Irish Head To Providence For Saturday Matinee Contest

Feb. 16, 2007

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2006-07 ND Women’s Basketball: Game 26
Notre Dame Fighting Irish (17-8 / 8-4 BIG EAST) vs.
Providence Friars (13-12 / 3-9 BIG EAST)

Storylines

• Notre Dame is in the midst of a season-long four-game winning streak that has seen it average 73.5 ppg.
• The Irish have had their hands full on their last two trips to Providence, winning by six in 2003 and coming back from 11 points down to win in 2005.

Irish Head To Providence For Saturday Matinee Contest
On the strength of its current four-game winning streak, Notre Dame makes the turn down the homestretch in the BIG EAST regular season when it pays a visit to Providence Saturday for a 2 p.m. (ET) matchup with the Friars. The Irish are among a group of four teams currently tied for fourth place in the BIG EAST standings, with that quartet all seeking the important first-round bye for the upcoming conference tournament.

Notre Dame turned in perhaps its best road performance of the season on Tuesday night, running past Villanova, 75-58. The Irish shot 47.7 percent from the field and forced the Wildcats into an uncharacteristic 20 turnovers, parlaying those giveaways into 22 points.

Junior guard Charel Allen led four Notre Dame players in double figures with 25 points, connecting on her first seven shots from the field, while also adding six rebounds and a career-high-tying six assists. Freshman guard Ashley Barlow and junior center Melissa D’Amico added 15 points each for the Irish.

Rankings

• Notre Dame is receiving votes in the Associated Press poll.
• Providence is not ranked.

Web Sites

• Notre Dame: http://www.und.com
• Providence: http://www.friars.com
• BIG EAST: http://www.bigeast.org

Setting The Standard
Under the guidance of 20th-year head coach Muffet McGraw, Notre Dame has evolved into one of the country’s leading women’s basketball powers. The Irish have appeared in 13 NCAA Tournaments (including a current streak of 11 in a row) and advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 six times in the previous 10 years. Notre Dame also has reached the NCAA Women’s Final Four twice, winning college basketball’s ultimate prize with the 2001 national championship.

In its history, Notre Dame has developed eight All-Americans, nine WNBA players (including six draft picks in the past six years) and four USA Basketball veterans (eight medals won). Now in their 30th season in 2006-07, the Irish own an all-time record of 610-274 (.690).

Notre Dame Head Coach Muffet McGraw

Saint Joseph’s ’77

• 20th season at Notre Dame
• 446-175 (.718) at Notre Dame.
• 534-216 (.712) in 25 years as head coach.

NOTES

• 2001 consensus National Coach of the Year
• Four-time Naismith Coach of the Year finalist
• Four-time conference Coach of the Year
• BIG EAST Conference (2001)
• Midwestern Collegiate Conference (1991)
• North Star Conference (1988)
• East Coast Conference (@ Lehigh) (1983)

A Quick Look At The Fighting Irish
Now in the final month of the 2006-07 regular season, the growth of the Notre Dame women’s basketball team already is evident, and the best may be yet to come.

With a young and inexperienced roster that has only two seniors and is missing its top returning scorer from a year ago, the Irish have had to learn on the run – and run is exactly what they have done this season. Notre Dame is averaging 70.8 points per game thus far, a significant improvement over the previous five Irish squads, none of which has averaged better than 66.3 points per night.

Of course, the Irish have traditionally hung their hat on their defense, a trait that is much harder to master and takes a bit longer. On the one hand, Notre Dame’s aggressive style has rattled opponents, causing 21.1 turnovers per game (including a BIG EAST-best 11.4 steals per night). However, the flip side has seen the Irish allow opponents to shoot .425 from the floor (.361 from the three-point line), while the Irish claim just a 2.1 rpg. edge on the boards), two areas Notre Dame will continue to focus on during as it winds down BIG EAST play.

Junior guard Charel Allen has been one of the main offensive catalysts for the Irish to this point, averaging a team-high 17.0 ppg., while scoring in double figures in 22 of 25 outings to date. The Monessen, Pa., native, who is a two-time BIG EAST Player of the Week and three-time BIG EAST Honor Roll selection, also is collecting a team-high 6.6 rebounds and 2.12 steals per game.

Allen’s classmate and backcourt running partner, Tulyah Gaines, is easily one of the conference’s most improved players this season. The speedy Gaines has stoked the Notre Dame offensive fire to an even hotter level, averaging 9.5 points and 4.0 assists per game. Gaines, who came into the season with a 3.7 ppg. career scoring average, has scored 20 points in a game three times this year, including a career-high 27 points on Jan. 10 in a win over Cincinnati.

The most pleasing contributions of the year for Notre Dame to this point have come from its freshmen. Guard Ashley Barlow, who made her first career start Sunday vs. DePaul, is second on the team in scoring (11.0 ppg.), tops in steals and fifth in the BIG EAST (2.2 spg.), and came up with a career-high 21 points and nine rebounds on Dec. 28 vs. Prairie View A&M. Center Erica Williamson (6.0 ppg., 5.7 rpg., 1.38 bpg.) logged her first career double-double at South Florida with 11 points and 18 rebounds (an Irish freshman record). And, guard Melissa Lechlitner (5.8 ppg., 2.9 apg.) has been particularly sharp of late, ranking second in the BIG EAST with a 2.18 assist/turnover ratio in conference play (2.75 in her last nine games). She also scored a career-high 18 points vs. Syracuse and delivered a personal-best nine assists (without a turnover) against St. John’s.

Potent Notables About The Irish

• Notre Dame is among the nation’s winningest programs during the past 11 seasons (1996-97 to present), ranking seventh with 264 victories in that span.
• Notre Dame’s incoming class of 2007 (announced Nov. 8) has been ranked 11th in the nation by Blue Star Basketball, marking the 11th consecutive season that the Irish have had a top-25 recruiting class. Notre Dame is one of only three schools (along with Connecticut and Tennessee) to have an active streak of that length. A thumbnail sketch of the newest Irish signees can be found on page 8 of these notes.
• Notre Dame currently is ranked 10th nationally in attendance (6,323 fans per game). Last season marked the sixth consecutive campaign the Irish were among the national top 20 in attendance (No. 11 ranking). Notre Dame also has attracted 5,000-or-more fans to 92 of its last 94 home games, including three Joyce Center sellouts of 11,418 (most recently on Dec. 31, 2005 vs. Tennessee).
• For the sixth time in school history, Notre Dame has been selected to host NCAA Tournament action, as the Joyce Center will be the site of NCAA Tournament first- and second-round games in 2010. In four of the five previous instances, Notre Dame was involved in NCAA Tournament play, going 6-1 all-time and advancing to the NCAA Sweet 16 three times (2000, 2001, 2004), with only a first-round loss to Minnesota in 1994 blotting the resume. Notre Dame also hosted the 1983 NCAA Mideast Regional at the Joyce Center, with Georgia defeating Tennessee, 67-63 in the regional final.
• The Irish have become a regular fixture in the WNBA Draft in recent years, as six Notre Dame players have been selected in the past six seasons. All-America guard Megan Duffy was the most recent Irish player to be chosen, going to the Minnesota Lynx in the third round (31st overall pick) of the 2006 WNBA Draft. Other active Notre Dame players in the WNBA during the 2006 season included Ruth Riley and Jacqueline Batteast (league champion Detroit Shock), while Niele Ivey sat out this year as a free agent, rehabilitating an injury after previously playing with Indiana, Detroit and Phoenix. Riley’s WNBA title with Detroit was her second (she was the 2003 WNBA Finals MVP), while Batteast earned her first pro crown this year.
• Notre Dame has been an elite program in the classroom as well. The Irish posted a perfect 100-percent Graduation Success Rate (GSR), according to figures released by the NCAA in October 2006. Notre Dame was one of 16 Division I-A programs to achieve this distinction, and one of only two BIG EAST programs (Syracuse is the other). Furthermore, since Muffet McGraw became the Irish head coach in 1987, every Notre Dame women’s basketball player that has completed her athletic and academic eligibility at the University has graduated.

A Quick Look At Providence
After a handful of seasons wandering in the wilderness of the BIG EAST Conference, Providence is charging its way back up the standings and serving notice that the Friars are one of the up-and-coming programs in the league.

PC (13-12, 3-9 BIG EAST) started this season very well, winning seven of its first eight games before a brief stumble in early December. However, the Friars righted themselves and won five of six around the start of the new year, most notably picking off 13th-ranked Louisville, 106-94 in double overtime on Jan. 3 at Alumni Hall. It was the first win over a ranked opponent for Providence since the 2001-02 season.

However, the past five weeks have not been kind to the Friars, as PC has lost eight of its last nine games, including a seven-game losing streak from Jan. 13-Feb. 6. Providence snapped that run with a sizzling 93-77 win at St. John’s on Feb. 10, erasing an 18-point first-half deficit with an impressive second-half performance.

Most recently, PC dropped a 78-64 decision at home to South Florida on Wednesday night. The Friars jumped in front early and led by 10 points late in the first half before the visiting Bulls rallied back. USF outscored Providence, 45-26 in the second half and fought back a challenge from the Friars, who trailed by just three points with nine minutes to go. Sophomore guard Chelsea Marandola scored a game-high 20 points and added eight rebounds for Providence, while sophomore guard Catherine Bove and senior forward Shauna Snyder added 11 points each.

Marandola ranks fifth in the BIG EAST in scoring (17.6 ppg.) and 15th in rebounding (7.1 rpg.), while also leading the conference with a .438 three-point percentage and a .915 free throw percentage. Snyder is second on the squad in scoring (13.0 ppg.), while Bove also is scoring in double figures this year (12.7 ppg.).

Head coach Phil Seymore is in his second season at Providence with a 21-31 (.404) record. He is 0-1 all-time against Notre Dame.

The Notre Dame-Providence Series
Notre Dame didn’t begin playing Providence prior to joining the BIG EAST Conference in 1995-96. Since then, the teams have met 14 times, with the Irish holding a 14-0 series lead against the Friars. Saturday’s game is the eighth in the series to be played at PC’s Alumni Hall, with Notre Dame having won the seven prior meetings.

The Last Time Notre Dame and Providence Met
Forward Courtney LaVere scored a season-high 18 points on 9-of-10 shooting to pace four Notre Dame players in double figures, as the Irish pulled away from Providence late in the first half and posted a 66-48 BIG EAST Conference win over the Friars on Feb. 4, 2006 before a crowd of 6,800 at the Joyce Center.

LaVere knocked down all four of her shots in the first half before her only miss of the day came 30 seconds into the second half. She then made her final five shots en route to her second consecutive double-digit outing and eighth of the 2005-06 season. All-America guard Megan Duffy added 12 points, eight rebounds and six assists, while guards Charel Allen and Breona Gray chipped in with 10 points apiece for Notre Dame.

Shauna Snyder was the lone double-figure scorer for Providence with 14 points, tallying nine of those markers in the first half. Gayle Nwafili grabbed a game-high nine rebounds for the Friars, who were held to a .283 field goal percentage, including a .188 mark (6-of-32) in the second half.

Notre Dame scored seven of the first 10 points in the contest, before PC came back with a 7-2 run of its own to take a brief 10-9 lead. However, Allen canned a three-pointer on the next Irish possession to put the hosts back ahead, and after a Snyder jumper tied the game, LaVere gave Notre Dame the lead it would never relinquish on a jumper at the 14:26 mark.

LaVere’s basket ignited a 16-6 Irish run that also included four points from center Melissa D’Amico. Gray capped the charge with her second three-pointer of the day for a 28-18 Notre Dame lead with 7:16 left before halftime.

Providence (6-15, 1-9) came back with five consecutive points on a triple by Ashley Etheridge and a jumper by Nwafili. The Irish then scored 11 of the last 16 points in the period, taking their largest lead just before the intermission at 39-28.

Notre Dame put the game on ice behind a stout defense that was the catalyst in a 22-7 run early in the second half. The Irish forced three shot clock violations and LaVere scored eight points in the spurt, ending with a layup that produced a 62-37 lead with 7:57 to play. Notre Dame was able to clear its bench shortly thereafter, and although the Irish did not post a field goal over the final 6:15, they also limited the Friars to a single bucket in that time (Chelsea Marandola’s layup with 22 seconds left).

The Last Time Notre Dame and Providence Met At Alumni Hall
A second-half defensive adjustment saved No. 6 Notre Dame from falling to the BIG EAST’s last-place team.

Unable to slow Providence in the first half despite a variety of defenses, Notre Dame switched to a zone in the second half. It paid off as the Irish rallied for a 75-57 win over the Friars on Feb. 9, 2005 at Alumni Hall.

Jacqueline Batteast had 23 points and 10 rebounds to lead Notre Dame. She scored seven points during a 21-3 second-half run that broke a 46-all tie and gave the Irish a 67-49 lead with 5:50 left.

Shauna Snyder scored 16 of her 18 points in the first half for Providence, which led 36-30 at halftime. It was only the third time the Friars led at the break during the ’04-05 season. PC shot 50 percent in the first half, including 6-of-10 from three-point range.

The second half was a different story, with the Irish holding Providence to 21 points on 25-percent shooting (6-for-24). Teresa Borton and Courtney LaVere scored 10 points apiece for Notre Dame, while Kristina Baugh added 11 for Providence.

Other Notre Dame-Providence Series Tidbits

• Providence is the lone BIG EAST Conference school against whom the Irish have never lost (minimum of five games played). The Friars are the last of four teams on the 2006-07 Notre Dame schedule against whom the Irish had a perfect record. Notre Dame improved to 20-0 all-time vs. Valparaiso (60-59 on Dec. 19) and 3-0 vs. Cincinnati (81-70 on Jan. 10), but dropped its first game to Pittsburgh 17 outings (71-62 on Jan. 31).
• Notre Dame’s 14-game winning streak vs. Providence is its longest active string against a BIG EAST Conference opponent. The Irish also had double-digit win streaks vs. Marquette (10) and Pittsburgh (16), but both were snapped earlier this season.
• Notre Dame scored 90 points in six of its first seven series games against Providence, but has not reached that mark since Feb. 1, 2000 (a 90-60 win at PC).
• Providence has reached the 70-point level three times against Notre Dame (all coming in the first three series games), and the Friars have scored more than 60 points only twice in the past 11 games vs. the Irish.
• Notre Dame has won 12 of the 14 series games against Providence by double-digit margins, with the exceptions coming on Jan. 5, 2002 (72-66 at South Bend) and Feb. 16, 2003 (67-61 at PC).
• The Irish have averaged 83.6 points in their seven prior matchups with Providence at Alumni Hall, topping the 90-point mark on their first four visits and winning all seven games by an average of 21.9 points per game.
• Between the two clubs, there will be four former winners of the Gatorade High School Player of the Year award in their respective states. Notre Dame junior guard Tulyah Gaines (Nevada – 2004) and sophomore guard Lindsay Schrader (Illinois – 2005) both took home the hardware, as did Providence senior forward Shauna Snyder (New Mexico – 2003) and sophomore guard Chelsea Marandola (Rhode Island – 2004 & 2005).

Allen Named BIG EAST Player Of The Week
For the second time this season, junior guard Charel Allen has been chosen as the BIG EAST Conference Women’s Basketball Player of the Week, the league office announced Monday. Allen also has previously been named to the BIG EAST Honor Roll three times this season.

In victories over No. 17/16 Louisville and DePaul last week, Allen averaged 23.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists with a .515 field goal percentage. Against UofL, she tallied team highs of 21 points, seven rebounds and four assists, not to mention the go-ahead basket with 8:05 to play. Four days later against DePaul, Allen posted her third career double-double (all this season) with a game-high 25 points and a career-best 13 rebounds.

For the season, Allen leads the team and ranks sixth in the BIG EAST in scoring (17.0 ppg.), while also collecting 6.6 rebounds per game (19th in the BIG EAST). What’s more, Allen is among the conference leaders in free throw percentage (fourth, .848) and steals (eighth, 2.12 spg.), and she has scored in double figures 22 times in 25 games this season, including 25-point outings in five of her last nine contests.

The Deuce Is Loose
Junior guard Charel Allen is playing some of the best basketball of her college career during the past month. The Monessen, Pa., native is averaging 21.7 points in the past nine games, cracking the 20-point mark six times and scoring 25-or-more points on five occasions (including three of the past four contests).

Twice this season, Allen has scored 25+ points in back-to-back games. The last time a Notre Dame player tallied at least 25 points in three consecutive games was from March 17-28, 1997, when Katryna Gaither closed her career with four straight 25-point outings in the NCAA Tournament as the Irish made their first trip to the Final Four – at Texas (29), vs. Alabama (26), vs. George Washington (25) and vs. Tennessee (28).

Barlow, Sell High
Freshman guard Ashley Barlow has come alive once again during Notre Dame’s current four-game winning streak. The rookie from Indianapolis has scored in double figures in all four Irish wins, averaging 15.0 ppg. with a .488 field goal percentage (21-of-43) over that time. She also has contributed in other ways, averaging 6.0 rebounds and 3.0 steals in the past four outings, including five thefts at Villanova (her third five-steal night of the year).

Pine Time Players
Part of the reason for Notre Dame’s success this season can be traced to the production the Irish have gotten from their bench (comprised almost entirely of their freshmen class). The Notre Dame reserves are averaging 23.1 points per game and are outscoring the opposition’s bench by 8.8 points per game.

For the year, the Irish second unit has outscored the opponent reserves in 20 of 25 games, with Notre Dame posting a 15-5 record in those contests.

Peaking When It Counts
When the regular season enters its stretch run in the month of February, Notre Dame historically seems to raise its level of play. Since joining the BIG EAST Conference in 1995-96, the Irish are 69-17 (.803) in February games, including a 40-3 (.930) mark at home. Two of those February home losses for the Irish in the past 12 seasons came against Villanova (48-45 on Feb. 26, 2002; 69-65 in overtime on Feb. 7, 2006), with the other coming at the hands of Connecticut (79-64 on Feb. 19, 2006).

In the 20-year Muffet McGraw era (1987-present), the Irish are 117-32 (.785) in the month of February, including a 62-9 (.873) home record. In that time, Notre Dame has not had a losing February, and only once did the Irish end the month at .500 (4-4 in 1988-89, McGraw’s second season in South Bend).

The Best Things In Life Are Free
Notre Dame ranks ninth in the nation in free throw percentage (.769), through games of Feb. 11. Should it hold up, that figure would shatter the school’s single-season record for foul shooting (.743), currently held by the 1996-97 Final Four squad. The Irish also lead the BIG EAST Conference with a .763 free throw percentage in league play. The BIG EAST record for foul shooting in regular-season conference games is .787, set by Seton Hall in 1986-87.

Clutch When It Counts
Notre Dame is shooting 75.8 percent from the foul line (97-of-128) this season inside the final five minutes of regulation and overtime.

Upon closer inspection, the Irish have gotten some of their most critical free throw production from their freshmen – guards Melissa Lechlitner and Ashley Barlow are a combined 22-of-27 (.815) at the charity stripe down the stretch.

Poise Under Pressure
The Irish are 9-4 this season in games decided by 10 points or less, including a 4-1 record when the margin is five points or fewer. Going back the previous two seasons (2004-05 to present), Notre Dame is 12-5 in five-point games and 29-11 in 10-point contests – with four of those 11 losses coming in overtime.

In addition, four times this season, the Irish have sent a player to the free throw line with less than five seconds remaining in regulation or overtime and the game hanging in the balance. In those clutch situations, Notre Dame is 7-for-8 at the charity stripe, with the only miss being a semi-intentional one by senior guard Breona Gray on the second of two tries with 1.2 seconds to go in a 60-59 win at Valparaiso on Dec. 19.

Junior Achievement
The common basketball adage holds that college players make their biggest improvement between their freshman and sophomore seasons. However, for Notre Dame, it’s been the time between the sophomore and junior years that has been conducive to the most development.

Three of the top four Irish scorers this season are juniors and all three are posting the best scoring averages of their careers – guards Charel Allen (17.0 ppg.) and Tulyah Gaines (9.5 ppg.), and center Melissa D’Amico (8.5 ppg.). Allen came into the year with an 8.1 ppg. career average, while D’Amico had a two-year ratio of 4.0 ppg., and Gaines was averaging 3.7 ppg. Between them, the junior trio had a combined 37 double-figure scoring games in two seasons entering the 2006-07 campaign – so far this year alone, they have 43 double-digit efforts.

Spread The Wealth
The Irish have fielded at least three double-figure scorers in 16 games this season, going 13-3 in those contests (losses at Penn State, South Florida and No. 17/18 Marquette). Notre Dame also has had four double-figure scorers on eight occasions (7-1 record, loss at USF in overtime) and five double-digit scorers four times (3-1).

Keeping The Home Fires Burning
Notre Dame has been largely solid at home this season, going 13-1 due in part to a crisp offense that has averaged 78.6 points per game on the Joyce Center hardwood. Led by junior guard Charel Allen (18.4 ppg.), the Irish also have three players averaging at least 12.0 ppg.through their 14 home outings and are shooting .459 from the floor in front of the Notre Dame faithful.

Contribute Early, Contribute Often
Notre Dame’s freshman class has wasted little time in making its presence felt this season. Three of the Irish rookies – guards Ashley Barlow and Melissa Lechlitner, and center Erica Williamson – make up the team’s primary bench rotation, with all three averaging at least 16 minutes per game, all three having scored in double figures at least five times, and both Barlow and Williamson have posted double-doubles this season.

Barlow, who got her first career start this past Sunday vs. DePaul, also is second on the team in scoring (11.0 ppg.) and ranks among the BIG EAST Conference leaders in both free throw percentage (third at .848; also 22nd in NCAA as of Feb. 12) and steals (fifth at 2.2 spg.). Williamson is carding 6.0 points, 5.7 rebounds and a team-high 1.38 blocks per game, tying for eighth in the conference in the latter category. And, Lechlitner is logging 5.8 points and 2.9 assists per night with a 1.63 assist/turnover ratio. Lechlitner has been even better in conference play, placing second in the BIG EAST with a 2.18 assist/turnover ratio – that includes a 2.75 mark in her last nine games with 33 assists and just 12 turnovers (four giveaways came at Pittsburgh on Jan. 31).

The Five-Finger Discount
Notre Dame’s aggressive defense has forced 21.1 turnovers per game this season, logging 20-or-more takeaways in 18 games. In addition, the Irish caused an opponent season-high 30 turnovers at Michigan on Dec. 1, the first 30-turnover outing by the Notre Dame defense since Feb. 25, 2004 (37 turnovers by Miami at the Joyce Center).

The Irish also lead the BIG EAST Conference with 11.4 steals per night. In fact, Notre Dame has posted double-digit steal totals in 17 games this season, with freshman guard Ashley Barlow committing the most larcenies to date (55, 2.2 per game, fifth in BIG EAST) and leading three Irish players with at least 50 steals this season.

In addition, Barlow recorded a combined 11 steals vs. Western Michigan (six) and at USC (five). That made her the first Notre Dame player with back-to-back five-steal games since March 30-April 1, 2001, when Niele Ivey did so against Connecticut (five) and Purdue (six) at the NCAA Women’s Final Four in St. Louis.

Game #25 Recap: Villanova
Junior guard Charel Allen poured in a game-high 25 points to pace four players in double figures as Notre Dame turned in one of its best road performances of the season, rolling to a 75-58 BIG EAST Conference win over Villanova on Tuesday night at The Pavilion. It was not only the fourth consecutive win for the Irish (17-8, 8-4 BIG EAST), tying a season high, but also the most points Notre Dame has scored on VU’s home court since 1997.

Allen, the reigning BIG EAST Player of the Week, logged her second consecutive 25-point game and her fifth in the past nine contests. She also tallied six rebounds and tied her career high with six assists, all without a turnover in 37 minutes of action. Freshman guard Ashley Barlow chalked up 15 points, six rebounds and five steals, while junior center Melissa D’Amico came off the bench to score 15 points on 7-of-11 shooting. Senior guard Breona Gray also turned in an efficient performance with 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting (2-2 from the three-point line).

Stacie Witman and Jackie Adamshick carded 16 points and seven rebounds apiece for Villanova (7-18, 1-11), which lost its 10th consecutive game. Notre Dame also held the Wildcats to 4-of-19 (.211) from beyond the arc and forced the normally sure-handed VU offense into 20 turnovers, with 14 coming on Irish steals.

Notre Dame came flying out of the gate, scoring the first six points in 42 seconds. Villanova came back with an 11-2 run and took its largest lead of the night on Kyle Dougherty’s layup with 15:54 remaining in the first half. However, that spread lasted all of 14 seconds, as Allen canned a three-pointer on the next possession, igniting an 11-0 Irish run that put the visitors in front to stay. Notre Dame also tightened up on defense, holding the Wildcats to one field goal over the final 6:06 while taking a 34-25 halftime lead.

Villanova pieced together a rally early in the second half, using an 11-4 spurt and trimming the Irish lead to 45-42 on Maria Getty’s three-pointer with 12:55 to go. Once again, Allen stepped into the breach, hitting a layup 40 seconds later as Notre Dame scored 10 of the next 12 points in a 6:30 span. VU never got closer than nine points the rest of the way, with the Irish steadily pulling clear down the stretch and ending up with their largest margin of the night at the final horn.

Noting The Villanova Win

• Notre Dame takes a 14-8 series lead over Villanova and snaps a two-game losing streak against the Wildcats with its first win in the series since Jan. 24, 2004 (38-36 at the Joyce Center).
• The Irish log their first victory at The Pavilion since Jan. 25, 2003 (58-56) and post their largest win over Villanova since Dec. 6, 2000 (64-33 at the Joyce Center).
• Notre Dame’s 75 points are the most the Irish have scored vs. Villanova since Feb. 28, 1999 when they defeated the Wildcats 83-53 in the BIG EAST Championship quarterfinals at Piscataway, N.J..
• It also was Notre Dame’s highest point total at The Pavilion since Jan. 12, 1997 when the Irish won, 77-54.
• The previous six series games had been decided by a combined total of 17 points, while this year’s margin matched that spread.
• Notre Dame posted its highest regulation point total on the road this season (they did score 78 in an overtime loss at USF on Jan. 13), while VU’s 58 points matched the fewest allowed by the Irish in a road game this year (also 58 by Michigan on Dec. 1).
• The 17-point winning margin was Notre Dame’s largest in a true road game since Feb. 9, 2005, when the Irish posted a 75-58 victory at Providence.
• Notre Dame registered a season-low eight turnovers, with its previous best being a 10-turnover night vs. St. John’s on Jan. 16.
• The Irish had four double-figure scorers for the third consecutive game and the eighth time this season (7-1 record).
• The Villanova game also was the 750th of head coach Muffet McGraw’s career, with the Pottsville, Pa., native now sporting a 534-216 (.712) record in 25 seasons (the past 20 at Notre Dame, where she is 446-175).

2006-07: The Anniversary Season

• 2006-07 marks the 30th season of Notre Dame women’s basketball, with the Irish having compiled an all-time record of 610-274 (.690) since making their varsity debut in 1977-78. Actually, Notre Dame spent its first three seasons at the Division III level, playing under the banner of the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) before making the move to Division I status in 1980-81 (the NCAA began sponsoring a women’s basketball championship the following season). The Irish have an overall Division I record of 561-254 (.688).
• This year also represents Muffet McGraw’s 20th season as the head women’s basketball coach at Notre Dame and her 25th campaign overall, including her five-year run at Lehigh (1982-87). McGraw’s record is a stellar one – she is 446-175 (.718) at the helm of the Irish and has a career record of 534-216 (.712) in her silver anniversary season on the sidelines.
• In addition, Notre Dame is celebrating the 35th anniversary of women’s athletics at the University during the 2006-07 season. All Irish women’s sports teams will hold events to commemorate this milestone during their respective seasons. What’s more, all Notre Dame women’s teams are sporting 35th anniversary logo patches on their uniforms for the ’06-07 campaign.

Notre Dame Ranked 11th In Preseason BIG EAST Coaches’ Poll
According to a preseason poll of the BIG EAST Conference coaches, Notre Dame will finish 11th in the conference this season. Those were the results released at the league’s annual Media Day Oct. 26 at the ESPN Zone in New York’s Times Square. The Irish earned 108 points, while reigning BIG EAST Championship victor, Connecticut (221 points, 11 first-place votes) was tabbed first, ahead of regular-season champion Rutgers (215 points, five first-place votes). The BIG EAST sent 11 teams to the postseason last year, including seven NCAA Tournament qualifiers (Notre Dame was one).

The Irish now are in their 12th season as a member of the BIG EAST Conference in 2006-07. The Irish have gone 153-43 (.781) all-time in regular-season conference games, posting the second-best winning percentage in league history. Connecticut is first with a .790 success rate (312-83). Notre Dame also has finished among the top three in the final BIG EAST regular-season standings nine times in its first 11 seasons in the conference, including a share of the BIG EAST title in 2000-01.

Half And Half
During the past seven seasons, Notre Dame has been nearly unbeatable when it has the lead at halftime. The Irish are 121-11 (.917) since the start of the 2000-01 campaign when they go into the dressing room with the lead, including wins in 49 of their last 54 such contests. Notre Dame has led at the break 13 times this year, winning on 12 occasions (Central Michigan, Western Michigan, Richmond, IUPUI, Valparaiso, Prairie View A&M, Cincinnati, St. John’s, Syracuse, West Virginia and Villanova). The Jan. 31 loss at Pittsburgh was Notre Dame’s first setback when leading at the half since Jan. 7, 2006 (led Seton Hall 32-27, but ended up losing, 74-61 at the Joyce Center).

The Best Offense Is A Good Defense…
During the past 12 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 166-10 (.943) record when they hold their opponents below 60 points in a game. Notre Dame has held eight foes to less than 60 points this season, and is 7-1 in those games (wins over Michigan, Purdue, Valparaiso, Prairie View A&M, Syracuse, Louisville and Villanova; loss to Indiana).

…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. During the past 12 seasons (1995-96 to present), the Irish are 99-3 (.971) 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 topped the 80-point mark eight times this season, winning on each occasion (Central Michigan, Bowling Green, Western Michigan, Richmond, Prairie View A&M, Cincinnati, St. John’s and Syracuse).

The eight 80-point games are the most for the Irish in a single season since 2000-01, when Notre Dame reached that level 15 times during its run to the national championship.

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 148 of their last 165 games (.897) at the 11,418-seat Joyce Center, including winning streaks of 51 and 25 games in that span. Notre Dame also has an 86-12 (.878) record in BIG EAST Conference play at the Joyce Center, sporting a 31-game league winning streak at home before it ended with a 48-45 loss to Villanova in the ’02 home finale.

The Irish have been particularly strong when it comes to non-conference games at home, winning 64 of their last 69 non-BIG EAST contests (.928) at the Joyce Center, dating back to the 1994-95 season. Four of the losses in that span came at the hands of Big Ten Conference opponents – Wisconsin in 1996 (81-69), Purdue in 2003 (71-54), Michigan State in 2004 (82-73 OT) and Indiana this year (54-51), with the fifth defeat coming to Tennessee last year (62-51). The Purdue loss also 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 298-78 (.793) record at the venerable facility. Three times (1999-2000, 2000-01 and 2003-04), the Irish went a perfect 15-0 at home, setting a school record for home wins in a season. The 2006-07 campaign will tie for the most regular-season home games (16) in school history, although in 2004-05, the Irish played host to all four rounds of the Preseason WNIT before its regular 12-game home slate began.

Jammin’ The Joyce
Beginning with its national championship season of 2000-01, Notre Dame has ranked among the top 20 in the nation in attendance each of the past six years. This season looks to be no exception, as the Irish currently are 10th in the nation in average attendance (6,323 fans per game), according to the latest unofficial weekly rankings compiled by the University of Wisconsin Sports Information Office.

What’s more, each of the top 20 women’s basketball crowds in Joyce Center history have occurred during the 20-year tenure of head coach Muffet McGraw (1987-present), with 19 of those 20 occurring in the past seven seasons (2000-01 to present). Lastly, the Irish have attracted at least 5,000 fans to 92 of their last 94 home games, including 15 contests with at least 8,000 fans and the first three sellouts in the program’s history (two in 2000-01, one in 2005-06).

Oh Captain, My Captain
Senior guard Breona Gray and junior guard Tulyah Gaines are team captains for the 2006-07 season. Both players are serving as captains for the first time in their careers, and each received the captain’s honor following a vote of their teammates prior to the season.

States of Grace
Notre Dame is one of 12 schools in the country to have more than one player on its roster who was named a high school Player of the Year in their home state. Irish junior guard Tulyah Gaines was tapped as the 2004 Gatorade Nevada Player of the Year, while sophomore guard Lindsay Schrader was chosen as the 2005 Illinois Miss Basketball and Illinois Gatorade Player of the Year.

Notre Dame On The Small Screen
Notre Dame will have 11 of its regular-season games televised during the 2006-07 season. Highlighting this year’s television docket are five nationally-televised Irish women’s basketball contests, including a pair of games on the ESPN family of networks a week apart in early February.

This year’s TV slate continues a recent trend that has seen the Irish become a regular fixture on television. Beginning with the NCAA championship season of 2000-01 and continuing through this year, Notre Dame has played in 80 televised games, including 49 that were broadcast nationally.

Notre Dame On The Airwaves
For the 11th consecutive season, every Irish women’s basketball game (home and away) will air on commercial radio in South Bend, and for the seventh year in a row, Notre Dame can be heard on the flagship station of the Artistic Media Partners (AMP) Network – WDND-AM (ESPN Radio 1490) in South Bend. Veteran broadcaster and AMP sports director Sean Stires is now in his seventh season handling the play-by-play for Notre Dame. The Irish also can be heard free of charge on the Internet at Notre Dame’s official athletics web site (www.und.com).

Irish Debut Free Video Coverage
In the latest instance of the wide-ranging media avenues afforded the Notre Dame women’s basketball program, the Irish will have several of their 2006-07 home games televised free of charge through the official Notre Dame athletics web site (www.und.com). Thanks to the considerable efforts of CSTV Online (based in Carlsbad, Calif.) and its new Fighting Irish All-Access package, fans of Notre Dame women’s basketball can watch every minute of exciting action at the Joyce Center live from the comfort of their own homes. The video will be supplemented by an audio simulcast of the Notre Dame radio broadcast, led by veteran sportscaster Sean Stires.

This free service is limited to those home games that have not been selected for broadcast by other TV outlets. The Irish have been seen on und.com six times this season (Indiana, IUPUI, Cincinnati, St. John’s, Syracuse and Louisville), with one more Internet video broadcast scheduled for this season (Feb. 21 vs. Georgetown).

Joyce Center Arena Renovation On Tap
On Oct. 5, Notre Dame announced plans for a nearly $25 million renovation of the Joyce Center arena, including new chairback seating, a four-sided digital video scoreboard, and a club/hospitality area (as part of a new two-story addition to be built on the south side of the facility).

The $24.7 million renovation project has been underwritten with a $12.5 million leadership gift from Philip J. Purcell III, a Notre Dame alumnus and Trustee, and the retired chairman and CEO of Morgan Stanley. Upon completion, the arena will be known as Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center. The Purcell gift, combined with other benefactions, including a $5 million gift from 1959 Notre Dame graduate and Tampa Bay Devil Rays owner Vince Naimoli, brings the total contributions to the project to $22 million.

In accordance with University policies for new construction, work on the renovation will begin after the project is fully funded and designed. The University is actively seeking additional contributions.

Promotional Corner
Here’s a rundown of some upcoming promotions and giveaways at future Notre Dame women’s basketball games this season. Tickets may be purchased in advance at the Irish athletics ticket office (second floor of the Joyce Center through Gate 1; 574-631-7356), on game day at the Gate 10 ticket windows of the Joyce Center, or via the Internet at Notre Dame’s official athletics web site (www.und.com/tickets). Consult the Notre Dame promotions web site (www.notredamepromotions.com) for the latest information:

• Feb. 21 vs. Georgetown – Fan Appreciation Night … Wacky Wednesday (buy one ticket, get one free) … Notre Dame women’s basketball keychains to the first 1,000 fans, courtesy of Notre Dame Federal Credit Union … post-game autograph session on upper arena concourse with selected Irish players.
• Feb. 24 vs. Rutgers – The Biggest BIG EAST Bash … Senior Day (ceremonies prior to game honoring Irish senior players and managers) … post-game autograph session on upper arena concourse with selected Irish players.

Next Game: Georgetown
The Irish come back to the Joyce Center next week for their final two home games of the season, starting Wednesday with a 7 p.m. (ET) tipoff against Georgetown. Notre Dame is 20-2 all-time against the Hoyas, including a 10-0 record at the Joyce Center.

Georgetown (12-13, 2-10 BIG EAST) is one game out of the final BIG EAST Championship spot entering this weekend’s action. The Hoyas have lost nine of their last 11 games as they get set to take on Syracuse Saturday afternoon in Washington, D.C.