Irish Close Out Regular Season Tuesday Night

Feb. 28, 2005

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(#10 AP/#10 ESPN/USA Today) Notre Dame Fighting Irish (24-4, 12-3)
vs.
Seton Hall Pirates (14-12, 6-9)

The Date and Time: Tuesday, March 1, 2005, at 7 p.m. ET.

The Site: Walsh Gym (2,600) in South Orange, N.J.

The Tickets: Still available through the Notre Dame athletics ticket office (574-631-7356), the Seton Hall athletics ticket office (973-275-4255) or at the door on game night.

The Radio Plans: Tuesday’s game will be broadcast live on WDND-AM (ESPN Radio 1580) and WNDV-AM (1490) in South Bend with Sean Stires (play-by-play) calling the action. These broadcasts also are available through the Notre Dame athletics web site at www.und.com.

Web Sites: Notre Dame (www.und.com), Seton Hall (www.shupirates.com).

#10 IRISH CLOSE OUT REGULAR SEASON TUESDAY NIGHT AT SETON HALL
In a year that has featured as much parity as any in women’s college basketball history, it should come as no surprise that there is still much to be decided when No. 10 Notre Dame visits Seton Hall Tuesday at 7 p.m. (ET) in the BIG EAST Conference finale for both squads. The Irish still have a chance to earn a piece of the BIG EAST regular season title if they can defeat Seton Hall and Villanova downs Rutgers that same night. Regardless of the outcome of the Villanova-Rutgers game, a Notre Dame victory would assure the Irish of their ninth top-two conference finish in their 10-year affiliation with the BIG EAST.

Notre Dame (24-4, 12-3 BIG EAST) picked up its 11th victory in the past 12 games last Saturday with an 82-57 win over West Virginia before a season-high crowd of 7,935 on Senior Day at the Joyce Center. The two Irish seniors – All-America forward Jacqueline Batteast and center Teresa Borton – did not disappoint the faithful, combining for 33 points on 14-of-23 shooting as Notre Dame posted a sharp .582 field goal percentage. Junior guard Megan Duffy added her second career double-double with 12 points and 10 assists, registering her fourth double-digit assist game of the year.

Seton Hall (14-12, 6-9) lost for the third consecutive game and fourth time in the past five outings with a 51-38 setback at Syracuse last Saturday. The Pirates shot 18.5 percent (5-for-27) from the floor in the first half and could never quite recover. Senior guard/forward Ashley Bush posted a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds, while sophomore forward Monique Blake grabbed 16 rebounds for SHU.

Bush ranks among the conference leaders in scoring (13.0 ppg.), rebounding (8.3 rpg.) and steals (2.08 spg.), while Blake is in the top 20 in the BIG EAST in scoring (11.3 ppg.), rebounding (7.6 rpg.) and blocked shots (1.52 bpg.).

Seton Hall head coach Phyllis Mangina is in her 20th season at her alma mater with a career record of 288-283 (.504). She is 3-13 all-time against Notre Dame.

A QUICK LOOK AT THE FIGHTING IRISH
One of the primary goals for Notre Dame this season has been to put itself in position to contend for a national championship. As the regular season winds down, the Irish certainly have done just that, posting a 23-4 record (11-3 in the BIG EAST) with seven victories over ranked opponents, including four against top-10 foes. Notre Dame also won the Sportsview.tv Preseason WNIT in mid-November, claiming its first regular-season tournament title since 2000-01.

Below the surface, it’s apparent the Irish have been strong in nearly all facets of their game. They are 10-2 on the road, making big strides from last year’s struggles away from home. Notre Dame also has shown excellent resiliency, losing back-to-back games just once all season and rebounding from those two losses with a season-long 10-game winning streak (the program’s longest since the ’00-01 campaign). And, the Irish have displayed an ability to win games in numerous different ways – last-second buzzer beaters (Marquette), thrilling second half comebacks (Duke, Ohio State, Rutgers, Boston College), gritty road victories (Connecticut, USC), defensive battles (Seton Hall) and high-scoring shootouts (Purdue, Illinois State).

Despite the added focus shown to her by opposing teams, senior All-America forward Jacqueline Batteast was a major catalyst for the Irish this season, averaging 17.6 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game. A four-time BIG EAST Player of the Week and a leading midseason candidate for both the Naismith Trophy and Wooden Women’s Award, Batteast has scored in double digits 25 times this season, has earned game-high scoring honors on 16 occasions and has six double-doubles. She also moved into the top five on Notre Dame’s career lists for points (1,809), rebounds (930), blocks (161) and double-doubles (38). In addition, with 15 points vs. West Virginia Feb. 26, she became the third Irish player to amass 1,800 points and 900 rebounds in her career, joining All-Americans Katryna Gaither and Ruth Riley.

Junior guard Megan Duffy also has stepped up her play this season, registering 11.7 points per game with a team-high 5.57 assists (second in the BIG EAST and 28th in the nation as of Feb. 22) and 2.64 steals per game (first in the BIG EAST). Duffy also leads the league and is second nationally with a .912 free throw percentage (114-125) this season, sparking the Irish to a BIG EAST-best .748 free throw ratio, which also ranks 21st in the nation.

In the post, senior center Teresa Borton is showing capable leadership by example. A veteran post and tri-captain, Borton has not missed a game (122 and counting), nor a practice in her entire four-year career at Notre Dame. For the season, she has posted career-best numbers in almost every statistical category, ranking third on the team in scoring (9.1 ppg.), second in rebounding (6.0 rpg.) and first in both blocked shots (1.71 bpg.) and field goal percentage (.583).

SOME POTENT NOTABLES ABOUT THE FIGHTING IRISH

• Notre Dame won its first seven games this season, the second-best debut in the program’s history. The 2000-01 squad opened with a 23-game win streak en route to school’s first national championship. The Irish also reached the double-digit win mark Dec. 19 at Marquette, getting their 10th win faster than any team in school history (the ’00-01 team did it two days later on Dec. 21, 2000).
• Notre Dame’s 10-game winning streak from Jan. 16-Feb. 15 was its longest since a school-record 23-game run to open the 2000-01 season. It also was the ninth double-digit winning streak in school history and the seventh in Muffet McGraw’s 18 seasons as head coach.
• The Irish are 10-2 on the road this year, and won their first five road games this season for the second time in school history. The 2000-01 club opened with a 10-game road winning streak to set the school standard. Ironically, Notre Dame struggled in true road games last year, losing its first four and six of its first seven on the opposition’s floor.
• Notre Dame picked up its 20th win of the season Feb. 5 at Pittsburgh. The Irish have now posted 12 consecutive 20-win seasons (one of only six schools in the nation that can make that claim) and 16 in the 18-year Muffet McGraw era. In addition, Notre Dame reached the 20-win mark in its 23rd game this season, marking the fourth-fastest run to 20 victories in school history. The 2000-01 club opened with 23 consecutive wins, while the 1998-99 and 1999-2000 squads each did it in 22 games. However, in terms of calendar dates, the Irish logged their 20th win faster than any Notre Dame team except the 2000-01 unit, which reached the mark on Jan. 31.
• The Irish have been a fixture near the top of the RPI charts this year. Through Feb. 27, Notre Dame is fourth in the WBCA/Summerville RPI rankings, with the nation’s 19th-toughest schedule.
• Notre Dame has appeared in the top 10 of the AP balloting 14 times in the 16 polls this year, checking in at No. 10 last week. On three other times in school history have the Irish spent longer in the AP top 10 during one season – 1998-99 (16 weeks), 1999-2000 (15 weeks) and 2000-01 (18 weeks). All told, Notre Dame has now spent 70 weeks in the AP top 10 in the program’s 28-year history and has a 108-19 (.850) all-time record when it’s ranked in the top 10.
• The Irish have posted 37 wins over AP Top 25 opponents in the past seven seasons (1998-99 to present), including seven this year (No. 6 Duke, No. 10 Ohio State, No. 20 Purdue, No. 6 Rutgers, No. 9 Connecticut, No. 16 Boston College and No. 25 Boston College). Notre Dame is tied for the fourth-most Top 25 wins this season, exceeded only by Duke’s nine wins and eight victories each by Ohio State and Michigan State. During the past two years, the Irish have 14 wins over ranked opponents.
• Notre Dame has defeated 23 top-10 opponents in its history, adding to that total with four victories this season. The four top-10 wins represent the second-highest total in school history (and tie Penn State for the second-most by any team in the nation this season behind Rutgers’ five wins) – the 2000-01 squad holds the Irish record with seven top-10 victories.
• Notre Dame owns a unique distinction with victories over both the No. 2 (Duke) and No. 4 (Ohio State) teams in last week’s Associated Press poll. In fact, the Irish are one of only two teams to defeat Duke so far this season, and one of just three squads to solve OSU in 2004-05 (not to mention the only non-conference opponent to defeat either team).
• Head coach Muffet McGraw has a 408-153 (.727) record in 18 seasons with the Irish, having logged the milestone 400th victory Jan. 23 against Rutgers. She also has a 496-194 (.719) overall record in 23 seasons, leaving her only four victories shy of the 500-win plateau for her career.

A QUICK LOOK AT SETON HALL
Things have changed a bit since the last time Notre Dame and Seton Hall played back in January to open the BIG EAST Conference season. At the time, the Pirates were riding a season-long six-game winning streak and only losses to nationally-ranked Arizona State and North Carolina State, as well as a two-point setback to Ball State, marred their record. However, in the intervening two months, Seton Hall has alternated periods of success and struggle, including a four-game losing streak and its current stretch of three consecutive defeats and four in the past five games. Still, the Pirates are a dangerous club and remain poised to earn their third postseason tournament bid in as many years.

At times this season, Seton Hall (14-12, 6-9 BIG EAST) has been searching for answers offensively. This has been particularly evident during the Pirates’ past five games, where they are averaging 43.2 points per game and have scored more than 50 points once (a 51-39 victory over Providence on Feb. 13). But while its offense is coming around, SHU has relied on solid defense, allowing more than 60 points in a game just nine times all season. The Pirates also have defended their home court (Walsh Gym) well, winning eight of 12 games in South Orange, N.J., this season.

In its most recent outing last Saturday, Seton Hall came up on the short end of a 51-38 decision at Syracuse. The Pirates shot 18.5 percent (5-for-27) from the field in the first half and trailed 32-15 at the break. SHU got as close as 13 points in the second period, but could not overcome its early problems en route to its third consecutive loss. Senior guard/forward Ashley Bush recorded a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds, while sophomore forward Monique Blake collected a game-high 16 rebounds.

Bush leads Seton Hall and ranks among the BIG EAST leaders in scoring (13.0 ppg.), rebounding (8.3 rpg.) and steals (2.08 spg.). Blake also is appearing in the top 20 of the conference statistical charts in three categories – points (11.3 ppg.), rebounds (7.6 rpg.) and blocks (1.52 bpg.). As a team, the Pirates are one of the BIG EAST’s top units on the glass, ranking fourth in rebounding (38.8 rpg.), rebounding defense (33.9 rpg.) and rebound margin (+4.9 rpg.).

Veteran head coach Phyllis Mangina is winding down her 20th season at the helm of her alma mater, having compiled a 288-283 (.504) career record. She is 3-13 all-time against Notre Dame.

THE NOTRE DAME-SETON HALL SERIES
Although their series did not begin fairly recently (the 1993-94 season), Notre Dame and Seton Hall have become quite familiar with one another, playing a total of 16 times in the past 11 seasons, including dual matchups in four previous campaigns (1995-96, 1996-97, 1998-99 and 2001-02). The Irish hold a 13-3 lead in the series with the Pirates, including a 5-2 advantage in South Orange, N.J.

The first two times Notre Dame and Seton Hall played, the games took place outside the confines of the BIG EAST Conference, which the Irish did not join until 1995-96. The Pirates won both of those initial contests (62-55 in 1993; 60-55 in overtime in 1994) en route to an NCAA Sweet Sixteen berth and an NCAA second-round appearance, respectively.

Since the Irish and Pirates began squaring off annually as members of the BIG EAST, Notre Dame has had the upper hand, winning 13 of the 14 league games, including once in the conference tournament. In fact, the Irish had won their first 12 BIG EAST games with SHU before the Pirates got their first conference victory over Notre Dame last season with a 51-45 conquest at Walsh Gym.

Tuesday night’s game is the second of two meetings between Notre Dame and Seton Hall this season. The Irish and Pirates opened BIG EAST play back on Jan. 2, with Notre Dame earning a 54-33 victory at the Joyce Center.

THE LAST TIME NOTRE DAME AND SETON HALL MET
Senior All-America forward Jacqueline Batteast had 18 points and No. 6 Notre Dame held Seton Hall to a season-low 22-percent shooting, beating the Pirates 54-33 on Jan. 2 at the Joyce Center.

It marked the fewest points allowed by the Irish this season and fewest points scored this season by the Pirates, who had their six-game winning streak snapped. The Irish dominated inside, outscoring Seton Hall 26-6 in the paint. Notre Dame also converted 24 Seton Hall turnovers into 20 points. The Irish had a season-low eight turnovers, leading to just one point for Seton Hall.

Junior guard Megan Duffy added 10 points for Notre Dame, which shot 36.4 percent. Heta Korpivaara led Seton Hall with seven points and Ashley Bush had six for the Pirates.

Seton Hall simply couldn’t penetrate Notre Dame’s zone defense during the contest. During one span in the second half, the Pirates put up air balls on three consecutive possessions, two of them on three-point attempts by Korpivaara and Asia Carroll. Seton Hall outrebounded the Irish 50-35, with Monique Blake pulling down a game-high nine rebounds.

After falling behind 5-2 when Seton Hall made its first two shots, Notre Dame took control. Batteast scored on a steal and layup to begin a 26-7 run during which Seton Hall made just 2-of-21 shots. The Irish led 30-14 at halftime and never let the margin dwindle below 14 points in the second half.

THE LAST TIME NOTRE DAME AND SETON HALL MET AT WALSH GYM
Reserve center LaNedra Brown scored all 10 of her points in the final 9:21, leading Seton Hall to a 51-45 victory over No. 23 Notre Dame on Feb. 8, 2004 at Walsh Gym in South Orange, N.J.

Melissa Langelier scored 13 points and made four free throws in the final 25 seconds for Seton Hall (13-8, 5-5 BIG EAST), which earned its first victory over the Irish since Nov. 26, 1994, a span of 13 games. The loss snapped a five-game winning streak for Notre Dame (14-8, 7-3).

Ashley Bush’s drive put Seton Hall ahead 43-41 with 3:21 left. Notre Dame forward Jacqueline Batteast, who was in foul trouble all game and finished with nine points, six below her season average, made one free throw with 2:11 remaining to cut it to 43-42.

With the shot clock winding down, Brown hit a 14-foot jumper with 43 seconds left. She and Langelier then iced the win by combining to hit all six of their free throws in the final half-minute.

The teams took turns exchanging the lead in a tight second half. A layup by Courtney LaVere and a three-point play by Le’Tania Severe gave the Irish a 33-29 lead with 12:02 left, but Seton Hall regained the lead at 41-40 on two free throws by Langelier with 4:40 to go. Notre Dame then tied it on a free throw by LaVere before Bush put Seton Hall back on top.

The Irish went on a 10-0 run in the first half, led by two power post moves from reserve forward Crystal Erwin. Batteast and center Teresa Borton also added baskets inside during the spurt, helping Notre Dame take a 14-10 lead with 11:50 remaining in the first half. The Irish extended their lead to 21-13, the biggest by either team in the game, and were up 23-17 at halftime.

OTHER NOTRE DAME-SETON HALL SERIES NOTES

• After winning two of its first three games against Notre Dame and averaging 67 points per game, Seton Hall has lost 12 of its last 13 contests with the Irish and has averaged only 49.6 points in the past 13 series games.
• In the 14 series games since Notre Dame joined the BIG EAST Conference in 1995-96, the Irish have scored less than 62 points in a game only twice against Seton Hall (their last two games – a 51-45 SHU win and 54-33 ND victory). Conversely, the Pirates have topped the mark just once, falling 88-79 in overtime to the Irish in their first conference matchup on Jan. 2, 1996 in South Orange, N.J.
• On the defensive end, Notre Dame has been held to its two lowest point totals in the series in the past two games. However, the Irish also have limited Seton Hall to less than 50 points seven times, including a series-low 33 points in their last matchup on Jan. 2.
• Last year’s 51-45 Seton Hall victory at Walsh Gym also led to a dubious distinction for Notre Dame. It was just the second time in school history the Irish did not have a single player score in double figures. The only other time that happened was on Feb. 3, 1978 at Marquette. In an ironic twist, Seton Hall had no player score in double figures in this season’s earlier matchup, a 54-33 Irish win.
• Notre Dame head coach Muffet McGraw and Seton Hall head coach Phyllis Mangina have known one another for more than 20 years, dating back to McGraw’s previous coaching stint at Lehigh. In fact, while McGraw was with the Engineers (now Mountain Hawks), she faced Mangina’s Seton Hall squad twice, with each team winning on the other’s home floor (LU 72-65 on Nov. 22, 1985; SHU 69-65 on Jan. 8, 1987).

THE BEAST OF THE BIG EAST
Notre Dame is 136-31 (.814) in regular-season competition against the rest of BIG EAST Conference, owning the best conference winning percentage of any current member of the BIG EAST since joining the circuit for the 1995-96 campaign. The Irish also have finished either first or second in the BIG EAST eight times in their nine-year membership, and claimed a share of their first-ever regular-season conference championship in 2001.

When including postseason competition (BIG EAST and NCAA tournaments), Notre Dame is 149-40 (.788) against league opponents – when factoring in these 22 postseason tilts, the Irish are 76-8 (.905) at home, 60-26 (.698) on the road and 13-6 (.684) at neutral sites all-time vs. BIG EAST foes.

POLLING PLACE
Notre Dame is 185-44 (.808) all-time when it is ranked in the Associated Press poll at tipoff (the Irish were 10th last week and should remain in the polls entering Tuesday’s game at Seton Hall). When playing at home, Notre Dame has been especially strong, going 87-10 (.897) as a ranked host after posting a 14-2 record at the Joyce Center this season. Conversely, the Irish are 74-26 (.740) all-time when they play on the road as a ranked team.

Upon closer inspection, Notre Dame has been very sharp when it’s ranked in the top 10 of the AP poll. The Irish are 108-19 (.850) as a top-10 squad, including a 53-4 (.930) record at home. In fact, prior to its Dec. 2 overtime loss to then-No. 15 Michigan State, Notre Dame had a 41-game home winning streak when it was ranked in the AP top 10, dating back to December of 1998.

SOLID AS A ROCK
The Irish have fielded just two different starting lineups this season, a testament to the team’s consistency throughout the campaign. In fact, four players – senior All-America forward Jacqueline Batteast, senior center Teresa Borton, junior guard Megan Duffy and sophomore guard Breona Gray – have started every game for Notre Dame this season. The fifth starting spot has been split between junior forward Courtney LaVere and sophomore forward Crystal Erwin, due in part to LaVere’s knee surgery and subsequent recovery period earlier this season.

Batteast’s regularity in the starting lineup is especially notable. Tuesday night’s game at Seton Hall will represent her 93rd consecutive start, dating back to the opening game of the 2002-03 season against Cleveland State. The school record for consecutive games started in 95 by Katryna Gaither from 1994-97.

TOUGH STUFF
Junior guard Megan Duffy is on pace to shatter the Notre Dame single-season records for total minutes and minutes per game this year. Duffy presently has amassed 1,034 minutes played and is averaging 36.9 minutes per night, with nine 40-minute games to her credit (including a career-long 45-minute ironman performance vs. Michigan State on Dec. 2). The school record for total minutes is held by Beth Morgan (1,227 in 1996-97), while Mary Gavin owns the Irish minutes-per-game record (35.1 in 1986-87).

For her career, Duffy is averaging 31.0 minutes per game, which would rank fourth in school history just behind her current teammate, senior All-America forward Jacqueline Batteast (31.5).

BALANCE IS KEY
Notre Dame has had nine of the 11 players on its roster score in double figures at least once this season, with seven of them earning a share of team-high scoring honors in a game. The Irish also have had eight different players claim team-high rebounding honors in a game, while five separate players have led the squad in assists.

In addition, four of Notre Dame’s five current starters have at least two double-doubles to their credit this season. Senior All-America forward Jacqueline Batteast leads the way with six double-doubles, followed by two each for senior center Teresa Borton, junior guard Megan Duffy and junior forward Courtney LaVere.

THE SEASON FOR SHARING
One of the key elements in Notre Dame’s success this season has been its penchant for distributing the ball well. In fact, the Irish have 466 assists (16.64 apg.; third in the BIG EAST and 28th in the nation as of Feb. 22) on 692 field goals made (24.7 per game), including a Preseason WNIT-record 29 handouts in the season opener vs. Illinois State.

Junior guard Megan Duffy leads the way at 5.57 assists per game (second in the BIG EAST and 28th in the nation), with at least five dimes in 18 contests this year, four double-digit assist games (most by an Irish player since Niele Ivey’s five in 2000-01), and a career-high 11 assists vs. Rutgers on Jan. 23. Duffy also is second in the BIG EAST with 6.4 apg. in conference play.

KEEPING IT ON THE PLUS SIDE
The Irish currently own a positive assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.05 this season (466 assists, 443 turnovers). Should that figure hold up, it would mark the second time since turnovers became an official statistic in 1987-88 that Notre Dame has finished with more assists than turnovers in a season. The Irish also pulled off that feat in 2000-01, winding up with a 1.15 assist-to-turnover ratio (650 assists, 567 turnovers) during their run to the national championship.

ROAD WARRIORS
The Irish are 10-2 on the road this season, a far cry from last year’s struggles away from the Joyce Center, when they lost their first four and six of their first seven true road contests. In fact, Notre Dame won its first five road games this year, marking only the second time in school history the Irish opened with five or more road victories (they won 10 in a row to begin the 2000-01 campaign).

Accenting Notre Dame’s play on the road has been its defensive prowess. The Irish are holding opponents to 53.2 ppg., a .341 field goal percentage (226-for-662) and a .250 three-point percentage (52-for-208) away from home and have allowed more than 60 points only once in their 12 road games this year (61 by Syracuse on Jan. 19, although SU needed a Rochelle Coleman bucket with five seconds left to reach the mark).

PINE TIME PLAYERS
Notre Dame is 16-0 this year (7-0 vs. BIG EAST Conference opponents) when its bench outscores the opposition’s reserves. For the season, the Irish understudies are averaging 17.0 ppg., compared to 14.1 ppg. for Notre Dame opponents. Freshman guard Charel Allen has been the top Irish reserve this season, logging 7.8 ppg.

Notre Dame’s bench play has been especially important during the past 12 games. The Irish are getting an average of 20.3 ppg. (244 total points) from their reserves in that stretch, compared to 14.7 ppg. (176 total points) from the opposition’s bench. Allen (9.3 ppg.) has been the key bench contributor in that stretch with four double-figure games – 17 points at Syracuse (Jan. 19), 16 points at Pittsburgh (Feb. 5), 14 points vs. Georgetown (Feb. 12) and 11 points at No. 9/10 Connecticut (Jan. 30).

THE FIVE-FINGER DISCOUNT
Notre Dame ranks second in the BIG EAST Conference in steals this season, averaging 9.32 thefts per game (261 total). The Irish have come up with at least 10 steals in 11 games and had a season-best 20 thefts on Nov. 22 vs. Colorado State, the most by a BIG EAST team this season.

Individually, junior guard Megan Duffy is tops in the conference in steals (2.64 spg., 74 total), while her backcourt mate, sophomore Breona Gray is second on the team with 1.21 steals per game (34 total). Two other Notre Dame players have at least 30 steals this year – freshman guard Charel Allen (32) and senior All-America forward Jacqueline Batteast (31).

LOTS OF FREE STUFF
When given the opportunity, Notre Dame has taken advantage of its trips to the free throw line this season. The Irish lead the BIG EAST Conference and rank 21st in the nation (as of Feb. 22), shooting 74.8 percent from the charity stripe. In fact, they set a school record by going a perfect 18-for-18 on Nov. 30 at Valparaiso, which also matches the best mark by any team in the country this season.

Notre Dame has been led at the gift line by junior guard Megan Duffy (.912, 114-125), senior All-America forward Jacqueline Batteast (.823, 116-141) and freshman guard Charel Allen (.823, 51-62). Duffy currently ranks first in the BIG EAST and second in the nation in free throw percentage (as of Feb. 22), while Batteast is second in the conference and has shown the greatest improvement among all Irish players this season with nearly a 20-percent jump from last year’s career low .627 mark.

One side note about Duffy’s free throw prowess – the Irish junior struggled at the line early in her freshman season, shooting just 59.3 percent (16-27) during her first 15 collegiate games. However, in the 77 games since then (Jan. 20, 2003 to present), Duffy is connecting at an .874 clip (229-262) on her foul shots. She also has made 26 of her last 28 free throws (.929) in the past six Irish games.

STILL MORE FREE STUFF
Notre Dame has made more free throws (453) than its opponents have attempted (450) this season. That margin is even wider in BIG EAST Conference action, where the Irish have converted 232 foul shots, while their opponents have tried only 219 free throws.

McGRAW’S MILESTONES
Entering this season, Notre Dame head coach Muffet McGraw had the opportunity to reach three career coaching milestones. Here’s a look at her progress toward each landmark:

• Winningest basketball coach at Notre Dame – picked up 394th victory with the Irish on Dec. 19 at Marquette, passing longtime men’s coach Digger Phelps (393 wins from 1971-91).

• 400th victory at Notre Dame – registered 400th win at Notre Dame on Jan. 23 vs. Rutgers (current record: 408-153, .727)

• 500th victory overall – needs four wins (current record: 496-194, .719)

BATTEAST NAMED TO NAISMITH TROPHY/WOODEN AWARD MIDSEASON LISTS
Senior All-America forward Jacqueline Batteast took another step in her quest to be named the nation’s top collegiate women’s basketball player on Feb. 22 when she was one of 30 players selected as midseason candidates for the Naismith Trophy presented by Cingular Wireless. It’s the second time in the past month Batteast has been tapped as a leading midseason contender for a major national player of the year award – in January, she was named to the John R. Wooden Women’s Award Midseason Top 20 List.

The Naismith Trophy is presented annually by the Atlanta Tipoff Club, with the Naismith midseason top 30 list being chosen by the group’s Board of Selectors, a cross-section of leading basketball journalists, coaches and administrators from across the country. Those 30 players, and others who may distinguish themselves throughout the season, will be eligible for the final Naismith Trophy ballot in March, when four finalists are announced by the Atlanta Tipoff Club’s Board of Selectors.

Like the Naismith Trophy, the John R. Wooden Women’s Award goes to the nation’s top college women’s basketball player. In March, approximately 15 finalists for the Wooden Women’s Award will be placed on the voting ballot by the award’s National Advisory Board, which is comprised of some of the country’s leading sportswriters and sportscasters who cover women’s basketball on a regular basis. Those ballots will then be mailed to more than 250 voters across the nation, with the top five vote-getters earning Wooden Award All-America honors, as well as a trip to the Wooden Award trophy presentation ceremony April 9 at the Omni Hotel in Los Angeles.

DUFFY SELECTED TO ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT SECOND TEAM
Junior guard Megan Duffy has been named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District V Second Team, it was announced Feb. 17. Duffy continues a long line of successful student-athletes in the Irish women’s basketball program, with her selection marking the sixth time in the past seven seasons a Notre Dame female cager has received academic all-district honors. Ruth Riley was a three-time all-district pick, going on to earn Academic All-America® recognition in 2000 and 2001 (being named the ’01 Academic All-America® Team Member of the Year), and Alicia Ratay was a two-time academic all-district choice in 2002 and 2003.

Duffy currently holds a 3.454 cumulative grade-point average in the College of Arts and Letters, where she is pursuing a double major in psychology and computer applications. During the fall 2004 semester, she earned Dean’s List honors after compiling a 3.833 GPA.

DETHRONING THE CHAMPS
Notre Dame achieved a historic basketball feat on Jan. 30, becoming the first school ever to defeat both the reigning men’s and women’s NCAA champions in the same season on two occasions. On that Sunday night, the Irish women ousted Connecticut, 65-59 in Storrs, a mere three hours after the Notre Dame men also toppled the Huskies, 78-74 in South Bend.

Last season, Notre Dame became just the fourth school since the inception of the NCAA women’s basketball tournament in 1982 to have both its men’s and women’s basketball teams beat the defending national champions in the same season. The Irish women did their part by ousting Connecticut (66-51) on Jan. 13, 2004, while the Notre Dame men completed the double with an 84-72 win at Syracuse on Feb. 16, 2004.

The only other schools that can lay claim to this accomplishment are Duke (1998-99), Tennessee (1999-2000), Michigan State (1999-2000) and North Carolina (2004-05), with Notre Dame, Michigan State and UNC being the only institutions to turn the trick in the regular season (Duke’s women beat Tennessee in the ’99 NCAAs, while Tennessee’s men downed Connecticut in the ’00 NCAAs).

THE WEST VIRGINIA RECAP
Seniors Teresa Borton and Jacqueline Batteast gave Notre Dame fans one last performance to remember.

Borton scored 18 points on 8-of-9 shooting in her final game at the Joyce Center and the All-American Batteast added 15 points, helping the 10th-ranked Fighting Irish dominate inside en route to an 82-57 victory over West Virginia on Saturday. It was Notre Dame’s 11th win in 12 games.

“We’re starting to look sharp. We’re starting to peak,” Irish coach Muffet McGraw said.

The Fighting Irish (24-4, 12-3 BIG EAST) took control with a 13-0 run late in the first half and never let the Mountaineers (16-10, 7-8) get back in the game, outshooting West Virginia 70 percent to 33 percent after the break.

“They just dominated us in the second half,” West Virginia coach Mike Carey said.

Junior guard Megan Duffy added 12 points and 10 assists for the Irish – her second career double-double – but the inside play and free throw shooting were the key. Notre Dame outscored the Mountaineers 46-22 inside, had a 39-30 rebounding advantage and outscored West Virginia 15-6 from the free throw line.

“We thought we had a good game plan coming in and all of a sudden we quit defending the post,” Carey said.

Seniors Batteast and Borton left the game together with 3:38 remaining and got hugs from McGraw.

“They built our program back to where it was when they were freshmen, and that’s a monumental task,” McGraw said.

The 24 victories are the most for the Irish program since the 2000-01 team went 34-2 and won the national championship the season before Batteast and Borton arrived.

Batteast, who became the fourth Irish player to moved past the 1,800-point mark, smiled frequently throughout the game.

“I knew if I smiled it would be harder to cry,” she said.

Borton added nine rebounds and five blocks.

Ten of the 11 Notre Dame players who got into the game scored, giving the Irish the most points against a BIG EAST opponent this season. The Irish had scored 75 points three times, most recently in wins against Pittsburgh and Providence earlier this month.

“If you look down the stat line, everybody contributed,” Duffy said.

The Irish also held West Virginia’s Meg Bulger, who averages 20.5 points, to less than half of her league-leading scoring mark with nine points on 4-of-19 shooting.

Yolanda Paige and Sherell Sowho had 16 points each to lead the Mountaineers.

NOTING THE WEST VIRGINIA WIN

• Notre Dame improves to 12-1 all-time against West Virginia, including a 7-0 record at the Joyce Center.
• The Irish posted their highest point total vs. WVU since an 87-64 victory at Morgantown, W.Va., on Jan. 24, 2001.
• Notre Dame has scored at least 70 points against West Virginia in 10 of their 13 series matchups and has held the Mountaineers under 60 points on six occasions.
• The 25-point margin of victory was the largest for Notre Dame over WVU since an 89-54 win at Morgantown on Feb. 20, 1999.
• The Irish closed out their home schedule with a 14-2 mark, only one win shy of the school-record 15 home victories set on three occasions (1999-2000, 2000-01 and 2003-04).
• The Senior Day crowd of 7,935 at the Joyce Center not only was a season high, but also the 14th-largest home audience in school history – Notre Dame now has had crowds of 5,000 or more fans in 65 of its last 67 home games.
• Notre Dame continues to set its seniors out the right way, jumping to 16-2 on Senior Day in the Muffet McGraw era (1987-88 to present), including victories in 16 of the past 17 Senior Days (48-45 loss in 2002 vs. Villanova); all-time, the Irish are 23-5 (.821) on Senior Day.
• Notre Dame also remains especially resilient when it comes to shaking off a double-digit loss – the Irish are 36-5 (.878) in games following a double-figure defeat since joining the BIG EAST Conference in 1995-96, including a 23-1 (.958) record in “bounce back” games at home.
• The Irish recovered nicely from their season-high 23-turnover game at Rutgers by nearly cutting their giveaways in half – junior guard Megan Duffy highlighted that effort with a 10-assist, two-turnover game vs. West Virginia after being saddled with three assists and 10 turnovers at Rutgers.
• Duffy collected her second career double-double (both this season) and her fourth double-digit assist game of the year with her 12-point, 10-assist day.
• Duffy’s four double-figure assist games are the most for an Irish player since Niele Ivey had five 10-assist outings in 2000-01.
• Duffy also nailed three three-point field goals, tying her with former teammate Jeneka Joyce (2000-04) for seventh place on the Irish career triples list (92).
• Senior center Teresa Borton tied her season high with 18 points (previous: vs. Purdue on Jan. 16), while adding five blocks (one off her career high of six, set on Dec. 2 vs. Michigan State); she now has 48 swats this year, moving her into ninth place on the Irish single-season list ahead of Katryna Gaither (46 in 1994-95).
• Borton also tied Gaither for fourth place on Notre Dame’s career blocks chart with 141.
• Senior All-America forward Jacqueline Batteast cracked the 1,800-point mark for her career with a three-point play early in the second half and now has 1,809 markers at Notre Dame.
• In addition, Batteast has 494 points this year and is poised to become only the fourth player in school history to score 500 points in a season twice, joining Notre Dame’s top three all-time scorers – Beth Morgan (518 in 1993-94; 626 in 1995-96; 696 in 1996-97), Katryna Gaither (590 in 1994-95; 613 in 1995-96; 776 in 1996-97) and Ruth Riley (514 in 1998-99; 518 in 1999-2000; 672 in 2000-01).

HALF AND HALF
Over the past five seasons, Notre Dame has been nearly unbeatable when it has the lead at halftime. The Irish are 95-7 (.931) since the start of the 2000-01 campaign when they go into the dressing room with the lead. Notre Dame is 18-0 in such games this season, including an 8-0 record in BIG EAST Conference play.

THE BEST OFFENSE IS A GOOD DEFENSE …
During the past decade, Notre Dame has discovered that a solid defensive effort can almost certainly guarantee a victory. In fact, since the beginning of the 1995-96 season (Notre Dame’s first in the BIG EAST Conference), the Irish have an amazing 147-9 (.942) record when they hold their opponents to less than 60 points in a game, including an 18-2 mark this season (10-2 in BIG EAST games, including a 7-1 record in the past seven games).

… BUT SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO SCORE IF YOU WANT TO WIN
Not resting solely on its defensive laurels, Notre Dame also seemingly has found the magic mark when it comes to outscoring its opponents. Over the past decade (1995-96 to present), the Irish are 91-3 (.968) when they score at least 80 points in a game. The only blemishes on that record are a pair of overtime losses to Texas A&M (88-84) and Michigan State (87-83) in 1995 and a 106-81 loss to Connecticut in 1998. Notre Dame has tacked three more wins onto that ledger with its victories this season over Illinois State, Purdue and West Virginia.

SWEET SUCCESS
Notre Dame is one of only five schools in the country to have appeared in the NCAA Sweet Sixteen six times in the past eight seasons (1997-2004). The others are Connecticut (eight times), Tennessee (eight times), Duke (seven times) and Louisiana Tech (seven times).

THE GOLD STANDARD
Having clinched their 12th consecutive 20-win season with a 75-47 victory at Pittsburgh on Feb. 5, the Irish are one of just six teams nationwide to have an active streak of at least 11 consecutive 20-win seasons. The others in these elite club are Tennessee (29), Texas Tech (16), Louisiana Tech (13), Old Dominion (13) and Connecticut (11) – Tennessee and Texas Tech also have extended their streaks this season (through Feb. 27).

NOTRE DAME AMONG RECENT WINS LEADERS
Notre Dame has won 226 games over the past nine seasons, which is tied for the sixth-most wins of any school in the country during that time.

NOW THAT’S A HOME COURT ADVANTAGE
One of the hallmarks of Notre Dame’s success has been its stellar play at home. In fact, the Irish have been virtually untouchable at home in recent years, winning 127 of their last 138 games (.920), including 34 of their last 36 (.944), at the 11,418-seat Joyce Center. Notre Dame also has a 76-8 (.905) home record in BIG EAST play.

The Irish have been particularly strong when it comes to non-conference games at home, winning 54 of their last 57 non-BIG EAST contests (.947) at the Joyce Center, dating back to the 1994-95 season. The only three losses in that span all came against Big Ten Conference teams – Wisconsin in 1996 (81-69), Purdue in 2003 (71-54) and Michigan State in 2004 (82-73 in OT).

Since its inaugural season in 1977-78, Notre Dame has played all of its games at the Joyce Center, posting a 277-72 (.794) record at the venerable facility. In three of the previous five seasons (1999-2000, 2000-01 and 2003-04), the Irish were a perfect 15-0 at home, setting a school record for home wins in a season.

JAMMIN’ THE JOYCE
Beginning with its national championship season of 2000-01, Notre Dame has ranked in the top 20 in the nation in attendance each of the past four years, and current returns indicate this season may be no different. According to the Feb. 21 unofficial national attendance rankings (as compiled by the University of Wisconsin Sports Information Office), Notre Dame is 17th in the nation with an average of 5,830 fans per game.

All of the top 20 crowds in the Irish record book have occurred during the 18-year tenure of head coach Muffet McGraw (1987-present). And, as more evidence of Notre Dame’s rapid elevation to “hot ticket” status in South Bend, 19 of the top 20 crowds in school history have been recorded in the past five seasons (2000-01 to present), including 12 audiences of 8,000 or more fans, and 65 of the past 67 home games with at least 5,000 fans filing into the Joyce Center.

NOTRE DAME ON THE SMALL SCREEN
The Irish already have made 13 appearances on regional or national television during the 2004-05 season, with some postseason games scheduled to be televised as well.

Notre Dame made its TV debut this season on Nov. 20 when it defeated No. 10/9 Ohio State, 66-62 in the championship game of the Sportsview.tv Preseason WNIT. That contest was shown globally via broadband Internet connection at www.sportsview.tv, as well either live or delayed on several Comcast SportsNet outlets nationwide. The American Forces Network, which broadcasts to more than one million U.S. service men and women in 176 countries, also aired the game.

The Irish returned to the airwaves Dec. 2 when they dropped an 82-73 overtime decision to No. 15 Michigan State on College Sports Television (CSTV). That was the first of three Notre Dame games that aired nationally on the fledgling cable network, which has signed an agreement with the BIG EAST Conference to carry a national women’s basketball Game of the Week eight times in 2004-05. The Irish also lost to No. 16 Connecticut, 67-50 on Jan. 12 at the Joyce Center and won at No. 25/22 Boston College, 54-47 on Feb. 15 in front of the CSTV cameras.

In addition, Notre Dame played twice on ESPN2 this year. On Jan. 16, the Irish downed No. 20 Purdue, 86-69 in the BIG EAST/Big Ten Challenge at the Joyce Center. Two weeks later on Jan. 30, Notre Dame was back on ESPN2 as it defeated No. 9/10 Connecticut, 65-59 at Gampel Pavilion.

The BIG EAST also added two Irish games to its regional television package this season. Notre Dame lost at Villanova, 59-54 on Jan. 9 and defeated No. 6/7 Rutgers, 63-47 on Jan. 23, both on BIG EAST Television. Among those affiliates carrying the BETV package were Comcast SportsNet outlets in Chicago, Philadelphia and the Mid-Atlantic region, as well as Fox Sports Net outlets in New York, New England and Pittsburgh.

Detroit-based Comcast Local (Channel 3 on Comcast cable systems in South Bend) was the latest television outlet to select Notre Dame women’s basketball games for broadcast. The newly-formed network aired five Irish games this season – at USC (Nov. 26), and home games vs. Washington (Dec. 11), St. John’s (Jan. 26), Georgetown (Feb. 12) and West Virginia (Feb. 26) – and Notre Dame was a perfect 5-0 on the network.

NOTRE DAME ON THE AIRWAVES
Once again this season, every Irish women’s basketball game (home and away) airs on the flagship stations of the Artistic Media Partners (AMP) Network – WDND-AM (ESPN Radio 1580) and WNDV-AM (1490) in South Bend. Veteran broadcaster and AMP sports director Sean Stires is now in his fifth season handling the play-by-play for Notre Dame. The Irish also can be heard on the Internet at Notre Dame’s official athletics web site (www.und.com) by subscribing to College Sports Pass, which gives listeners full multimedia access to a variety of Irish athletics events for only $6.95 per month.

OH CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN
For the fourth time in school history (all during the Muffet McGraw era), Notre Dame will have three players sharing the captain’s duties this year. Senior forward Jacqueline Batteast, senior center Teresa Borton and junior guard Megan Duffy all were accorded the honor based upon a vote of their teammates prior to the season. All three are serving as captains for the first time in their respective careers.

IRISH ADD TWO PLAYERS DURING EARLY SIGNING PERIOD
Notre Dame head coach Muffet McGraw has announced that Lindsay Schrader, a 6-0 guard from Bartlett, Ill., and Chandrica Smith, a 6-1 forward from Stone Mountain, Ga., have chosen to continue their careers with the Irish, signing National Letters of Intent to attend Notre Dame beginning in the fall of 2005.

With the additions of Schrader and Smith, Notre Dame’s newest recruiting class is ranked 16th in the nation by Blue Star Index. That marks the ninth consecutive year the Irish have had a top-20 class, according to that publication, which makes Notre Dame one of only three schools in the nation that can claim that distinction (Connecticut and Tennessee are the others).

Schrader has been widely regarded as one of the top all-around players in the state of Illinois while attending Bartlett High School the past three seasons. She is a three-time all-state selection, a two-time Illinois Miss Basketball finalist, and a two-time Street & Smith’s All-America selection who has averaged 20.1 points, 9.8 rebounds, 3.1 steals and 1.8 blocks per game in her prep career. Her finest all-around season came as a junior in 2003-04, when she averaged 20.8 ppg., 10.8 rpg. and 2.0 bpg. while earning first-team all-state honors from the Associated Press, Chicago Tribune and Champaign News-Gazette. She also was a sixth-team All-America selection by Street & Smith’s and was a finalist for Illinois Miss Basketball honors, an award she will likely contend for once again this season.

On the summer camp circuit, Schrader was an Underclass All-Star at the 2002 adidas Top Ten Camp, before attending the Nike All-America Camp in both 2003 and 2004. She is ranked among the top 30 high school seniors in the nation by three separate recruiting services – Blue Star Index (14th), All-Game Sports (21st) and All-Star Girls Report (26th overall – eighth among shooting guards).

In addition, Schrader made a significant impact at the 2004 USA Basketball Youth Development Festival in Colorado Springs. Playing for the North Team that won the silver medal, she ranked third at the Festival in scoring (14.8 ppg.) and rebounding (8.6 rpg.), as well as second in field goal percentage (.542). All three figures were team highs, as were her 2.2 steals per game. For her efforts, Schrader was invited to attend the 2004 USA Women’s Junior World Championship Qualifying Team Trials, where she was one of 17 finalists for the 12-player team that won the gold medal this past August.

Smith currently attends Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Va., where she transferred prior to her senior season. Previously, she was a standout at Stephenson High School in Stone Mountain, Ga., where she averaged 12.5 points, 8.1 rebounds, 3.5 steals and 2.4 blocks per game with a .620 field goal percentage. She also was a key component in the Jaguars’ run to a 32-1 record and the Georgia 5A state championship last year. In fact, during her first three prep seasons, her teams posted a combined 89-7 (.927) record with three trips to the Georgia state championship and one state title.

Smith herself has received numerous accolades during her high school career. She is a two-time honorable mention All-America selection by Street & Smith’s and was a Student Sports All-American in 2004. In addition, she attended the adidas Top Ten Camp three consecutive years and was named to its prestigious all-star team all three years (Underclass All-Star in 2002 & 2003; Upperclass All-Star in 2004). Last season, she was an honorable mention 5A all-state selection and a first-team all-county choice. She is ranked as high as 29th in the nation among high school seniors by All-Star Girls Report.

Like Schrader, Smith also attended the 2004 USA Basketball Youth Development Festival in Colorado Springs. Playing for the South Team, she averaged 5.4 points and 2.6 rebounds per game, scoring a personal-best 13 points in the bronze-medal game victory over the East squad.

Muffet McGraw SIGNS CONTRACT EXTENSION THROUGH 2010-11 SEASON
On Nov. 6, Notre Dame announced that Muffet McGraw has signed a two-year extension to continue as head coach of the Notre Dame women’s basketball program through the 2010-11 season.

McGraw, who is now in her 18th season with the Irish, most recently signed a four-year contract extension in July 2002 that took her through the 2008-09 season. Her first 17 seasons at Notre Dame have been highlighted by 15 20-win campaigns (including a current string of 11 straight), 11 NCAA tournament appearances (including a current streak of nine straight) and the 2001 NCAA title. Entering the 2004-05 season, she had a 384-149 (.720) record at Notre Dame.

In 2003-04, McGraw skillfully guided her team to a 21-11 record and a second consecutive berth in the NCAA Sweet Sixteen (the fourth for the Irish in five years). McGraw’s charges placed second in the BIG EAST Conference, their eighth top-two finish since joining the league nine years ago. In addition, the Irish went 15-0 at home, their third perfect record at the Joyce Center in the past five seasons, and extended their overall home win streak to 20 games, the second-longest in school history and eighth-longest active string in the nation heading into the 2004-05 campaign.

McGraw has continued to enhance her reputation as one of the nation’s outstanding big-game coaches and tacticians, piloting Notre Dame to a school-record seven wins over top 25 teams during the 2003-04 regular season. During her 17-year tenure with the Irish, McGraw has compiled 40 victories over nationally-ranked opponents, including 30 in the past six seasons (an average of five per year).

Under McGraw’s guidance, the past nine years have been the most successful in Notre Dame’s history as the Irish have compiled an impressive 225-69 (.765) record, including a sparkling 124-28 (.816) regular-season mark in BIG EAST play, the best winning percentage in league history. Notre Dame also has averaged 25 victories per campaign during that span, with two 30-win seasons to its credit. The Irish have won at least one NCAA tournament game every season over that time, advancing to the Sweet Sixteen six times (1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004) and the Final Four twice (1997 and 2001).

NEXT GAME: BIG EAST CHAMPIONSHIP
Notre Dame will head to Hartford, Conn., this weekend to compete in the BIG EAST Conference Championship at the Hartford Civic Center. However, about the only thing the Irish know for certain regarding their status in the conference tournament is that they will have a first-round bye and will not play until Sunday’s quarterfinal round. Beyond that, Notre Dame’s seed, opponent and game time at the BIG EAST Championship are undetermined. The Irish can earn any one of the top three seeds for the event, depending on the outcome of games played Tuesday evening.

Should Notre Dame be seeded No. 1, it would play in Sunday’s 2 p.m. (ET) quarterfinal against the winner of the first-round game between the No. 8-9 seeds. A second seed for the Irish means a 6 p.m. (ET) quarterfinal game on Sunday against the victor of the No. 7-10 seed first-round contest. If Notre Dame is the third seed, it would play Sunday at 8 p.m. (ET) in the quarterfinals against the winner of the No. 6-11 seed opening-round matchup.

All quarterfinal and semifinal games at the BIG EAST Championship will be televised nationally on College Sports Television (CSTV), which can be found on most cable systems as well as DirecTV Channel 610. The BIG EAST Championship final will be broadcast live Tuesday at 7 p.m. (ET) on ESPN.