Jan. 7, 2002
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – For the fourth 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), is only the second player in school history to win four 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 21.0 points, 12.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game and notched two double-doubles as Notre Dame collected three consecutive wins last week, including BIG EAST triumphs over Miami and Providence. She opened the week by recording career highs of 25 points and 14 rebounds in a 79-50 Irish win over DePaul on New Year’s Eve. Two days later at Miami, Batteast registered her seventh double-double of the year (and fifth in as many games) with 12 points and 13 rebounds as Notre Dame posted a 69-65 win at Miami in their conference opener. On Saturday, Batteast narrowly missed her eighth double-double, pouring in a career-high 26 points (breaking the high-water mark she had set just six days earlier) and grabbing nine rebounds in Notre Dame’s 72-66 win over Providence. Against PC, Batteast also canned a career-high 11-of-12 free throws.
For the season, Batteast ranks fourth in the BIG EAST in scoring (16.0 ppg.), second in rebounding (9.2 rpg.), fifth in blocked shots (1.54 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 (8-5, 2-0 BIG EAST) returns to action Wednesday at 7 p.m. (EST) when it plays host to conference foe Seton Hall at the Joyce Center. The Irish, winners of six of their last seven games, currently own the nation’s longest home winning streak at 45 consecutive games and have won their last 25 BIG EAST games on the Joyce Center hardwood.
– ND –