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Irish Head South For Matchup With No. 17 Miami

Jan. 27, 2004

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Notre Dame Fighting Irish (11-7, 4-2)
vs. (#17 AP/#18 ESPN/USA Today) Miami Hurricanes (16-1, 5-1)

The Date and Time: Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2004, at 7 p.m. ET.
The Site: Convocation Center (7,000) in Coral Gables, Fla.
The Tickets: Still available by calling the Miami Athletics Ticket Office (800-462-2637).
The TV Plans: Sunshine Network broadcast with Frank Forte (play-by-play), Charles Davis (analysis) and Bill Moore (producer/director). The game will air live in South Bend on WHME-TV (Channel 46) and will be shown on a tape-delayed basis on the Sunshine Network (DirecTV Channel 632) at 10 p.m. (ET).
The Radio Plans: All Notre Dame games are broadcast live on WDND-AM (ESPN Radio 1620) and/or WNDV-AM (1490) in South Bend with Sean Stires (play-by-play). These broadcasts also are available through the Notre Dame athletics web site at www.und.com.
Real-Time Statistics: Live in-game statistics are available for the Miami game through the Notre Dame (www.und.com) and Miami (www.hurricanesports.com) athletics web sites.
Web Sites: Notre Dame (www.und.com), Miami (www.hurricanesports.com).

With the South Bend area blanketed by several inches of snow, Notre Dame will leave town for the warmer climate of south Florida and a Wednesday night matchup at 17th-ranked Miami. The Hurricanes represent the eighth ranked opponent for the Irish this season, with Notre Dame having won four of its first seven games against Top 25 foes.

  • The Irish (11-7, 4-2) are coming off a win over another ranked opponent, having downed No. 23/25 Villanova, 38-36 on Saturday in the lowest-scoring game in Joyce Center history. Both teams did not shoot the ball well, but it was the Notre Dame defense that prevailed in the end, as the Irish wound up beating the Wildcats at their own slow-paced game.
  • Junior forward Jacqueline Batteast was the hero for Notre Dame, scoring a game-high 14 points, including the two game-winning free throws with 17.5 seconds remaining. Batteast also had nine rebounds, just missing her fifth consecutive double-double.
  • Miami (16-1, 5-1) has not played in eight days since an 86-67 win at Providence on Jan. 20. Junior guard Yalonda McCormick led four ‘Canes in double figures with 24 points. Sophomore guard/forward Tamara James is UM’s leading scorer this season, ranking seventh in the conference at 16.3 ppg.
  • Notre Dame leads the all-time series with Miami, 12-3, including a 6-1 record in Coral Gables. However, Wednesday will mark the first time the Irish have played in Miami’s new on-campus arena, the Convocation Center.

A QUICK LOOK AT THE FIGHTING IRISH
Notre Dame has ridden a true roller coaster of emotions this season. Facing the nation’s fourth-toughest schedule, the Irish have been particularly dominant at home, going 8-0 at the Joyce Center, but have had maddening runs of inconsistency on the road, posting a 3-7 mark. Still, Notre Dame has gained valuable experience against some top-notch opponents this year, going 4-3 against Top 25 teams and firmly planting itself within the top 25 of all major RPI ladders.

  • Junior forward and preseason All-American Jacqueline Batteast (15.6 ppg., 8.4 rpg., .461 field goal percentage, seven double-doubles) has lived up to her accolades this season, ranking among the BIG EAST leaders in scoring, rebounding, field goal percentage and blocked shots (1.11 bpg.). She was named to the WBCA Classic All-Tournament Team on Nov. 15 after a superb weekend that included a career-high 27 points against 22nd-ranked Auburn. She then piled up back-to-back double-doubles vs. No. 20 Colorado (13p, 10r) and Valparaiso (15p, 10r) before logging team bests of 16 points and seven caroms at No. 3 Tennessee, 19 points at Washington and a game-high 13 points with six assists vs. Dayton. She then chalked up her third double-double vs. USC (20p, 13r) to earn the first BIG EAST Player of the Week honor of her career. Since BIG EAST play began, she has been red hot, averaging 17.2 points and 9.8 rebounds per game with a .534 field goal percentage and four double-doubles, all in the past five games. She now has 62 career double-figure scoring games and 26 career double-doubles after a 14-point, nine-rebound effort Saturday vs. Villanova, a performance which included a career-best 10 for 10 night at the free throw line (the second-best outing in Joyce Center history). Batteast also became the 20th Notre Dame player to score 1,000 career points when she tallied 14 points vs. Virginia Tech on Jan. 10, making her the fourth-fastest ever to reach that milestone (72 games).
  • Junior center Teresa Borton (6.9 ppg., 4.3 rpg., .521 FG%) and sophomore forward Courtney LaVere (8.4 ppg., 4.9 rpg.) also have made important contributions at times this season. Borton has recovered well from off-season heel surgery and was at her best vs. Colorado State and Marquette, ringing up 14 points on both occasions. Borton then added 11 points and eight rebounds at Georgetown, followed by 14 points and six boards against Virginia Tech. Meanwhile, LaVere, a freshman All-American last year, has had an up-and-down second season. She tied Batteast for team-high scoring honors with 12 points at Michigan State before rising up and carding season highs of 22 points and nine rebounds vs. Wisconsin. She once again cracked double figures on Jan. 1 vs. Marquette, tossing in 16 points on six of 11 shooting. LaVere has looked solid in her last four outings, averaging 9.5 ppg., with a .500 field goal percentage (15 of 30), providing a critical 14 points against Connecticut, 10 points at West Virginia and 10 points at Syracuse.
  • Sophomore Megan Duffy (11.1 ppg., team-high 4.67 apg., .417 3FG%, .817 FT%) is in her first season as the everyday point guard for the Irish and she is proving to be a key cog in the Notre Dame offensive arsenal. After averaging only three points and 2.3 assists per game last year, the Dayton, Ohio, native has more than tripled her scoring output, ranks fifth in the BIG EAST in assists and owns a team-best 1.56 assist/turnover ratio (seventh in the BIG EAST). In addition, she is showing offensive diversity, knocking down 30 three-pointers this season. She also has nine double-figure scoring games to her credit this year, including a career-high 25 points vs. Wisconsin on Dec. 4, and 22 points at Georgetown on Jan. 7. Her ball handling skills have not diminished, as she also has registered five-or-more assists in 10 games, including a career-high nine assists on Dec. 7 at Washington. In her last outing, she scored 10 points and buried the game-tying three-pointer with 2:02 left vs. Villanova.
  • Senior captain Le’Tania Severe (7.8 ppg., 3.4 apg., .489 FG%, .793 FT%) has slid over to the shooting guard position in place of the NCAA’s all-time three-point queen, Alicia Ratay, and Severe has filled the role admirably. While not putting up the three-point numbers Ratay had in her remarkable career, Severe is getting her points as a slasher, driving to the basket and creating havoc for opposing defenses. She also is second on the team with 1.39 steals per game and has been a vital piece of Notre Dame’s transition game. She has scored in double digits seven times this year, including a season-high 15 points at Purdue and 12 points against Connecticut on Jan. 13.

A QUICK LOOK AT MIAMI
No team in the BIG EAST Conference has been hotter this season than Miami. The Hurricanes (16-1, 5-1) raced out to the best start in school history with 12 consecutive victories, which also matched the second-longest winning streak in the UM record books. After a narrow three-point loss at nationally-ranked Villanova, the ‘Canes have since reeled off four more wins and are tied atop the BIG EAST standings with two-time defending national championship Connecticut.

Miami will enter Wednesday night’s game well-rested, having not taken the court since Jan. 20 when it picked up an 86-67 win at Providence. Junior guard Yalonda McCormick scored a game-high 24 points, hitting nine of 13 shots, while senior forward Chanivia Broussard rang up a double-double with 20 points and a game-high 14 rebounds. As a team, the Hurricanes shot 60.7 percent from the floor (34 of 56), including a staggering 72.4 percent (21 of 29) in the second half.

UM sophomore guard/forward Tamara James was a second-team all-BIG EAST pick last year after becoming the first freshman in league history to win the scoring title. She’s at it again this year, leading Miami and ranking seventh in the BIG EAST in scoring (16.3 ppg.). James also is tops on the squad in three-point percentage (.367) and third in rebounding (4.8 rpg.).

Meanwhile, Broussard is 12th in the conference in both scoring (14.2 ppg.) and rebounding (6.5 rpg.), while also placing second in steals (2.59 spg.) and third in field goal percentage (.500). McCormick is among the BIG EAST leaders in steals (1st – 3.12 spg.), assists (2nd – 5.06 apg.) and scoring (18th – 13.2 ppg.).

Miami is the second-best offensive team in the conference, averaging 75.3 points per game. The ‘Canes also are third in the loop in field goal percentage (.460) and assists (18.94 apg.). Defensively, UM leads the BIG EAST and ranks 18th in the nation in steals (12.24 spg.), forcing an average of 21.8 turnovers per game.

Ferne Labati is in her 16th season as the head coach at Miami, sporting a 284-173 (.621) record in Coral Gables. She has been a collegiate skipper for 25 years and has an overall record of 420-295 (.587). She is 2-10 all-time against Notre Dame.

THE NOTRE DAME-MIAMI SERIES
Wednesday’s game will mark the 16th time Notre Dame and Miami have met on the hardwood, with the Irish owning a 12-3 advantage in the series (10-2 in BIG EAST play). Notre Dame also has won six of the seven previous times the two clubs have played in Coral Gables, although this will be the first time they have tangled at UM’s new arena, the Convocation Center.

The Irish have outscored the Hurricanes by an average of nearly 13 points per game in the series. However, Miami comes into Wednesday night’s contest having won the most recent matchup in the series, 80-70 on Jan. 11, 2003, at the Joyce Center. It was the ‘Canes largest win in the rivalry (their other two victories were by one point each) and it snapped Notre Dame’s series-long six-game winning streak.

Among current Irish players, junior forward Jacqueline Batteast has had the most individual success against Miami, averaging 12 points, 12 rebounds and six assists with two double-doubles in two games vs. the Hurricanes. Batteast is one of four players on the Notre Dame roster who have a career double-figure scoring average in the UM series — the others are sophomore forward Courtney LaVere (12.0 ppg.), senior guard Jeneka Joyce (11.0 ppg.) and junior center Teresa Borton (10.0 ppg.). Of the quartet, LaVere is the only one who hasn’t played at least two games vs. the ‘Canes. A complete rundown of the statistics current Irish players have compiled against Miami can be found on page 18 of this notes package.

THE LAST TIME NOTRE DAME AND MIAMI MET
Tamara James scored 27 points and Chanivia Broussard had 16 points and eight rebounds as Miami beat No. 16 Notre Dame, 80-70 on Jan. 11, 2003, at the Joyce Center. The Hurricanes outrebounded the bigger Irish, 47-39, including 24 offensive rebounds and forced 28 turnovers (14 coming on steals). As a result, UM beat Notre Dame for just the third time in 15 tries and for the first time in South Bend since 1987.

The score was tied at 44 at halftime, but Meghan Saake hit a three-pointer to start the second half and the Hurricanes never trailed again. The Irish were down just 57-56 after Jacqueline Batteast scored on a layup with 8:43 left, but Notre Dame didn’t score another basket from the floor until Alicia Ratay hit a three-pointer with 39 seconds left to cut the lead to 75-66.

Melissa Knight started the decisive 15-5 run by the Hurricanes by hitting a three-pointer. James hit a pair of three-pointers as Miami continued to pull away. Shaquana Wilkins added 10 points for Miami and Yalonda McCormick had nine assists, seven in the first 13 minutes. She also had four steals.

Teresa Borton led the Irish with 13 points on six of seven shooting and Batteast had 12 points and 11 rebounds. Le’Tania Severe scored 12 points, but she also turned the ball over 11 times.

THE LAST TIME NOTRE DAME AND MIAMI MET IN CORAL GABLES
Alicia Ratay scored 23 points and canned seven three-point field goals to spark a record-setting night for Notre Dame as the Irish held off Miami, 69-65, on Jan. 2, 2002, at the Knight Sports Complex in Coral Gables, Fla.

Ratay was seven of nine from three-point range, tying her career high for treys in a single game. As a team, the Irish knocked down a school-record 13 three-pointers on 24 attempts, breaking the previous mark of 12 set against St. John’s on Feb. 28, 1998. Notre Dame also shot 52.1 percent from the field, hitting 25 of 48 field goal attempts in the contest.

Jacqueline Batteast notched her seventh double-double of the season, and fifth in as many games with 12 points and 13 rebounds, as well as six assists. Jeneka Joyce came off the bench to score nine points and hand out four assists, while Allison Bustamante scored eight points and made three of four field goals, including two treys.

Chanivia Broussard scored a team-high 22 points for Miami. Sheila James added 17 points and six steals for the Hurricanes, who amassed 17 steals, but struggled from the three-point line, hitting just four of 22 attempts from long range.

Batteast opened the scoring with a three-pointer 44 seconds into the game, giving an indication of things that were to come for the Irish. Notre Dame built a trio of five-point leads in the first four minutes, but Miami rallied and took its first lead at 14-12 on a trey from James. However, Batteast countered with a triple of her own, igniting a 12-2 Irish run that gave the visitors a game-high eight-point lead with 9:41 left in the half.

The Hurricanes made another charge and fought back to take a 31-30 lead when Broussard made the first of two free throws at the 4:21 mark. Ratay and Broussard then traded three-pointers and Miami would end up preserving its edge at halftime, taking a 36-35 lead to the dressing room.

The hosts came out swinging to start the second half, scoring six of the first eight points to open up their largest lead of the night (42-37) on a bucket by Meghan Saake with 16:53 remaining. After the two teams went scoreless for the next two and a half minutes, Ratay caught lightning in a bottle, hitting three consecutive three-pointers in a two-minute stretch to reverse the momentum and give the Irish a 46-44 lead with 12:10 to play.

Two possessions later, Bustamante drilled a triple from the right wing to cap a 13-2 Notre Dame run and give the Irish a six-point edge with 10:44 to go. But, Miami would not go quietly, closing to within a basket four times over the next five minutes, the last coming at 58-56 on a Saake jumper. Ratay hit her seventh three-pointer with 2:21 left to bump the Notre Dame lead back to eight, but Broussard and Saake hit shots to pull the Hurricanes within 64-60 with 1:30 remaining.

On the ensuing possession, Joyce was fouled but missed the front end of her one-and-one opportunity. Batteast was there to corral the offensive rebound and the Irish worked the ball to Bustamante, who drained a critical three-pointer with 1:17 left to quash the final Miami comeback.

OTHER NOTRE DAME-MIAMI SERIES TIDBITS

  • This marks the fourth consecutive season Notre Dame and Miami will play each other just once. The Irish and Hurricanes faced off nine times in Notre Dame’s first five years in the BIG EAST (1996-2000).
  • Of the 15 games in the series, only five have been decided by single-digit margins, with Notre Dame winning three of those close affairs.
  • Miami has scored more than 70 points against Notre Dame four times in their 15-game series. Conversely, the Irish have topped the 70-point mark 10 times in their history with the Hurricanes.
  • Notre Dame has one Florida native on this year’s roster. Senior guard Le’Tania Severe, a resident of Pembroke Pines (outside of Fort Lauderdale), earned third-team all-state honors in 2000 as a senior at Fort Lauderdale High School.
  • The two head coaches in Wednesday’s game rank among the all-time BIG EAST Conference leaders in career regular-season victories. Miami head coach Ferne Labati stands fourth with 123 all-time league wins, trailing Connecticut’s Geno Auriemma (260), Villanova’s Harry Perretta (197) and Seton Hall’s Phyllis Mangina (131). Notre Dame head coach Muffet McGraw is seventh on the BIG EAST all-time wins list with 116 conference victories behind Georgetown’s Patrick Knapp (120) and former Providence coach Bob Foley (118).
  • In addition to their win totals, the two head coaches are among the longest-tenured active skippers in the BIG EAST. Miami’s Ferne Labati is third among league mentors, having coached at the collegiate level in 715 games over 25 seasons, trailing only Rutgers’ C.Vivian Stringer (918 games in 32 years) and Villanova’s Harry Perretta (744 games in 26 years). Meanwhile, Notre Dame’s Muffet McGraw has coached 648 games in 22 collegiate campaigns overall, guiding the Irish in 519 games over the last 17 seasons. Her career total is good for fourth in the BIG EAST, behind Stringer, Perretta and Labati.
  • Both head coaches are products of the vaunted “Cradle of Coaches” in metropolitan Philadelphia. Notre Dame head coach Muffet McGraw, a native of Pottsville, Pa., graduated from Saint Joseph’s, served as an assistant at SJU under current Ohio State skipper Jim Foster, and later became head coach at Lehigh before moving on to lead the Irish. Meanwhile, Miami head coach Ferne Labati hails from Camden, N.J., and graduated from East Stroudsburg University. She began her coaching career as an assistant at legendary Immaculata College before taking over as the head coach at Trenton State and Fairleigh Dickinson prior to her current post with the Hurricanes. Some of the other coaching legends to come out of the Philadelphia/South Jersey area include Connecticut’s Geno Auriemma, Illinois’ Theresa Grentz (McGraw’s coach during her playing days at SJU), Villanova’s Harry Perretta, Penn State’s Rene Portland and former Old Dominion mentor Marianne Stanley.

THE BEASTS OF THE BIG EAST
Notre Dame is 116-26 (.817) 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 won 72 of their last 88 regular-season conference games (.818), and claimed a share of their first-ever BIG EAST regular-season championship in 2001. When including postseason competition (BIG EAST and NCAA tournaments), Notre Dame is 128-34 (.790) against league opponents — when factoring in these 20 postseason tilts, the Irish are 64-7 (.901) at home, 52-22 (.703) on the road and 12-5 (.706) at neutral sites all-time vs. BIG EAST foes.

ON THIS DATE …
The Irish have played seven times on Jan. 28 in their 27-year history, logging an 4-3 record on this date with a 1-2 mark on the road. Notre Dame last played on Jan. 28 in 1998, falling at Villanova, 70-54.

SUNSHINE STATE SUCCESS
Notre Dame is 16-3 (.842) in its history against Florida schools. Besides their 12-3 mark against Miami, the Irish are 2-0 against South Florida and 1-0 against both Central Florida and Florida International.

At the same time, Notre Dame is 12-2 (.857) all-time when it takes the hardwood in the state of Florida. The Irish also are 10-1 (.909) in the Sunshine State during the 17-year Muffet McGraw era, including a 69-65 win at Miami in their most recent visit on Jan. 2, 2002. Ironically, both of Notre Dame’s losses in Florida came by a combined total of three points in the same city (Coral Gables) where Wednesday’s game will be played. The Irish lost to James Madison, 53-51, on Jan. 3, 1986, at the Burger King Classic, and dropped a 77-76 verdict to Miami, on Feb. 3, 1998. In both games, Notre Dame had the lead inside the final five seconds before falling — JMU won on a three-point play with four seconds left and UM won on a free throw after time expired.

IF NOTRE DAME WINS …

  • Notre Dame will register its fifth win over a ranked opponent this season, improving to 5-3 against Top 25 clubs in 2003-04. By contrast, the Irish had five wins over ranked teams in the last two years combined (three in the regular season).
  • Notre Dame will card its ninth win in the last 12 games since opening the year at 3-4.
  • The Irish will improve to 117-26 (.818) all-time in regular-season games against the BIG EAST Conference, maintaining the best winning percentage in conference history.
  • Head coach Muffet McGraw will see her record at Notre Dame rise to 375-145 (.721) in 17 seasons under the Golden Dome. She also will watch her career ledger improve to 463-186 (.713) in 22 years at the college level.
  • The Irish will raise their all-time record to 539-244 (.688) in 27 seasons of varsity competition.

RECAPPING THE VILLANOVA GAME
Junior forward Jacqueline Batteast hit two free throws with 17.5 seconds left to lift Notre Dame to a 38-36 win over No. 23 Villanova on Saturday at the Joyce Center. The 74 combined points marked the lowest scoring game (men’s or women’s) in the 36-year history of the venerable facility. In addition, Notre Dame set an arena record for the fewest points scored and a school standard for the fewest points tallied in a victory.

Villanova entered the game leading the nation in fewest turnovers a game at 9.3 giveaways, but Notre Dame forced the Wildcats into 14 miscues, including 10 in the first half. The Irish also kept Villanova scoreless for 5:20 during a key stretch in the second half and held the Wildcats without a field goal over the final seven minutes of the contest. The end result was Notre Dame’s fourth win over a Top 25 opponent this season, and its third in as many home games.

Batteast led all scorers with 14 points and added nine rebounds, narrowly missing her fifth consecutive double-double. Sophomore guard Megan Duffy added 10 points, including a critical three-pointer with 2:02 remaining to tie the game. Liad Suez and Courtney Mix scored nine each for Villanova — it marked the second time this year Notre Dame has managed to keep its opponent from posting at least one double-figure scorer.

The Wildcats broke out to an early 11-6 lead eight minutes into the game behind a trio of three-pointers, including two from Kelly Nash. Notre Dame, paced by six straight points from Batteast, battled back against Villanova’s methodical control offense to go ahead 14-13. At halftime, the score was tied at 18, and neither side could break free until the Irish took a 32-26 lead, its largest of the game, with 8:29 left. The Wildcats responded with a 10-1 run over the next five minutes, which led to the late-game heroics by Duffy and Batteast.

BATTEAST DOMINATING IN BIG EAST PLAY
Junior forward Jacqueline Batteast has taken her game to another level against BIG EAST Conference opponents this year. In six conference games this year, Batteast is carding 17.2 points and 9.8 rebounds per game with four double-doubles. She currently is third in the conference in rebounding and fourth in scoring. In addition, she has the top field goal percentage in the BIG EAST during league play (.534) and just had her streak of four consecutive double-doubles snapped Saturday against Villanova (she had 14 points and nine rebounds).

IT STARTS WITH DEFENSE
Notre Dame has stepped up its play recently thanks in large measure to the added pressure applied by its defense. During the first three weeks of BIG EAST action, the Irish rank among the top three in the conference in nearly every defensive category, including scoring defense (1st – 50.3 ppg.), field goal percentage defense (1st – .324), three-point field goal percentage defense (1st – .204), rebounding (3rd – 38.0 rpg.), rebounding margin (3rd – +5.5 rpg.) and blocked shots (2nd – 4.5 bpg.).

However, that’s just the start when it comes to noting Notre Dame’s defense. Here are some other tidbits about the current Irish defensive lockdown:

  • Notre Dame has given up an average of just 35.5 ppg. in its last two games. In fact, the Irish have held back-to-back opponents to less than 40 points for only the second time in school history (and first in the program’s Division I era, which began in 1980-81) — the first time came on Jan. 24 & 31, 1978, when the Irish defeated IPFW (68-39) and Grace College (68-25).
  • Notre Dame has held its opponents to under 20 points in its last four halves of basketball. Furthermore, in 12 halves of BIG EAST action (six games), Irish opponents have scored 30-or-more points just three times, with Georgetown accounting for two of those in the BIG EAST opener on Jan. 7.
  • Notre Dame had limited its last five opponents to field goal percentages of less than .400. In addition, the last two Irish foes (Syracuse and Villanova) have shot 25 percent or less from the floor.
  • Notre Dame held Syracuse to 35 points on Jan. 21, setting a school record for the fewest points ever allowed in a BIG EAST road game and the second-fewest yielded in any road game (84-27 at Valparaiso on Jan. 21, 1982).

SILENCING THE BIG GUNS
Since the start of BIG EAST Conference play, Notre Dame has done a good job of shutting down the opposition’s top offensive threat.

BATTEAST AT HER BEST AGAINST THE BEST
Junior forward Jacqueline Batteast has played very well in Notre Dame’s seven games against Top 25 opponents this year. She is averaging 17.1 points and 8.9 rebounds with three double-doubles (and two near double-doubles) in those matchups against ranked opponents in 2003-04.

NO CUPCAKES FOR THE IRISH
Notre Dame has fought through a brutal schedule that has included playing seven games against Top 25 opponents. The Irish have handled the challenge very well, going 4-3 in those contests with victories over No. 22/25 Auburn (77-64), No. 16/15 Virginia Tech (53-40), No. 4/4 Connecticut (66-51) and No. 23/25 Villanova (38-36). Notre Dame narrowly missed a fifth win over a Top 25 foe, as No. 20/20 Colorado rallied to defeat the Irish, 67-63 in overtime in the championship game of the season-opening WBCA Classic in Boulder, Colo.

By comparison, in the previous two seasons (2001-02 and 2002-03), Notre Dame had a total of five wins over ranked opponents, with three of those coming in the regular season (Virginia Tech and Boston College in ’01-02, and Villanova in ’02-03).

The rugged Irish schedule has not gone unnoticed by the national media. Both the latest Sagarin/Collegiate Basketball News and Massey ratings have pegged the Notre Dame docket as the third-toughest in the nation, while the current CollegeRPI.com and WBCA/Summerville RPI rankings have tabbed the Irish schedule as the fourth-toughest in the country (through Jan. 26).

WE DIDN’T STAY AT A HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS
Maybe it’s the long plane rides, or the lumpy mattresses in the hotel, or even the quality of the pre-game meal. Whatever the reason, Notre Dame has struggled mightily on the road this season, going 3-7 away from the Joyce Center (2-7 in true road games). That’s a far cry from the success the Irish have experienced at home, where they are a perfect 8-0 and own an active 13-game winning streak.

NOTING THE IRISH WIN OVER #4 CONNECTICUT
Notre Dame’s 66-51 victory over No. 4/4 Connecticut on Jan. 13 at the Joyce Center was historic for a number of reasons. Here are just a few of them:

  • Notre Dame’s win over Connecticut snapped the Huskies’ 121-game winning streak against unranked opponents, a string that dated back to Jan. 23, 1999 (a 78-66 loss at Boston College).
  • Since the start of the 1998-99 season, Connecticut has lost by 15-plus points only three times and each time, those losses have come to Notre Dame (twice in 2000-01, once in 2003-04).
  • Notre Dame is one of only two teams in the nation (and the first BIG EAST squad) to defeat Connecticut more than once in the past 11 seasons (1993-94 to present). During that 11-year stretch, Tennessee is the only other program with multiple wins over the Huskies.
  • In the past four seasons (2000-01 to present), half of Connecticut’s six losses have come at the hands of Notre Dame.
  • Over the past five seasons (1999-2000 to present), the Joyce Center is the only arena to see multiple losses by Connecticut.

A HALF TO REMEMBER
Notre Dame put together one of the best defensive performances in school history on Dec. 13 vs. Dayton, rolling over the Flyers, 78-41 at the Joyce Center. In that game, the Irish held UD to just 11 first-half points, which matches the third-lowest mark in school history and equals the lowest opponent total ever at the Joyce Center (11 in the second half by Grace College on Jan. 31, 1978 — pre-NCAA era). The fewest points Notre Dame has ever allowed in one half is seven (first half) at Maryland on Jan. 9, 1985. The Irish also gave up just 10 first-half points to Georgetown on March 4, 2001, in a BIG EAST Conference Championship quarterfinal game at Storrs, Conn.

In addition, Notre Dame limited Dayton to an opponent record-low .050 field goal percentage (one for 20) in the first half, breaking the old Irish opponent record of .115 (three for 26), which had been set twice — in the first half of the aforementioned Maryland game, and by DePaul in the first half on Dec. 31, 2001 at the Joyce Center.

RUNAWAY TRAIN
The Irish have often opened games in strong fashion, but nothing like what they turned out on Dec. 13 vs. Dayton. Notre Dame began the game on a 26-0 run, the largest game-opening surge in 27 seasons of Irish basketball. The previous record for the best start to a game was 17-0 vs. Texas Tech in the 2000 NCAA Mideast Regional Semifinal in Memphis.

The 26 unanswered points also tied for the second-longest run of consecutive markers by Notre Dame. The school record is 31 straight points, which the Irish achieved on Jan. 18, 1997 vs. Pittsburgh — Notre Dame trailed 14-2, but went on a 31-0 run over the next 13:14 to seize control of the game. The Irish also had a 26-point spree on Jan. 31, 1998 against Seton Hall, turning a 56-29 score into an 82-29 margin over a 9:44 span in the second half.

BIG THINGS COME IN SMALL PACKAGES
Based on her play this season, sophomore point guard Megan Duffy is making a strong case to be named the BIG EAST Conference Most Improved Player. Last season, the Dayton native averaged 3.0 points and 2.3 assists per game while still shaking off the rust caused by off-season knee surgery. She also struggled to find her shooting touch, hitting at a .242 clip from the floor and making only seven of 35 three-point attempts (.200).

Fast forward to this season, where Duffy has been an impact player from the outset. She is second on the team in scoring at 11.1 ppg., which more than triples her production from last year. However, her biggest improvement has come in her shooting numbers, where she’s connecting at a team-high .417 percentage (30-72) from the three-point line. She’s also more than quadrupled the number of treys she made all of last year and after cracking double digits just twice in 2002-03 (career high was 12 points), she has nine double-figure games this season, with two topping the 20-point mark. Her best outing to date was a 25-point outburst on Dec. 4 vs. Wisconsin, where she shattered her career standard from beyond the arc, going six for 10 from downtown.

But lest we forget her primary duties at the point, Duffy is leading the Irish and ranks fifth in the BIG EAST with 4.67 assists per game, more than doubling last year’s output. She also has just 54 turnovers, giving her a healthy 1.56 assist/turnover ratio (seventh in the BIG EAST). She has dished out at least five assists 10 times this year, including a career-high nine dimes on Dec. 7 at Washington. In addition, she is averaging 5.4 assists in Notre Dame’s last five games with at least six handouts in four contests.

BATTEAST REACHES 1,000-POINT MARK AGAINST VIRGINIA TECH
Junior forward Jacqueline Batteast scored a game-high 14 points on Jan. 10 against No. 16/15 Virginia Tech, becoming the 20th player in school history to score 1,000 career points. She also was the fourth-fastest Irish player ever to reach that milestone, doing so in her 72nd career game.

Batteast also is one of only five Irish players to score 800 points in her first two seasons at Notre Dame, joining Morgan, Matvey, Riley and Ratay. For her career, the South Bend native ranks fifth in school history with a 14.3 ppg. scoring average, and 17th in total points (1,084), needing 23 points to pass Danielle Green (1,106 from 1995-2000) for 16th place all-time.

DISTANCE LEARNING
One of the supposed question marks surrounding this year’s Notre Dame squad was its perimeter shooting. Through the first two months of the season, the Irish have had an emphatic response to that question. Notre Dame is fifth in the BIG EAST (and 30th in the nation) with a .354 three-point percentage, hitting 70 of 198 shots from beyond the arc. Sophomore guard Megan Duffy has been a major contributor from beyond the arc, connecting at a team-best .417 clip (30-72), which would rank second in the BIG EAST, but she has not made enough field goals to qualify for statistical ranking (minimum of 2.0 per game). Nevertheless, she stands 13th in the BIG EAST with 1.67 triples made per game.

Another long distance specialist for Notre Dame has been senior guard Jeneka Joyce, which is a pleasant surprise when you consider the Topeka, Kan., native has spent the better part of the past two seasons trying to recover from leg injuries. Joyce has knocked down 21 of 51 treys for a .412 three-point percentage, but she also has not yet made enough field goals to qualify for the rankings.

HARDWARE HAUL
Although they didn’t come away with the trophy they wanted at the WBCA Classic, junior forward Jacqueline Batteast and senior guard Le’Tania Severe did receive individual honors as members of the WBCA Classic All-Tournament Team. Batteast averaged 20 points and 7.5 rebounds in the two-game tournament, while shooting .529 from the field. Severe carded 11.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game in the tournament and posted a stellar .857 free throw percentage (12 of 14). It was the first career all-tournament team selection for both players.

IRISH APPEARING IN BOTH MAJOR NATIONAL POLLS
Notre Dame is receiving 32 votes in the latest Associated Press poll after spending the first three weeks of this season in the AP Top 25 poll. The Irish were ranked 15th in the preseason AP poll, marking the seventh time in the last eight seasons that the Irish were tapped in the initial AP survey of the year.

Notre Dame also is earning two votes in the most recent ESPN/USA Today coaches poll after appearing in the Top 25 for the first three weeks of 2003-04. The Irish were pegged No. 16 in the preseason coaches poll, also the seventh time in eight years that they had shown up in the first ESPN/USA Today poll of the year.

This season, Notre Dame has faced or will face no less than seven teams that are currently ranked in both major polls (No. 1/2 Tennessee, No. 4/4 Connecticut, No. 6/7 Purdue, No. 11/14 Colorado, No. 17/18 Miami, No. 18/20 Michigan State and No. 23/23 Virginia Tech). In addition, Auburn is ranked 22nd in the latest AP poll. Also, Boston College, Rutgers, USC, Villanova and West Virginia are receiving votes in one or both polls this week.

HALF AND HALF
Over the last four seasons, Notre Dame has been nearly unbeatable when it has the lead at halftime. The Irish are 69-5 (.932) since the start of the 2000-01 campaign when they go into the dressing room with the lead, including a 7-1 mark this year. One of those rare losses occurred vs. Colorado in the WBCA Classic on Nov. 15. Notre Dame led 37-33 at the intermission before the Buffaloes rallied for a 67-63 overtime win.

THE BEST OFFENSE IS A GOOD DEFENSE …
Over the last nine seasons, 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 121-4 (.968) record when they hold their opponents to less than 60 points in a game. Notre Dame has added seven more wins to that ledger this season by holding down Valparaiso (74-57), Dayton (78-41), Colorado State (63-59), Virginia Tech (53-40), Connecticut (66-51), Syracuse (64-35) and Villanova (38-36).

… 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 last nine seasons (1995-96 to present), the Irish are 86-3 (.966) 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 tacked on another win to this tally on Dec. 4 with its 82-64 win over Wisconsin.

SWEET SUCCESS
Notre Dame is one of only eight schools in the country to have appeared in the NCAA Sweet Sixteen five times in the past seven seasons (1997-2003). The others are Connecticut (seven times), Tennessee (seven times), Duke (six times), Louisiana Tech (six times), North Carolina (five times), Old Dominion (five times) and Texas Tech (five times).

THE GOLD STANDARD
The Irish are one of just six teams nationwide to have an active streak of 10 consecutive 20-win seasons. The others in these elite club are Tennessee (27), Texas Tech (14), Louisiana Tech (12), Old Dominion (12) and Connecticut (10).

CHECK OUT THE THREADS
For the first time since the 1998-99 season, the Irish are wearing white uniforms at home this season, eschewing the golden togs they sported for the past four seasons. Notre Dame has worn white uniforms on numerous occasions on the past, dating as far back as the school’s first varsity women’s basketball squad, which took the floor in 1977-78. Blue continues to be the primary color for the Irish road uniforms.

NOTRE DAME AMONG RECENT WINS LEADERS
Notre Dame has won 192 games over the last eight seasons (24 victories per year), which stands as the ninth-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 106 of their last 115 games (.922) at the 11,418-seat Joyce Center, including a current 13-game winning streak. Notre Dame also has a 64-7 (.901) record in BIG EAST Conference play at the Joyce Center, sporting a 31-game league winning streak at home before it was snapped with a 48-45 loss to Villanova in the 2002 home finale.

The Irish have been particularly strong when it comes to non-conference games at home, winning 45 of their last 47 non-BIG EAST contests (.957) at the Joyce Center, dating back to the 1994-95 season. The only two losses in that span came to Wisconsin in 1996 (81-69) and Purdue in 2003 (71-54). The Purdue loss snapped a 33-game non-conference home winning streak which began after the UW setback.

Since its inaugural season in 1977-78, Notre Dame has played all of its games at the Joyce Center, posting a 256-70 (.785) record at the venerable facility. In both the 1999-2000 and 2000-01 seasons, 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 10 in the nation in attendance each of the past three years. The Irish are looking to extend that streak to a fourth straight season, averaging 6,542 fans for their seven home games, including a season-high 8,574 fans on Jan. 13 vs. fourth-ranked Connecticut, the seventh-largest crowd in school history. According to the latest unofficial national attendance rankings compiled by the Wisconsin Sports Information Office (as of Jan. 26), Notre Dame ranks 10th in the country in attendance.

The Irish averaged 7,132 fans for their 13 home games last season, good for their second consecutive eighth-place finish in the final NCAA attendance rankings. Last year also saw Notre Dame register two of the top 10 crowds in school history, including a season-high gathering of 9,483 fans, the fifth-largest in school history for the nationally-televised matchup with Purdue on Jan. 4, 2003.

All of the top 20 crowds in the Irish record book have occurred during the 17-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 last five seasons.

NOTRE DAME FACING ONE TOUGH SLATE
Historically, Notre Dame has always played a difficult schedule and 2003-04 is more evidence of that fact. The Irish will play no less than 17 teams that qualified for postseason play last year, including 12 NCAA Tournament squads and six that advanced to the Sweet Sixteen (highlighted by two-time defending national champion Connecticut and NCAA runner-up Tennessee). In addition, five opponents (Connecticut, Purdue, Tennessee, Valparaiso and Villanova) won the regular-season or tournament title in their respective conference. Furthermore, 19 of the 26 possible Irish opponents finished with records of .500 or better last season, including 12 squads that posted 20-win campaigns. All told, Notre Dame opponents had a combined winning percentage of .610 last season (490-313).

NOTRE DAME ON THE SMALL SCREEN
Based on its success in recent years, Notre Dame continues to be a favorable television draw and the 2003-04 season will be no exception. The Irish are slated to play on the small screen no less than nine times in the coming campaign, including four appearances on national television.

Notre Dame made its ’03-04 television debut on Dec. 7 at Washington in a matchup that was shown to a national cable audience on Fox Sports Net. The Irish returned to coast-to-coast television on Jan. 4 when they visited Purdue for the inaugural BIG EAST/Big Ten Challenge on ESPN2.

In addition, Notre Dame has been selected to appear on the BIG EAST Conference television package four times this season, including three home games. The Irish already have taken on Virginia Tech (Jan. 10) and Villanova (Jan. 24), and will face Boston College (Saturday) at home, as well as travel to Rutgers (Feb. 28) for games in front of the BIG EAST TV cameras. Those games may be seen on a regional basis in several major East Coast markets, including New York, Boston, Miami, Philadelphia and Washington, as well as South Bend, where WHME-TV (Channel 46) will show the Virginia Tech, Villanova and Rutgers games on a same-day, tape-delayed basis at 7 p.m. (ET).

Furthermore, the Jan. 13 BIG EAST matchup between Notre Dame and two-time defending national champion Connecticut was televised by Connecticut Public Television (CPTV) with College Sports Television (CSTV) picking up the broadcast and airing it nationally.

Both Notre Dame-Miami games also will be televised this season. Wednesday’s matchup in Coral Gables, Fla., has been picked up by the Sunshine Network on a tape-delayed basis (10 p.m. ET), while WHME-TV will carry the game live back in South Bend. Meanwhile, the Feb. 25 rematch at the Joyce Center will be broadcast live to a nationwide audience on CSTV. That contest will tip off at 8 p.m. (ET) — some early schedules initially had this game listed one hour earlier.

In addition, the semifinals of this year’s BIG EAST Championship presented by State Farm will be broadcast on the BIG EAST television package Monday, March 8 at 6 and 8 p.m. (ET) from the Hartford (Conn.) Civic Center. WHME-TV in South Bend will carry those games live. The championship game will air live on ESPN2 on Tuesday, March 9 at 7 p.m. (ET).

NOTRE DAME TO PLAY HOST TO NCAA TOURNAMENT ACTION IN 2004
After a two-year absence, the Joyce Center once again will be home to NCAA Tournament competition as Notre Dame was selected to be one of 16 sites for first- and second-round games in the 2004 NCAA Tournament. Action at the South Bend subregional will take place Sunday, March 21 and Tuesday, March 23, with exact tipoff times and potential television broadcasts to be determined by the NCAA during the week leading up to the competition.

Should Notre Dame qualify for the NCAA Tournament for the 11th time in school history (and the ninth consecutive season), the Irish are guaranteed to play at home. Notre Dame has played five NCAA tourney games at the Joyce Center in its history, going 4-1 and and advancing to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen in 2000 and 2001 (the Irish went on to win the national championship in the latter season).

Single-session ticket books for NCAA Tournament games at the Joyce Center currently are available to the general public (one ticket for both Sunday games, one ticket for Tuesday’s only game). Single-game tickets will not be made available until after the field of 64 is announced on March 14. For more information on how to purchase tickets for the 2004 NCAA Notre Dame subregional, contact the Irish athletics ticket office at (574) 631-7356 or visit the ticket windows located on the second floor of the Joyce Center at Gate 1.

NOTRE DAME ON THE AIRWAVES
Once again this season, every Irish women’s basketball game (home and away) will air on the flagship stations of the Artistic Media Partners (AMP) Network — WDND-AM (ESPN Radio 1620) and WNDV-AM (1490) in South Bend. Veteran broadcaster and AMP sports director Sean Stires is now in his fourth season handling the play-by-play for Notre Dame. The Irish also can be heard on the Internet at Notre Dame’s official athletics website (www.und.com) by subscribing to Fighting Irish Pass, which gives listeners full access to a variety of Irish athletics events on radio for only $6.95 per month.

THE Muffet McGraw SHOW
Muffet McGraw’s half-hour, weekly television show is produced by LeSea Broadcasting and hosted by Bob Nagle. The show, now in its seventh season, is carried by WHME-TV (Channel 46) in South Bend and airs at 6:30 p.m. (ET) Saturdays through the end of the 2003-04 season. The show also is available via satellite (Galaxy 6, Transponder 15) each Saturday at 10:30 a.m. (ET), and may be seen on LeSea Broadcasting stations in Denver, Honolulu, Indianapolis, New Orleans and Tulsa (check local listings).

BATTEAST NAMED JOHN R. WOODEN WOMEN’S AWARD PRESEASON ALL-AMERICAN
Junior forward Jacqueline Batteast (South Bend, Ind.) is one of 30 players who were named to the 2003-04 John R. Wooden Women’s Award Preseason All-America Team on Aug. 13. Based on a vote of the Wooden Women’s Award National Advisory Board, these 30 players are considered the top candidates for the inaugural Wooden Women’s Award, which will be presented to the most outstanding female collegiate basketball player at the conclusion of the ’03-04 season.

Batteast is a two-time all-BIG EAST Conference selection who started every game for the Irish last season, leading the team in scoring (13.9 ppg.), rebounding (8.3 rpg.) and blocked shots (1.56 bpg.). She also ranked among the top 15 in the BIG EAST in those categories, as well as steals (1.97 spg.) and double-doubles (8). In addition, the 6-2 wing scored in double figures 26 times, topped the 20-point mark five times, and earned game-high rebounding honors of 14 occasions. She ranks among Notre Dame’s career leaders in scoring average (6th – 13.8 ppg.) and rebounding average (tie-2nd – 8.1 rpg.), and she is one of only five players in school history to amass at least 800 points in her first two seasons under the Golden Dome.

Batteast is one of five BIG EAST players named to the Wooden Preseason All-America Team, joining Rebekkah Brunson of Georgetown, Cappie Pondexter of Rutgers, and the Connecticut duo of Ann Strother and Diana Taurasi.

In mid-January, the Wooden Women’s Award Committee will release its Midseason Top 20 List, followed in March by the official voting ballot which will consist of the top 10-15 players who have proven their success in the classroom (minimum 2.0 grade-point average) as well as on the court. More than 250 voters, comprised of sports media members and women’s college basketball experts around the country, will then cast their votes for the five-member Wooden All-America Team and the Wooden Award winner.

Although the 2003-04 season marks the debut of the Wooden Women’s Award, the honor initially was created in 1976 to recognize the top male collegiate basketball player in the nation. Past winners include Larry Bird (’79), Michael Jordan (’84) and Tim Duncan (’97).

BATTEAST CHOSEN FOR STATE FARM/WBCA WADE TROPHY PRESEASON WATCH LIST
Junior forward Jacqueline Batteast is one of 35 players who were selected to the 2003-04 State Farm Wade Trophy Preseason Watch List on Aug. 20 by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA). Based on a vote of committee members which include leading coaches, journalists and basketball administrators, these 35 players are considered the top candidates for the State Farm Wade Trophy, which will be presented to the most outstanding female collegiate basketball player at the conclusion of the ’03-04 season.

Batteast is a two-time all-BIG EAST Conference selection who started every game for the Irish last season, leading the team in scoring (13.9 ppg.), rebounding (8.3 rpg.) and blocked shots (1.56 bpg.). She also ranked among the top 15 in the BIG EAST in those categories, as well as steals (1.97 spg.) and double-doubles (8). In addition, the 6-2 wing scored in double figures 26 times, topped the 20-point mark five times, and earned game-high rebounding honors of 14 occasions. She ranks among Notre Dame’s career leaders in scoring average (6th – 13.8 ppg.) and rebounding average (tie-2nd – 8.1 rpg.), and she is one of only five players in school history to amass at least 800 points in her first two seasons under the Golden Dome.

Batteast was one of five BIG EAST players named to the ’03-04 Wade Trophy Preseason Watch List, joining Rebekkah Brunson of Georgetown, Ieva Kublina of Virginia Tech, Cappie Pondexter of Rutgers and last year’s Wade Trophy recipient, Diana Taurasi of Connecticut.

The State Farm Wade Trophy, now in its 27th year, is named after Margaret Wade, the late Delta State University coach who won three national championship in the mid-1970s. The Wade Trophy is considered the one of the most prestigious individual awards in women’s college basketball and is organized by the WBCA and the National Association for Girls and Women in Sport (NAGWS).

STREET & SMITH’S TAPS BATTEAST AS PRESEASON ALL-AMERICAN
Adding to her armload of preseason hardware, junior forward Jacqueline Batteast (South Bend, Ind.) was named a preseason honorable mention All-American by Street & Smith’s in the magazine’s annual basketball preview issue. It’s the third preseason honor for the talented 6-2 wing, who is a two-time all-BIG EAST Conference selection. She also was the 2001-02 United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) National Freshman of the Year and a WBCA/Kodak honorable mention All-American that season, as well as the unanimous choice for BIG EAST Rookie of the Year.

BATTEAST, ERWIN EARN PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE AWARDS
Junior forward Jacqueline Batteast and freshman forward Crystal Erwin both received preseason recognition in a vote of the BIG EAST Conference coaches that was released at the league’s annual Media Day on Oct. 30 at the Newark (N.J.) Liberty Airport Hilton. Batteast was a preseason first-team all-BIG EAST selection, while Erwin was named the Preseason BIG EAST Co-Freshman of the Year, sharing the honor with Connecticut’s Liz Sherwood.

Batteast led the Irish in scoring (13.9 ppg.), rebounding (8.3 rpg.), blocked shots (1.56 bpg.) and double-doubles (8), ranking among the BIG EAST leaders in all four categories. She is a two-time second-team all-conference selection and is one of only five players in school history to score 800 points in her first two seasons at Notre Dame.

As a senior last year at St. Paul High School in Santa Fe Springs, Calif., Erwin earned All-America honors from Parade, Street & Smith’s and the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA), and also was selected to play in the McDonald’s All-America Game in Atlanta. She averaged 22.3 points, 13.4 rebounds and 3.1 blocks per game during her storied prep career, averaging double-doubles during both her junior (24.9 ppg., 14.9 rpg.) and senior seasons (21.2 ppg., 10.2 rpg.). She holds career records at St. Paul for points (2,720), rebounds (1,630) and blocks (380), as well as the school single-season scoring mark (869 in 2001-02). She follows Batteast as the second Irish rookie in three years to be chosen the BIG EAST Preseason Freshman of the Year.

BATTEAST PICKED FOR NAISMITH AWARD PRESEASON WATCH LIST
Junior forward Jacqueline Batteast is among 30 preseason candidates named to the watch list for 2003-04 Naismith College Basketball Player of the Year Awards which are presented annually by the Atanta Tip-Off Club. The Naismith Awards program, now in its 36th year, honors the outstanding male and female college basketball players in the United States. The awards program was founded by the Atlanta Tipoff Club, an organization dedicated to recognizing the achievements of student-athletes in basketball. The candidates were selected by a vote of the Board of Selectors comprised of leading basketball coaches, journalists and basketball analysts.

The Naismith Award is the latest in a series of preseason honors for the Batteast. She was named a preseason All-American by both the John R. Wooden Women’s Award and Street & Smith’s magazine, and she also was selected to the State Farm/WBCA Wade Trophy Preseason Watch List. In addition, she was a first-team all-BIG EAST choice, according to a vote of the league’s head coaches.

IRISH INK THREE STUDENT-ATHLETES IN EARLY SIGNING PERIOD
Notre Dame women’s basketball coach Muffet McGraw announced Nov. 18 that three of the nation’s top high school student-athletes have chosen to continue their careers with the Irish, signing national letters of intent to attend Notre Dame beginning in the fall of 2004. Charel Allen , a 5-10 guard from Monessen, Pa., Melissa D’Amico, a 6-5 forward/center from Manorville, N.Y., and Tulyah Gaines (pronounced too-LIE-uh) , a 5-8 guard from North Las Vegas, Nev., all committed to the Irish during the early signing period, which lasted from Nov. 12-19.

Allen will arrive at Notre Dame next fall as one of the top college prospects from western Pennsylvania. She is a three-time Street & Smith’s honorable mention All-American who averaged 29.9 points, 11.4 rebounds, 7.2 steals and 4.8 assists per game last season at Monessen High School. She also is a two-time Associated Press first-team all-state pick and was named the 2003 AP Class A Player of the Year. In addition, she is a two-time all-Pittsburgh metro area selection and a ’03 AAU 16-and-under All-American. As a freshman in 2001, she was a fifth-team AP all-state choice when she averaged 23.6 points per game. In her first three seasons at MHS, Allen has piled up 2,302 points (26.2 ppg.), 995 rebounds (11.3 rpg.), 600 steals (6.8 spg.), 426 assists (4.8 apg.) and 102 blocks (1.2 bpg.). She was ranked 27th in the nation by Blue Star Index and she will be the fourth Pennsylvania native to play for the Irish (the first in 13 seasons).

At 6-5, D’Amico will be the tallest player on the Irish roster when she sets foot on the Notre Dame campus in the fall of 2004. A versatile post player, she averaged 16.8 points, 9.1 rebounds and 3.5 blocks per game last season for William Floyd High School in Mastic Beach, N.Y. (located on Long Island). She burst onto the national scene this past summer at the adidas Top Ten Camp in Suwanee, Ga., and is considered by most recruiting services to be one of the top players on the rise in this year’s class. She currently is ranked 47th in the country by All-Star Girls Report and 91st by Blue Star Index , and she follows in the footsteps of another talented New Yorker who came to Notre Dame — two-time honorable mention All-American and Mount Vernon, N.Y., product, Katryna Gaither (1993-97).

Gaines is a playmaking guard who will give the Irish solid depth in the backcourt. Last summer, she moved to North Las Vegas and is attending Cheyenne High School, where she will play for the Desert Shields this year. Gaines previously lived in Burbank, Calif., where she was a three-year starter at John Burroughs High School. She averaged 18.9 points and 5.1 assists per game last season and was a first-team all-CIF SS (Southern California) Division 2A First Team selection. In addition, she is a two-time Street & Smith’s honorable mention All-American and won a bronze medal with the West Team at the 2003 USA Basketball Youth Development Festival in Colorado Springs. Gaines averaged 6.0 points per game during the five-game tournament, which featured the top prep players from around the country. She is ranked 25th nationally by All-Game Sports, 52nd by Blue Star Index and 61st by All-Star Girls Report , and she is the second Las Vegas area resident in as many years to sign with Notre Dame — current Irish freshman guard Breona Gray graduated from Bishop Gorman High School last May.

With the addition of Allen, D’Amico and Gaines, Notre Dame has assembled the nation’s 14th-ranked recruiting class according to Blue Star Index. This marks the eighth consecutive year in which the Irish have attracted a Top 20 class, making Notre Dame one of only three schools (along with Connecticut and Tennessee) to have such a consistent run of recruiting success.

NEW BOOK BY McGRAW NOW ON SALE
Notre Dame head coach Muffet McGraw tried her hand at writing during the past year and has co-authored a book with Bradley University professor Paul Gullifor entitled “Courting Success: Muffet McGraw’s Formula For Winning In Sports And In Life.” The book, which currently is in bookstores nationwide and may be purchased through on-line booksellers such as Amazon.com, touches on how, in the shadows of the nation’s most storied football program, McGraw has quietly built the women’s basketball program into a national power.

Women’s basketball has been one of the University’s most consistently successful varsity sport during the past 16 years, qualifying for the postseason 13 times, including 10 trips to the NCAA Tournament, five NCAA Sweet Sixteen appearances and two Final Fours berths. The team’s rise to national prominence was then cemented with a national championship in 2001. In short, the Notre Dame women’s basketball program has been steadily built into a perennial national championship contender, and its architect for those 16 years has been McGraw. Entering the 2003-04 season, the Pottsville, Pa., native has won 363 games at Notre Dame, has a stellar .725 winning percentage and was the consensus 2001 national Coach of the Year.

Personal accolades aside, McGraw has always been more concerned with off-court success than the progress of her teams. Accordingly, this book is a motivational and inspirational book in which she shares her ingredients for success — on and off the court. It provides lessons for those aspiring toward success in basketball, and in life, while illustrating why Muffet McGraw is one of college basketball’s most accomplished coaches.

NEXT GAME: BOSTON COLLEGE
The Irish come back home to the Joyce Center Saturday for a noon (ET) game against Boston College. The contest will be broadcast on the BIG EAST Conference television package, with Fox Sports Net affiliates in New York and Florida picking up the game live.

Boston College is 13-4 this season (3-3 in the BIG EAST) as it prepares to play host to Providence Wednesday night. The Eagles had been ranked for the past six weeks, peaking at No. 20 in the AP poll and No. 18 in the coaches’ poll on Jan. 5. However, BC fell out of the Top 25 this week after losing to a ranked conference opponent for the third time in four games, 80-64 at Virginia Tech last Saturday.

Notre Dame leads the all-time series with Boston College, 7-4, including a 5-0 mark at the Joyce Center. The Eagles won the only matchup between the squads last year, 76-48, in Chestnut Hill, outscoring the Irish, 25-5 over the final nine minutes.

PROMOTIONAL CORNER
Here’s a rundown of some upcoming promotions and giveaways at future Notre Dame women’s basketball games this season (additional promotions and giveaways may be added at a later date):

  • Jan. 31 vs. Boston College — Circus day; Notre Dame lunch boxes to the first 1,500 fans
  • Feb. 14 vs. Providence — Disco night; Notre Dame rally towels to the first 1,500 fans
  • Feb. 25 vs. Miami — Courtney LaVere growth charts to the first 1,000 fans