rankings
- Notre Dame is ranked 24th in the preseason Associated Press poll and is receiving votes in the preseason ESPN/USA Today poll.
- Miami (Ohio) is not ranked.
A Quick Look At The Fighting Irish
Even after a 20-12 record and a trip to the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2006-07, Notre Dame still continues to fly below the national radar. Head coach Muffet McGraw wouldn’t want it any other way.
Last year, the Irish learned quickly that respect is something that isn’t handed to you, but rather earned on the court. It’s also a quality that takes time to develop and doesn’t come from trophy cases or record books. So although Notre Dame doesn’t appear in the preseason ESPN/USA Today coaches poll (it was ranked 24th in the first AP poll of the year), and was tabbed fifth in the preseason BIG EAST Conference balloting, it’s not a great concern to McGraw and her charges. Instead, they focus on the things they can control and prefer to let the outside world judge them when the season is over.
This year could prove to be unlike any in recent memory for Notre Dame. For one, the Irish will roll out some impressive depth, going virtually two-deep at every floor position. In addition, Notre Dame’s new offensive system (a Princeton-based set with four guards and a post) continues to evolve, building upon last year’s 70.1 point-per-game average that was its highest since the 2000-01 NCAA national championship season.
Senior guard Charel Allen is the top returning scorer and rebounder for the Irish, leading the team in both categories last year (17.0 ppg., 6.2 rpg.). She also was a first-team all-BIG EAST and WBCA honorable mention All-America selection, and was a finalist for the 2007 USA U21 World Championship Team that struck gold this past summer in Moscow.
Allen’s backcourt partner and classmate is point guard Tulyah Gaines. Now in her second full season at the helm of the Notre Dame offense, the speedy Gaines averaged 9.6 points per game along with team highs of 3.9 assists and 2.0 steals per contest. She also is a two-year team captain who commands instant respect from teammates, coaches and opponents.
The Irish will benefit from the return of junior guard Lindsay Schrader, who missed the entire 2006-07 season with a torn ACL in her right knee. Schrader, who retains three years of athletic eligibility, was Notre Dame’s second-leading scorer (10.5 ppg.) and top rebounder (5.4 rpg.) as a rookie in 2005-06 and will look to regain that form this season.
Last year saw Notre Dame break new ground by becoming the first school ever to put three players on the BIG EAST All-Freshman Team. Guards Ashley Barlow (10.3 ppg., 5.4 rpg.) and Melissa Lechlitner (6.3 ppg., 2.7 apg.) will provide a superb complement to the veteran Allen-Gaines tandem, while center Erica Williamson (6.1 ppg., 5.3 rpg., 1.3 bpg.) showed flashes of potential throughout her rookie season and is poised for increased development this year.
Headlining a three-player freshman class (ranked 11th nationally by Blue Star Basketball) is Devereaux Peters, a smooth 6-2 forward who was a consensus All-American as a senior last year at national powerhouse Fenwick High School in Oak Park, Ill. Fellow post Becca Bruszewski (Valparaiso, Ind.) finished third in last season’s Indiana Miss Basketball voting and was a perennial all-state pick. And, guard Brittany Mallory (Baltimore, Md.) offers a perimeter shooting threat, as well as a cerebral player who will mesh well in the Irish offensive system.
A Quick Look At Miami (Ohio)
Records don’t always tell the whole story, and that definitely was the case for Miami (Ohio) last year. The RedHawks went 12-18 (6-10 in the Mid-American Conference East Division), but seven of those losses came by 10 points or less. What’s more, MU was above .500 (11-10) entering the final month of the season before dropping seven of its final eight games.
Last year’s lessons could translate into this year’s successes for Miami, as the RedHawks return 11 letterwinners and all five starters from last year’s club. Leading the way is senior guard Amanda Jackson, a first-team all-MAC selection last year who averaged a team-high 17.7 points per game (20.0 ppg in conference play) and 2.7 steals per night. She also is one of the top 10 scorers in school history, currently standing eighth (1,267 pts).
Junior point guard Jenna Schone capably runs the Miami offense, having logged 11.8 points and 4.5 assists per game last year. Classmate and backcourt partner Ashley Hawkins also scored in double figures (10.9 ppg) and was second behind Jackson in steals (2.3 spg).
Head coach Maria Fantanarosa is beginning her 10th season at her alma mater. A 1990 graduate of Miami, she holds a 138-122 (.531) record at the RedHawks’ helm and is the winningest coach in program history. She came back to MU after spending the 1997-98 season as the boss at Western Carolina, going 7-20 that year. She has never faced Notre Dame .
The Notre Dame-Miami (Ohio) Series
Friday will mark the sixth meeting in the series between Notre Dame and Miami (Ohio), with the RedHawks holding a 4-1 edge on the Irish. The teams have not played since the 1994-95 season, when MU edged Notre Dame, 79-76 in the consolation game of the Seattle Times Husky Classic.
Three of the five series games have been played at the Joyce Center, with Miami winning twice (93-53 on Jan. 17, 1981; 69-65 on Feb. 17, 1991 – the team’s most recent meeting in South Bend). The only Irish win in the series came on Dec. 10, 1982 at the Joyce Center, when Notre Dame took a 64-59 victory behind 16 points and six rebounds from Shari Matvey.
Other Notre Dame-Miami (Ohio) Series Tidbits
- The series has been a tightly-contested affair, with the past four games each decided by four points or less.
- Notre Dame is 66-16 (.805) all-time vs. Ohio schools, with a 33-7 (.825) record at home and an active 13-game home winning streak since a 78-74 loss to Dayton on March 8, 1993 in the quarterfinals of the Midwestern Collegiate Conference Tournament. Miami is the first of three Ohio schools on this year’s Irish schedule, with matchups to follow at Bowling Green (Dec. 5) and Cincinnati (Feb. 2).
- Although Miami head coach Maria Fantanarosa has never faced Notre Dame at her current post, she did see the Irish while serving as an assistant coach at Xavier for four seasons (1990-94). At that time, both schools were members of the Midwestern Collegiate Conference (now known as the Horizon League) — Notre Dame went 7-3 against the Musketeers in that span, including wins in the 1992 and 1994 MCC Tournament finals.
- Two of the top high school scorers in Pennsylvania state history will be in the building on Friday night. Miami head coach Maria Fantanarosa is the state’s career scoring champion (3,823 points) from her days at Mount Carmel Area High School. Meanwhile Irish senior guard Charel Allen presently ranks fifth in Pennsylvania history, having scored 3,110 points at Monessen High School.
- Miami assistant coach Lisa Hayden started for the RedHawks in their most recent matchup with Notre Dame, a 79-76 MU win on Dec. 28, 1994 at the Seattle Times Husky Classic. Hayden collected 10 points and was one of five Miami players to score in double figures that day.
- Miami assistant coach Heather Oesterle was on the Michigan roster (but didn’t see action) when the Wolverines fell to Notre Dame, 88-54 in the second round of the 2001 NCAA Tournament at the Joyce Center. The following season, Oesterle came off the bench to log one point, one rebound and two assists in 10 minutes of a 78-63 UM victory at the Women’s College Basketball Showcase in Grand Rapids, Mich.
- Notre Dame sophomore guard Melissa Lechlitner and freshman forward Becca Bruszewski played alongside Miami sophomore guard Courtney Reed with the Indiana Elite AAU squad that is based at Midwest Basketball Academy in Mishawaka, Ind.; MU junior center Stephanie Ford also is a product of that AAU program.
- Lechlitner and Reed also were teammates (along with Irish sophomore guard Ashley Barlow) on the 2006 Indiana All-Star Team that swept a two-game series vs. the Kentucky All-Stars.
- Miami senior forward/center Jaclyn Leininger is a native of Winona Lake, Ind., (located approximately halfway between South Bend and Fort Wayne) and a 2004 graduate of Warsaw Community High School, where she led Class 4A in scoring as a senior (25.3 ppg.) on the way to earning Indiana Miss Basketball honors.
- Notre Dame senior guard/tri-captain Amanda Tsipis is a native of Perry, Ohio, and a 2004 graduate of Perry High School. She departed as the Pirates’ No. 2 all-time scorer and was a three-time all-state selection, in addition to being tabbed a finalist for the Wendy’s High School Heisman Award in the state of Ohio. Tsipis is the ninth Ohio product to suit for the Irish in the program’s 31-year history — only Indiana (18), Michigan (14) and Illinois (11) have produced more players for Notre Dame than the Buckeye State.
Notre Dame vs. The Mid-American Conference
Notre Dame is 30-14 (.682) all-time against the current Mid-American Conference alignment, including a 19-4 (.826) record at home. The Irish also sport a 15-5 (.750) record against MAC schools in the Muffet McGraw era, with a 10-1 (.909) ledger at home.
Notre Dame also has won its last 13 games against current MAC schools since an 87-64 loss at Northern Illinois on March 10, 1995 in the semifinals of the Midwestern Collegiate Conference Tournament. Last year, the Irish swept home games against Central Michigan (88-66), league champion and NCAA Sweet 16 participant Bowling Green (85-81 in overtime) and Western Michigan (87-67).
The RedHawks are the first of three MAC opponents for the Irish this season, with road games at Central Michigan (Nov. 20) and Bowling Green (Dec. 5) on the slate in the next month.
In an interesting twist, Notre Dame will be facing a MAC school in its Preseason WNIT opener for the second time in three tournament appearances. In 1996, the Irish tipped off their season (which ended at the NCAA Women’s Final Four in Cincinnati) with a 66-41 conquest of Kent State at the Joyce Center.
Blowing The Lid Off
Notre Dame is 22-8 (.733) all-time in season openers and takes a 12-game winning streak into Friday’s game with Miami (Ohio). The Irish also are 17-3 (.850) in season openers in the Muffet McGraw era, with their last season-opening loss coming on Nov. 26, 1994 (65-60 in overtime to No. 25 Seton Hall).
Notre Dame also has done well in its first home game of the season, going 22-8 (.733) in Joyce Center lidlifters, including an active 12-game winning streak and a 16-4 (.800) under McGraw. The last Irish home-opening loss was Nov. 30, 1994, when 13th-ranked Purdue edged out Notre Dame, 87-83.
Getting An Early Start
Friday’s game will mark the earliest season debut for the Irish in their 31-year history, one day sooner than last year’s 88-66 win over Central Michigan at the Joyce Center.
Late Night With The Irish
For the third time in four seasons, Notre Dame will open its season with a 9 p.m. (ET) game at the Joyce Center. In 2004, the Irish opened their run to the Preseason WNIT championship with a 92-73 win over Illinois State. A year later, Notre Dame outlasted Michigan, 55-45 to get its season off to a solid start.
The late tip time is needed because of the regularly-scheduled football pep rally, which will start at approximately 6 p.m. (ET), following the conclusion of the Irish volleyball match vs. Cincinnati.
Making A Good First Impression
With three freshmen on the 11-player Notre Dame roster, chances are good that one or more of the Irish rookies will see significant action in Friday’s season opener against Miami (Ohio).
In recent years, Notre Dame’s freshmen have wasted little time in making their presence felt. The best example came last season, when guard Lindsay Schrader rolled up a double-double (10 points, 14 rebounds) in a victory over Michigan. Schrader is one of only two players in program history to register a double-double in her college debut (Shari Matvey also did so against Marion in 1979, when the Irish were still playing at the AIAW Division III level).
Two Birds, One Stone
The Irish need one victory to reach two milestones — 300 all-time wins at the Joyce Center (currently 299-79, .791) and 450 career wins at Notre Dame for head coach Muffet McGraw (currently 449-179, .715).
Tournament Tested
Notre Dame has felt right at home in tournament situations during the past 12 years. Starting with the 1996-97 season, the Irish have won 16 of their last 18 regular-season tournament games (multi-game events only), including a four-game run to the 2004 Preseason WNIT championship.
The only Notre Dame losses during this current stretch were a 72-59 defeat at the hands of No. 3/2 Tennessee in the 1996 Preseason WNIT semifinals (Nov. 19, 1996 in Ruston, La.), and a 67-63 overtime setback at No. 20 Colorado on Nov. 15, 2003 in the finals of the WBCA Classic — a game that saw the Buffaloes sink a desperation 30-footer at the end of regulation to force the extra session.
Preseason WNIT Rewind
For the second time in four years, but just the third time in school history, Notre Dame is taking part in the Preseason Women’s National Invitation Tournament (WNIT). The Irish are 7-1 (.875) all-time in the tournament, including a 5-0 record when playing at home.
Notre Dame last played in the Preseason WNIT in 2004, winning the championship with victories over Illinois State (92-73), Nebraska (73-57), No. 6 Duke (76-65) and No. 10/9 Ohio State (66-62), all at the Joyce Center. Jacqueline Batteast was named the event’s Most Valuable Player after scoring a career-high 32 points in the final against OSU. Megan Duffy also earned a place on the all-tournament team. On the strength of their WNIT crown, the Irish moved as high as third in the national polls, finished as the BIG EAST Conference runner-up, and made a trip to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Notre Dame also participated in the 1996 Preseason WNIT, advancing to the semifinals after defeating Kent State (66-41) and No. 6 Iowa (61-50). Following a 72-59 loss to No. 3/2 Tennessee in the semifinals at Ruston, La., the Irish bounced back to defeat No. 8/12 North Carolina State, 64-53 in the third-place game (which no longer exists). Katryna Gaither was named to the all-tournament team after making a tournament-record 42 field goals in the four-game set (a record that still stands). Notre Dame went on to log a 31-7 record in 1996-97, advancing to its first NCAA Final Four.
The Irish will be looking to continue the BIG EAST’s run of success in the Preseason WNIT. BIG EAST teams have reached the tournament championship game four times in the past six years and six times in the event’s 13-year history. In addition to Notre Dame’s 2004 crown, Connecticut won titles in 1997, 2001 and 2005, while Rutgers has been the tourney runner-up in 1998 and 2003. Purdue is the defending Preseason WNIT champion, taking a 69-55 win at Baylor in last year’s title game.
Polling Station
For the first time since the 2005-06 season, Notre Dame is appearing in the Associated Press Top 25 poll, checking in at No. 24 in the preseason edition of the media survey announced Nov. 3. The Irish last were ranked in the AP poll during the week of Jan. 23, 2005, when they were slotted 21st before losses at Rutgers (69-43) and at home to South Florida (68-64, ot) knocked them out of the AP Top 25.
Notre Dame has been ranked in the AP poll for 140 weeks during the program’s history, with every one of those appearances coming in the Muffet McGraw era. McGraw now ranks 14th among all active NCAA Division I head coaches for weeks in the AP poll, and is poised to break into the top 25 all-time in that category, trailing retired Colorado mentor Ceal Barry by just two weeks.
Irish Fans Crave A Big Mac Attack
Notre Dame has introduced a new promotion this season, offering fans a coupon for a free Big Mac from South Bend-area McDonald’s restaurants if the Irish score at least 88 points in a game. The coupons are issued at the Joyce Center gates as fans leave the arena following the game.
Promotional Corner
Here’s a rundown of some upcoming promotions and giveaways at future Notre Dame women’s basketball games this season. Tickets may be purchased in advance at the Irish athletics ticket office (second floor of the Joyce Center through Gate 1; 574-631-7356), on game day at the Gate 10 ticket windows of the Joyce Center, or via the Internet at Notre Dame’s official athletics web site (UND.com). Please note — additional promotions and giveaways may be added at a later date, so consult the Notre Dame promotions web site (www.notredamepromotions.com) for the latest information:
- Nov. 13 vs. TBA (Preseason WNIT) — Musicology Night … Faculty/Staff Night ($3 tickets for Notre Dame/Saint Mary’s/Holy Cross faculty & staff and up to four guests) … season ticket holder t-shirt/media guide pickup (Gym 2 on upper concourse) … Irish women’s basketball mousepads to first 1,000 fans, courtesy of Homerun Inn Pizza … post-game autograph session courtside with selected Notre Dame players.
Next Game: Preseason WNIT
With a victory, Notre Dame would meet the winner of the Western Kentucky/East Tennessee State game in the Preseason WNIT quarterfinals Tuesday at 7 p.m. (ET) at the Joyce Center. The Irish have never faced either school in women’s basketball.
Should Notre Dame lose to Miami (Ohio), it would be placed in a pool with the other losing teams from the first round of the Preseason WNIT. Those squads would be placed in a pair of four-team consolation brackets (matchups TBA based upon geographic considerations and preventing matchups vs. ’07-08 regular-season opponents) — two schools will be chosen to host the consolation games, which will take place Nov. 16-17.
— ND —