Jan. 28, 2002
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – For the fifth time this season, University of Notre Dame freshman forward Jacqueline Batteast (South Bend, Ind./Washington HS) has been selected as the BIG EAST Conference Rookie of the Week, the league office announced Monday. Batteast, who earned top freshman honors for three consecutive weeks earlier this season (Dec. 3, 10 & 17) and added another conference rookie award on Jan. 7, is only the second player in school history to win five BIG EAST Rookie of the Week citations in a single campaign. Junior guard Alicia Ratay took home six rookie awards during the 1999-2000 season.
Batteast averaged 16.0 points and 6.0 rebounds per game last week while helping the Irish gain a split of their BIG EAST Conference contests with No. 1 Connecticut and No. 16/17 Virginia Tech. In the latter game on Saturday night against the Hokies, Batteast matched her career high with 26 points and bagged seven rebounds in 29 minutes as Notre Dame toppled its first ranked opponent of the season. She scored 13 of the first 15 Irish points and later teamed with Ratay to score 32 of Notre Dame’s 34 second-half points in the win.
For the season, Batteast ranks fourth in the BIG EAST in scoring (15.1 ppg.), second in rebounding (8.0 rpg.), fourth in blocked shots (1.61 bpg.) and second in double-doubles (7), one of only two players to place in the top five in all four categories. She also is the only BIG EAST freshman to lead her team in both scoring and rebounding.
Notre Dame (11-7, 5-2 BIG EAST) faces another important conference challenge Tuesday when it welcomes Syracuse (12-6, 5-2) to the Joyce Center for a 7 p.m. (EST) matchup. The Irish currently own the nation’s longest homecourt winning streak at 47 games, and they also have won 27 consecutive BIG EAST games at the Joyce Center.
– ND –