Feb. 11, 2002
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – University of Notre Dame freshman forward Jacqueline Batteast (South Bend, Ind./Washington HS) joined an elite sorority on Monday when she was selected as the BIG EAST Conference Rookie of the Week for the sixth time, sharing the honor with Providence forward Jessica Simmonds. Batteast is only the second player in school history, and the sixth athlete in conference annals, to win six BIG EAST Rookie of the Week citations in a single campaign. Junior guard Alicia Ratay (Lake Zurich, Ill./Lake Zurich HS) also took home six rookie awards during the 1999-2000 season.
In addition, Notre Dame is just the second league school to have two six-time BIG EAST Rookie of the Week selections – Connecticut forward Rebecca Lobo holds the conference record with seven rookie accolades, while Husky forward Svetlana Abrosimova won top freshman laurels on six occasions.
Batteast averaged 17.0 points and 11.0 rebounds per game while posting back-to-back double-doubles last week, leading the Irish to a pair of critical BIG EAST victories over Pittsburgh and No. 16/18 Boston College. She registered 16 points and a game-high 12 rebounds last Tuesday night at Pittsburgh, before chalking up game bests of 18 points and 10 rebounds in Sunday’s triumph over BC. The latter performance was her 11th double-double of the season (and fourth in as many games), tying her with Connecticut forward Swin Cash for the BIG EAST lead.
For the season, Batteast ranks fourth in the BIG EAST in scoring (15.3 ppg.), second in rebounding (8.8 rpg.), third in blocked shots (1.59 bpg.) and first in double-doubles (10), one of just 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.
In other Notre Dame news, the Irish jumped back into the Top 25 this week, checking in at No. 23 in the most recent Associated Press poll which was released Monday afternoon. Notre Dame is not ranked in the latest ESPN/USA Today coaches’ poll, receiving 29 points which would place the Irish 29th in the nation if the poll were extended. Notre Dame was ranked in the first four AP polls of the 2001-02 season, reaching as high as No. 15 before falling out after a 2-4 start, thereby snapping a run of 56 consecutive weeks in the AP Top 25 survey.
Since then, the Irish have rebounded by winning 13 of their last 16 games, including victories over nationally-ranked foes Virginia Tech and Boston College. Notre Dame (15-7, 9-2 BIG EAST) also owns sole possession of second place in the conference standings and will look to improve on that mark when it welcomes St. John’s to the Joyce Center Wednesday for a 7 p.m. (EST) contest. The Irish hold the nation’s longest active home winning streak at 49 games, matching the 10th-longest string in NCAA history.
– ND –