Notre Dame Fighting Irish - Official Athletics Website

Irish Look For 16th Straight Home Victory

Jan. 14, 2000

NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The Notre Dame women’s basketball team looks to break the school mark for consecutive home victories at the Joyce Center this afternoon as the Irish (12-2, 3-0) host the Syracuse Orangewomen (7-6, 0-2). Coach Muffet McGraw’s sixth-ranked Irish are 7-0 at home this season and have won 15 straight at the Joyce Center, a streak dating back to December 10, 1998 and began with a 63-62 victory over Villanova. Notre Dame has not lost at home game since suffering a 106-81 setback to Connecticut on December 8, 1998. Coach Muffet McGraw’s squad has won eight straight since losing to Purdue on December 8. Syracuse has dropped three straight after opening the season with seven victories in its first 10 outings.

Today’s matchup is the lone meeting between the two teams during the regular season. Notre Dame has won nine straight in the series and has a 10-1 advantage in the 11 meetings. Syracuse’s lone victory in the series occurred the second time the two teams played each other as the Orangwomen posted a 63-56 victory at home.

Notre Dame is sixth in both the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today polls this week. The Irish have been ranked in the top 10 of the AP poll 23 of the past 26 weeks, including a school-record 19 consecutive weeks from November 16, 1998 thru November 29, 1999. Notre Dame has been in the top 10 of the ESPN/USA Today poll for 26 straight weeks.

Date: Saturday, January 15, 2000
Place: Joyce Center (11,418)
Time: 2:00 p.m. (EST)
Radio: All Notre Dame games are broadcast on WJVA-AM (1580 in South Bend). Jeremy Gray provides play-by-play for games.

Notre Dame Probable Starting Lineup

No. Name Hometown Pos. Ht. Cl. PPG RPG
32 Julie Henderson*** Ann Arbor, MI F/C 6-3 Sr. 4.6 4.1
00 Ruth Riley** Macy, IN C 6-5 Jr. 15.3 7.3
12 Danielle Green*** Chicago, IL G 5-8 Sr. 10.5 2.7
22 Alicia Ratay Lake Zurich, IL G 5-11 Fr. 15.6 4.9
33 Niele Ivey** St. Louis, MO G 5-8 Sr. 11.2 3.5

Off The Bench

No. Name Hometown Pos. Ht. Cl. PPG RPG
3 Ericka Haney Toledo, OH G/F 6-1 So. 7.7 4.6
11 Karen Swanson Westlake, OH G 5-7 Fr. 0.9 0.4
23 Monique Hernandez Rio Rancho, NM G 5-9 Fr. 3.1 1.3
31 Amanda Barksdale Friendswood, TX F 6-3 Fr. 0.7 1.1
41 Imani Dunbar** San Angelo, TX G 5-7 Jr. 1.3 2.1
44 Meaghan Leahy* Wilbraham, MA F 6-4 So. 3.4 3.1
50 Kelley Siemon** Edina, MN F 6-2 Jr. 5.7 4.0

* – Indicates monograms won

SETON HALL REVIEW
Ruth Riley registered her second consecutive double-double as she finished with game-highs of 17 points and a season-tying 13 rebounds as Notre Dame won its eighth straight in the 80-52 victory. She also tied her season-high with seven blocked shots as the Irish finished with 10 for the game. Riley was one of three Irish players in double figure scoring as Niele Ivey posted her fourth double-double of the season with 14 points and 10 assists, while Alicia Ratay also chipped in 14 points. Notre Dame, which trailed only briefly at the start of the contest, shot 55.6 percent form the field, including a blistering 62.5 percent in the second half. The Irish held the Pirates to 30.0 accuracy from the field as the visitors made just 11 of its 39 field goal attempts in the second half. Notre Dame owned a 41-37 rebounding advantage, but committed 25 turnovers in the contest.

RATAY CLAIMS THIRD ROOKIE OF THE WEEK HONOR
For the third time this season, Irish rookie Alicia Ratay claimed BIG EAST rookie-of-the-week accolades as she shared the honor with Brookie Stewart of Pittsburgh. The only three-time honoree thus far in 1999-2000, she averaged 17.5 points and 5.5 rebounds in wins over West Virginia and Georgetown last week. Ratay shot 57.1 percent from the field in the two wins as she hit 12 of her 21 field goal attempts.

RILEY HAS HIGH SCHOOL NUMBER RETIRED
Notre Dame junior Ruth Riley had her high school number “25” retired at North Miami High School (Indiana) on Thursday night (January 6). The Macy, Ind., native was a standout in three sports ? basketball, volleyball and track. She is the first such athlete from her high school to have her number retired.

IRISH TOUGH AT HOME AGAINST BIG EAST FOES
Notre Dame has compiled a 36-3 (.923) record against BIG EAST opponents at the Joyce Center since joining the league in 1995-96. All three of those losses have been to Connecticut. Notre Dame was a perfect 9-0 at the Joyce Center in league action during the 1996-97 campaign.

HELPING PUT THE BIG IN THE BIG EAST
During its four seasons as a member of the BIG EAST Conference, Notre Dame has proven to be one of the league’s most dominant teams. The Irish have a 62-13 record (82.6 percent) in regular season games and an 8-4 mark (66.7 percent) in BIG EAST tournament action for an overall record of 70-17 (80.5 percent) against league opponents. Of Notre Dame’s 17 league losses, 10 have come against Connecticut. The Irish have lost to four other teams in the BIG EAST ? Rutgers (three times), Boston College (twice), Villanova and Miami. All of the losses to those teams have come on the road.

RILEY STREAK SNAPPED
Ruth Riley failed to reach double figures for just the second time this season in scoring nine points against West Virginia on January 5. After being held scoreless for the first time in her career (64 games) in the season opener against Toledo, Riley came back to score in double figures in 10 consecutive games. She has scored 20-plus points twice this season as she netted a season-high 32 points against Liberty on December 5 which marked the third 30-point performance of her career. Riley also had 20 points in a win over Florida International at the Orange Bowl Women’s Basketball Fab Four. She is second in the Irish scoring column with a 15.6 points per game average and has led the Irish in scoring in five games in 1999-2000. Riley has scored in double figures in 58 of 77 career games.

ANOTHER DAILY DOUBLE FOR RUTH
Ruth Riley, who led Notre Dame and the BIG EAST Conference with 12 double-doubles last season, has registered back-to-back double-double performances in the last two Irish outings. Her most recent double-double occurred in Tuesday night’s game against Seton Hall in which she scored 17 points and grabbed 13 rebounds. That was preceded by last Saturday’s performance (18 points and 13 rebounds) against Georgetown which was her first of the season. She has 23 career double-doubles and has grabbed 10 or more rebounds 24 times in her career

FRESHMAN FOLLIES
Freshman guard Alicia Ratay leads the team in scoring as she is averaging 15.6 points per game. Ratay, a two-time BIG EAST rookie-of-the-week honoree, has topped the 20-point mark three times this season, including a 32-point performance against North Carolina which marked just the second 30-point performance by an Irish rookie in the 22-year history of the program. Ratay led Notre Dame in scoring for the seventh time this season against Georgetown last Saturday as she scored a game-high 23 points in the Irish win over the Hoyas.

IRISH CAPTURE WACHOVIA WOMEN’S INVITATIONAL
Notre Dame captured the Wachovia Women’s Invitational Tournament in Richmond, Va., as the Irish beat North Carolina and Liberty in the seventh annual event. The tournament is recognized as one of the most prestigious in-season events.

Junior center Ruth Riley was named MVP of the tournament in addition to being selected along with freshman Alicia Ratay to the all-tournament team. Riley scored 32 points (the third 30-point performance of her career) against Liberty in the championship game as she connected on 12-of-14 shots from the field and was a perfect eight-for-eight from the free throw line. In addition, she had seven rebounds and two blocked shots in 29 minutes of action. Against North Carolina, she registered 12 points, seven rebounds and four blocked shots in 28 minutes. For the tournament she averaged 22.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.0 blocked shots. Riley also was 17-of-22 (.773) from the field and a perfect 10-for-10 from the charity stripe.

Ratay had the first 30-point performance of her career, and second-ever by a Notre Dame freshman, when she tossed in 32 points on a 12-for-15 shooting performance against North Carolina. The Irish rookie also hit six-of-eight from three-point range. In the championship tilt, she was the only other Notre Dame player in double figures as she netted 17 points, grabbed four rebounds and dished off five assists playing a season-high 36 minutes. For the tournament, she averaged 24.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.5 steals. Ratay shot 18-of-25 (.720) percent from the field and was seven-for-11 (.636) from three-point range.

POLL WATCHING
Notre Dame is ranked sixth in both the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today rankings this week. The number six ranking ties the all-time high for Irish in the regular season in both polls. Notre Dame has been ranked in the top 10 of the AP poll 23 of the last 26 weeks over the past two seasons. The Irish slipped out of the top 10 (after a school-record 19 consecutive weeks there) on November 29, 1999, prior to that, Notre Dame had held a spot in the top 10 of every poll dating back to November 16, 1998. Coach Muffet McGraw’s squad has now been ranked 26 consecutive weeks in the top 10 of the ESPN/USA Today ranking. Notre Dame has earned a top 25 ranking for a school-record 29 consecutive weeks, breaking the old mark of 24 weeks set from February 5, 1996 thru March 10, 1997.

HEAD COACH MUFFET McGRAW
Notre Dame head coach Muffet McGraw is in her 13th season with the Irish and 17th as a collegiate coach. She has guided Notre Dame to four straight NCAA tournament appearances and six overall. McGraw led the Irish to the 1997 Final Four as her team claimed the East Regional championship. In 1998, McGraw’s squad finished with a 22-10 mark and advanced to the Sweet 16. In 12-plus seasons at Notre Dame, she has a record of 273-112 (.709), and in 17-plus campaigns overall, her teams have registered a 361-153 (.702) ledger. Prior to coming to Notre Dame, she spent five seasons at Lehigh where she compiled an 88-41 record for a .683 winning percentage. Last season, McGraw, after guiding the Irish to their sixth consecutive 20-win season, was named as a finalist for the Naismith Women’s Basketball and Associated Press coach-of-the-year awards.

PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER MAGAZINE TO FOLLOW IRISH ALL SEASON
Annette John-Hall, a feature writer for the Philadelphia Inquirer will be following head coach Muffet McGraw, a native of Pottsville, Pa., and the Irish all season long and feature them in the magazine section of that publication. She will file stories throughout the season on McGraw and her squad. Hall has already written three features thus far with the fourth installment scheduled for sometime in January.

IRISH GET 200TH WIN AT JOYCE CENTER
Notre Dame earned its 200th win at the Joyce Center a week ago against Valparaiso on December 29. Since its inaugural season in 1977-78, the Irish own a 203-65 mark for a .757 winning percentage. Notre Dame tied the school record with its 15th consecutive home victory against Seton Hall on Tuesday night. The last time the Irish lost at home was on December 8, 1998. The Irish have won a school-record 15 straight on two occasions ? January 2, 1995-January 10, 1996 and December 10, 1997-December 2, 1998. Both times Connecticut stopped the Irish home win streaks.

HOME SWEET HOME
Since its inaugural season in 1977-78, Notre Dame has played all of its games at the Joyce Center. The Irish own a 203-65 mark for a .757 winning percentage since that first season. Currently, the Irish are 7-0 at home and have won 15 straight home games dating back to the 1998-99 campaign. Last season, Notre Dame won a school-record 12 games at home en route to a 12-1 home mark. During the last four-plus seasons, Coach Muffet McGraw’s squad is 53-4 (.930) at the Joyce Center.

SERIES RECORD VERSUS SYRACUSE
Today’s matchup will be the 12th between the two schools with the Irish holding a 10-1 advantage in the series. Notre Dame has won nine straight over the Orangewomen and are 5-0 against Syracuse at the Joyce Center. SU’s lone victory in the series (63-57) was on February 4, 1989 in Syracuse, N.Y.

LINEUP SHAKEUP
In its first 14 games, Notre Dame has used seven different starting lineups. Below is a listing of the starting lineup and ND’s record with that starting five.

Haney, Siemon, Riley, Ratay and Ivey (1-0)
Haney, Ratay, Riley, Green and Ivey (1-0)
Henderson, Riley, Ratay, Ivey and Dunbar (3-1)
Haney, Henderson, Riley, Ratay and Ivey (5-0)
Haney, Siemon, Riley, Ratay and Dunbar (1-0)
Riley, Green, Ratay, Ivey and Siemon (1-0)
Riley, Green, Ratay, Ivey and Siemon (1-0)
Henderson, Riley, Green, Ratay and Ivey (1-0)

RILEY REACHES 1,000-POINT
Junior center Ruth Riley became the 15th player in Notre Dame women’s basketball history to reach the 1,000-point plateau this season. Riley reached the mark in the first half of Notre Dame’s win over Florida International on December 19. The 6-5 Macy, Ind., native has 1,096 career points in 77 career games for a 14.2 career scoring average. Currently, Riley is 13th on the Irish career scoring list.

IRONWOMAN
Against Georgetown, Ruth Riley made her 71th consecutive start in an Irish uniform. The Irish junior has played in all 77 games throughout her career. Her first career start came seven games into her freshman season during the 1997-98 campaign and was against Wisconsin on the road in Madison, Wis., on December 8, 1997.

A PERFECT 10
Ruth Riley, who has made 39 of her 46 free throw attempts this season (.830), was a perfect 10-for-10 from the charity stripe against Georgetown. It marked a personal best for the Irish junior who earlier in the season hit eight-of-eight from the line against Liberty en route to a 32-point performance.

GREEN PROVIDES A SPARK
Senior guard Danielle Green has been a spark for the Irish both as a starter and off the bench as she has scored in double figures in six of the last seven games. Green has started three of the 11 games she has played and prior to scoring eight points in Notre Dame’s last outings, had scored in double figures in six straight games. Her most recent double figure scoring effort was against Georgetown when she scored 12 points in her second start of the season. Overall, Green has been in double figures in seven games. She had 15 points and five rebounds in Notre Dame’s win over Marquette on January 2 and scored 10 points in last Wednesday night’s win over West Virginia. The 15 points were one shy of the season-high 16 she scored in the season opener at Toledo. Green is averaging 10.5 points per game (fourth best on the team).

DOUBLE DIPPER
Guard Niele Ivey had her fourth double-double of the season in Notre Dame’s last outing as she scored 14 points and dished off 10 assists. It was the eighth double-double of her career and the eighth time she has dished off 10 or more assists in a game. Her other double-doubles this season have come against North Carolina (17 points, 13 assists), Michigan State (14 points, 11 assists) and Marquette (19 points, 12 assists). Ivey leads the team in assists with 100 for a 7.1 average.

IVEY SHINES AGAINST VALPARAISO
Guard Niele Ivey had one of her best games of the season against Valparaiso on December 29 as she scored 13 points, dished off eight assists and tied her personal best with seven steals in the game. In 29 minutes of action, Ivey had just one turnover in the game. She is averaging 3.21 turnovers per game.

AN IRISH SPARK
Junior forward Meaghan Leahy provided a spark off the Irish bench in Notre Dame’s win over Georgetown as she tied her career-high with nine points in addition to grabbing four rebounds in 18 minutes of action. Her nine-point performance was the second of the season. Leahy also scored nine points and grabbed a personal best nine rebounds in Notre Dame win over Butler on December 1.

RILEY NOTCHES THIRD 30-POINT PERFORMANCE
Ruth Riley’s 32-point performance in the championship game of the Wachovia Women’s Invitational marked the third time in her career that she scored better than 30 points in a game. Riley had two 30-plus efforts last season, both against Providence College, as she scored 36 and a school-record 41.

A ROOKIE RARITY
Alicia Ratay’s 32-point performance against North Carolina was the first 30-point outing of her brief career and marked just the second time an Irish freshman has scored better than 30 points in a game. The only other Notre Dame rookie to record a 30-point performance was Michelle Marciniak as she scored 33 versus Georgia in a 90-86 loss on December 8, 1991.

RILEY NAMED FINALIST FOR NAISMITH PLAYER OF THE YEAR
On everyone’s preseason All-America teams, Ruth Riley, a third-team Associated Press All-America selection in 1999, is one of 10 finalists for the 1999-2000 Naismith Women’s Basketball Player of the Year Award which is presented by the Atlanta Tip-off Club. Riley and the nine other candidates were selected by a vote of the Board of Selectors comprised of leading college basketball coaches, journalists and basketball analysts. She is the first Notre Dame women’s basketball player to be named a finalist for the award, which was first presented in 1983. The nine other finalists include: Svetlana Abrosimova (Connecticut), Edwina Brown (Texas), Tamika Catchings (Tennessee), Tamicha Jackson (Louisiana Tech), Maylana Martin (UCLA), Kelly Miller (Georgia), Lynn Pride (Kansas), Semeka Randall (Tennessee) and Nikki Teasley (North Carolina).

RILEY RECORDS 500 REBOUNDS
Ruth Riley grabbed her 500th career rebound against Butler on December 1 and is 10th on the all-time career rebounding list with 595 boards. In 77 career games, Riley has a 7.7 rebounding average.

NON-CONFERENCE LOSSES A RARITY
Notre Dame’s loss to Purdue marked just the second loss the Irish had suffered to a non-conference opponent during the regular season in two seasons. The Irish were a perfect 8-0 against non-conference foes during the 1998-99 regular season. When Notre Dame lost to Illinois on November 27, it marked the first regular season loss to a non-conference opponent in 12 games. Heading into its matchup with the Illini, Notre Dame’s last non-conference regular-season loss was to Wisconsin (89-77) on December 8, 1997.

NOTRE DAME TO TAKE ON 10 NCAA TOURNAMENT FOES THIS SEASON
The 1999-2000 Notre Dame women’s basketball slate features 10 teams which last season participated in the 64-team 1999 NCAA tournament field. Notre Dame has already played Toledo, Illinois, North Carolina, Liberty, Purdue and Florida International with four other tourney teams on the slate: Boston College (Feb. 5), Connecticut (Feb. 26), Marquette (Jan. 2), Rutgers (Feb. 19).

BIG EAST DEBUTS 16-GAME SLATE
The BIG EAST Conference will begin its 16-game league schedule this season. That’s a change from the 18-game format which had been in existence since the league expanded to 13 teams in 1995-96. In 1999-2000, Notre Dame will play Georgetown, Pittsburgh, Miami and St. John’s twice and has single games against West Virginia, Seton Hall, Syracuse, Providence, Villanova, Rutgers and Connecticut.

RATAY NETS 18 IN DEBUT
Freshman guard Alicia Ratay, a first-team Parade High School All-American, scored 18 points in her collegiate debut. It was the most by an Irish rookie in her first college game since Michelle Marciniak scored 16 points in an 86-70 loss to Penn State on November 22, 1991. Ratay’s five field goals were all from three-point range as she hit five-of-eight field goals from beyond the arc.

RILEY HELPS USA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL CAPTURE SILVER MEDAL
Ruth Riley was one of 12 players selected to the 1999 World University Games Team. She and 1999 graduate Sheila McMillen (now an assistant coach at Western Michigan) were among the 44 players invited to Colorado Springs, Colo., for the five-day tryout. The team, coached by Penn State’s Rene Portland, took home the silver medal after posting a 4-2 mark in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, site of the basketball competition. Riley appeared in all nine games with the USA and started five of those contests and was the team’s third-leading scorer and second-leading rebounder as she averaged 9.3 points and 5.2 rebounds, with a .630 field-goal percentage. At a tournament in Madrid Spain prior to the start of the World University Games, the USA Women’s Basketball squad posted a 3-0 mark and captured first-place. During those three games, she averaged 7.3 points and 5.3 rebounds. This was Riley’s second stint with the USA Women’s basketball program. In the summer of 1998, she was a member of the USA Women’s Basketball Select Team.

SIEMON TOURS WITH BIG EAST TEAM
Junior Kelley Siemon averaged 6.6 points and 4.6 rebounds in helping the BIG EAST/Nike Women’s Basketball All-Stars to a 4-1 record in a ’99 summer tour of Belgium and Germany. Siemon scored 14 points in the win over Aalst (Division) and had seven points and eight rebounds in a win over the Belgian Junior National Team. The team was coached by Boston College’s Cathy Inglese.

THERE’S A NEW KID ON THE BLOCK
Coquese Washington, who played for Notre Dame from 1989-93, has joined head coach Muffet McGraw’s coaching staff this season as an assistant coach. She replaces Letitia Bowen who has become the administrative assistant to the women’s basketball program while attending graduate school. Washington, the Notre Dame record holder for steals (307) and steals average (2.7), has played professionally the last three years. During the summers of 1998 and 1999, she has been a member of the Women’s National Basketball Association’s (WNBA) New York Liberty. This past season, her Liberty advanced to the finals of the WNBA Championship. The 5-6 guard, who led the Irish in steals all four seasons she was at Notre Dame, spent the 1996-97 season on the roster of the Portland Power franchise of the now defunct American Basketball League (ABL).

IRISH SIGN TWO
Notre Dame signed two players listed among the top 40 prep players in the country during the early signing period. Jeneka Joyce, a 5-9 shooting guard from Topeka, Kan., and Le’Tania Severe, a 5-9 point guard from Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., were rated 26th and 40th, respectively, by Blue Star Basketball.

PRESEASON HONORS FOR RILEY
The name Ruth Riley appears on preseason All-America teams of several publications. Notre Dame also is ranked in the polls of every preseason publication.

Street & Smith’s: Ruth Riley – High Honorable, Notre Dame Mention, Notre Dame – 7th
Athlon College Basketball: Notre Dame – 8th
Basketball News: Notre Dame – 8th
Women’s Basketball News Service: Ruth Riley – Second Team, Alicia Ratay – All-Freshman Third Team, Notre Dame – 9th
Women’s Basketball Journal: Ruth Riley – Second Team, Notre Dame – 25th

BABY RUTH GIVEAWAY
Baby Ruth candy bars are being thrown into the stands this season following every blocked shot by an Irish player. The Notre Dame-Michigan State game was designated “Baby Ruth Day.” All fans entering the game received a Baby Ruth bar.

QUICK PLAYER BIOS

Amanda Barksdale has seen action in all 14 contests … she scored her first career points against Michigan State when she made two of her three field goal attempts for four points … had two points and a career-high three rebounds against Valparaiso … has 11 blocked shots on the season.

Imani Dunbar earned starts against Butler, North Carolina, Liberty, Purdue and Marquette and has played in all 14 games … earned first career start versus the Bulldogs … played a career-high 23 minutes against USC and registered personal bests of eight assists, five rebounds and three steals … second on the team in assists with 37.

Danielle Green has started last two games and has been in double figure scoring in six of the last seven games … had scored in double figures in six consecutive games before having that string snapped against Seton Hall on Tuesday night (eight points) … has started three of the 11 games … scored a season-high 16 points and grabbed seven rebounds coming off the bench in the season opener at Toledo … netted 15 points and grabbed five rebounds versus Marquette … grabbed a season-high eight rebounds against Valparaiso … missed three games (Butler, North Carolina and Liberty) due to a disciplinary suspension … averaging 10.5 points and 2.7 rebounds.

Ericka Haney has started eight games this season and has played in all 14 contests … first career start came against Toledo in the season opener … has scored in double figures in five games … recorded first career double-double with personal bests of 18 points and 14 rebounds against North Carolina … tallied a season-high 11 points against Butler and also added five rebounds and three assists in the game … grabbed six rebounds in the Valparaiso game … scored 10 points in her first collegiate start in the season opener at Toledo … averaging 7.7 points and 4.6 rebounds.

Julie Henderson has been in the Irish starting lineup in 10 of Notre Dame’s last 12 games … has started all but four games this season after coming off the bench in the first two contests of the season … has had season-highs of six points in five games this season versus North Carolina, Liberty, Michigan State, USC and Seton Hall … grabbed a season-high eight rebounds against Purdue, one shy of her career best… had four rebounds against the Tar Heels, five versus Florida International and six versus the Spartans and Women of Troy … grabbed five rebounds versus Valparaiso … averaging 4.5 points and 4.1 rebounds.

Monique Hernandez played in the first seven games of the season and has seen action in 13 contests … scored a career-high six points against West Virginia and Seton Hall … had five points, four rebounds and two assists against Valparaiso … played a season-high 15 minutes in both the Butler and North Carolina contests … scored four points and grabbed four rebounds against Butler … also netted four points in win over Marquette.

Niele Ivey started the first 11 games of the season, but was not in the starting lineup against Marquette … is averaging 11.2 points, 3.5 rebounds and 7.1 assists … has registered four double-doubles, most recent was against Seton Hall as she scored 14 points and dished off 10 assists … has eight career double-doubles and has dished off 10 or more assists in eight games … registered a season-high 19 points and dished off 12 assists in win over Marquette for her seventh career double-double … had first double-double of the season against North Carolina as she scored a then season-high 17 points and dished off a career-best 13 assists versus North Carolina in the Wachovia Women’s Invitational Tournament … the 13 assists in the game also marked a tournament record … has scored in double figures in five games this season … had 14 points and 11 assists in win over Michigan State … had solid all-around game against Valparaiso as she scored 13 points, dished off eight assists and made seven steals, tying her career-high, while playing 29 minutes and committing just one turnover … dished off nine assists and had two turnovers in 31 minutes versus Georgetown.

Meaghan Leahy has come off the bench for the Irish in all 14 games … averaging 3.4 points and 3.1 rebounds … tied her personal best of nine points against Georgetown … had career-highs of nine points and nine rebounds while playing 24 minutes (also a career-high) against Butler … scored seven points and grabbed seven rebounds in 18 minutes of action against Illinois … grabbed five rebounds against Michigan State and dished off a career-high four assists.

Alicia Ratay leads the team in scoring as she is averaging 15.6 points per game … also averaging 4.9 rebounds … named game MVP at the Orange Bowl Women’s Basketball Four Four against Florida International … scored 27 points, grabbed five rebounds and made five steals (personal best) in the contest while playing a season-high 39 minutes against the Panthers … turned in only the second 30-point performance by an Irish rookie when she scored 32 points against North Carolina … has scored in double figures in 10 games and has been the team’s leading scorer in seven of those contests … in her collegiate debut, scored a game-high 18 points and grabbed seven rebounds in 33 minutes of action … it was the most points by an Irish rookie in a season opener since 1991 … tallied 16 points and dished off seven assists against Butler … scored 19 points against USC as she hit six-of-10 shots from the field (4-5 from three-point range) … has twice earned BIG EAST Rookie of the Week for the week of December 6 and was selected to the all-tournament team at the Wachovia Women’s Invitational Tournament … has had a career-high seven rebounds in three games (Toledo, Butler and Marquette) … had the third 20-plus point performance of her career when she scored 23 points against Georgetown.

Ruth Riley has been in double figures scoring in 12 of 14 games and has posted double-doubles in last two Irish outings versus Georgetown and Seton Hall … was plagued by foul trouble in the first two games of the season and played only 28 minutes in those outings … has 23 career double-doubles after scoring 17 points and grabbing 13 boards … recorded her first double-double of the season when she scored 18 points and grabbed 13 rebounds against Georgetown … had the third 30-plus outing of her career when she scored 32 points against Liberty in the championship game of the Wachovia Women’s Basketball Invitational … second on the team in scoring as she is averaging 15.2 ppg. … tops the rebounding list with 89 (6.8 per game) … scored her 1,000th career point against Florida International and finished with 20 for the game on nine-for-11 shooting from the field … grabbed her 500th career rebound against Butler … had a season-high nine rebounds against Florida International … hauled in eight rebounds versus Purdue … blocked a season-high seven shots versus Butler … was the only player in double figures against Illinois with 16 points in 18 minutes of action … played only 10 minutes in the season opener at Toledo because of foul trouble … held scoreless in the contest for the first time in 64 career games … scored 18 points and blocked six shots versus Michigan State … had 15 points and eight rebounds against Valparaiso … scored 18 points and tied her season-high with nine rebounds against Marquette … one of just two players who has started all 14 games.

Kelley Siemon has been a starter in three of the 13 games she has played … started the season opener at Toledo and also earned start against Marquette … scored four points and grabbed four rebounds in the game … scored a season-high 12 points and grabbed five rebounds against North Carolina … had a season-high seven rebounds against Toledo … scored eight points and grabbed six rebounds versus West Virginia … scored nine points and grabbed five rebounds in earning start against Georgetown… grabbed five rebounds against Seton Hall … averaging 5.7 points and 4.0 rebounds.

Karen Swanson is a walk-on freshman who has played in 11 games … tallied her first career basket against USC … registered her first career three-pointer against Vaparaiso.

ASSOCIATED PRESS
(Week of Jan. 10)

LW
1. Connecticut 1
2. Tennessee 2
3. North Carolina State 3
4. Louisiana Tech 4
5. Penn State 6
6. NOTRE DAME 8
7. Georgia 7
8. Iowa State 10
9. Rutgers 11
10. Auburn 5
11. Duke 14
12. Illinois 15
13. Tulane 19
14. UCLA 17
15. North Carolina 9
16. Texas Tech 13
17. LSU 16
18. Purdue 12
19. Santa Barbara 22
20. Arizona 18
21. Kansas 23
22. Old Dominion 21
23. Oregon 24
24 Mississippi St. 20
25. Boston College 25

ESPN/USA TODAY
(Week of Jan. 10)

LW
1. Connecticut 1
2. Tennessee 2
3. North Carolina State 4
4. Louisiana Tech 4
5. Penn State 5
6. NOTRE DAME 6
7. Georgia 7
8. Duke 10
9. Iowa State 11
10. Auburn 8
11. Rutgers 14
12. North Carolina 9
13. Illinois 16
14 Texas Tech 13
15. Tulane 20
16. Purdue 12
17. UCLA 17
18. Arizona 15
19. LSU 21
20. Santa Barbara 22
21. Old Dominion 19
22. Mississippi State 18
23. Kansas 23
24. Oregon 24
25. Boston College 25

Last Meeting

Seton Hall 49
Notre Dame 77
February 6, 1999 – Joyce Center

Seton Hall min fg-a ft-a reb ast pf tp
Moreno 12 0-4 2-2 2 0 3 2
Fuller 22 2-10 4-4 5 0 3 8
Murray 23 3-6 0-2 4 0 4 6
Rouse 22 1-6 2-2 3 3 2 4
Smith 23 3-3 5-6 1 1 3 11
Townsend 18 1-3 0-0 0 2 1 2
Ashmon 22 3-11 0-0 4 0 2 7
Wishard 17 0-2 0-0 4 0 0 0
Hayes 19 2-4 1-3 2 2 3 7
Davis 18 0-2 2-2 1 1 2 2
Jefferson 4 0-2 0-0 1 0 1 0
6
Team 200 15-53 17-22 33 24 24 49
Notre Dame min fg-a ft-a reb ast pf tp
Siemon 19 4-5 2-4 5 2 5 10
Riley 19 2-3 2-5 7 2 2 6
Green 25 3-5 1-2 3 1 1 7
McMillen 28 3-9 0-0 4 3 2 8
Ivey 30 6-7 1-2 3 11 3 15
Haney 29 7-10 0-0 6 2 2 14
Hills 18 3-7 2-4 2 2 2 8
Henderson 11 0-1 2-2 1 1 2 2
Braendly 7 2-3 0-0 1 0 0 4
Dunbar 10 0-0 1-6 0 0 1 1
Leahy 4 0-0 2-2 1 0 0 2
4
Team 200 30-50 13-27 37 24 20 77
Seton Hall 27 22 – 49
Notre Dame 33 44 – 77

FG Pct: Notre Dame 60.0, Seton Hall 28.3, 3-PT. FG Pct: Notre Dame 36.4, Seton Hall 14.3, FT Pct: Notre Dame 48.1, Seton Hall 77.3, Three-point goals: Notre Dame 4, Seton Hall 2, Turnovers: Notre Dame 24, Seton Hall 28, Blocked Shots: Notre Dame 10, Seton Hall 1, Steals: Notre Dame 14, Seton Hall 6, Attendance: 5,231.

Irish All-Time vs. 1999-2000 Opponents

Team Record
Boston College 4-3
Butler 19-6
Connecticut 0-10
Florida International 1-0
Georgetown 12-1
Illinois 1-4
Liberty 2-0
Marquette 21-4
Miami 7-2
Michigan State 4-6
North Carolina 1-0
Pittsburgh 6-0
Providence 6-0
Purdue 2-9
Richmond 1-0
Rutgers 5-6
St. John’s 7-0
Seton Hall 8-2
Syracuse 10-1
Toledo 3-2
USC 1-1
Valparaiso 13-0
Villanova 9-3
West Virginia 7-0
Total 150-60 (.714)

NOTRE DAME POLL WATCHING
(Week By Week)

Date AP ESPN/USA Today
Preseason 8 9
Nov. 15 7 9
Nov. 22 6 6
Nov. 29 11 8
Dec. 6 7 6
Dec. 13 11 7
Dec. 20 12 8
Dec. 27 10 8
Jan. 3 8 6
Jan. 10 6 6

Series Record
Notre Dame leads 10-1
Home: 5-0
Away: 4-1
Neutral: 1-0

Date Site Score
1-16-88 Notre Dame, IN W 81-64
2-4-89 Syracuse, NY L 56-63
12-8-90 Notre Dame, IN W 71-66
12-31-91 Syracuse, NY W 81-60
1-10-96 Notre Dame, IN W 91-52
3-3-96 Storrs, CT* W 70-55
1-15-97 Syracuse, NY W 72-45
2-6-97 Notre Dame, IN W 90-73
1-21-98 Syracuse, NY W 87-69
1-26-99 Syracuse, NY W 94-61
2-17-99 Notre Dame, IN W 82-60

*BIG EAST Tournament

Series Scoring Total Average
Notre Dame 875 79.5
Syracuse 668 60.7

Current Win Streak: Notre Dame, 9 games
McGraw vs. Syracuse: 10-1
ND Biggest Win: 39 (91-52 on 1-10-96)
SU Biggest Win: 7 (63-56 on 2-4-89)
ND Longest Win Streak: 9 (from 1989-99)
SH Longest Win Streak: 1 (1989)

1999-2000 BIG EAST Coaches’
Preseason Poll

1. Connecticut (10) 142
2. Rutgers (3) 135
3. NOTRE DAME 121
4. Boston College 112
5. Georgetown 90
6. Villanova 86
7. Miami 79
8. Syracuse 59
9. St. John’s 46
10. Pittsburgh 44
11. Seton Hall 39
12. Providence 38
13. West Virginia 23

Preseason All-BIG EAST First Team: Svetlana Abrosimova (Connecticut), Tasha Pointer (Rutgers), Shea Ralph (Connecticut), Ruth Riley (Notre Dame), Shawnetta Stewart (Rutgers)

Preseason All-BIG EAST Second Team: Niele Ivey (Notre Dame), Alissa Murphy (Boston College), Katie Smrcka-Duffy (Georgetown), Tammy Sutton-Brown (Rutgers), Tamika Williams (Connecticut)

BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year: Svetlana Abrosimova (Connecticut)

BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year: Kennitra Johnson (Connecticut)

1999-2000 BIG EAST STANDINGS
(through games of Jan. 13)

BIG EAST Overall
Record Record
Rutgers 4-0 11-2
Connecticut 3-0 13-0
NOTRE DAME 3-0 12-2
Boston College 3-0 14-3
Providence 2-1 8-5
Pittsburgh 2-2 11-4
Villanova 1-1 7-5
Miami 1-1 7-6
Georgetown 1-3 7-7
Syracuse 0-2 7-6
Seton Hall 0-3 6-7
St. John’s 0-4 5-9
West Virginia 0-4 5-9

1999-2000 BIG EAST WEEKLY AWARDS

Player of the Week

Nov. 22 Becky Gottstein (BC)
Jen Gombotz (PC)
Nov. 29 Shea Ralph (UC)
Dec. 6 Ruth Riley (ND)
Swin Cash (UC)
Dec. 13 Becky Gottstein (BC)
Katie Smrcka-Duffy (GU)
Dec. 20 Cal Bouchard (BC)
Shawnetta Stewart (RU)
Dec. 27 Shanetta Stewart (RU)
Svetlana Abrosimova (UC)
Jan. 3 Becky Gottstein (BC)
Monika Roberts (PC)
Jan. 10 Sue Bird (UC)

Rookie of the Week

Nov. 22 Amanda Papuga (UM)
Nov. 29 Shannon Perry (SU)
Trish Juhline (VU)
Dec. 6 Alicia Ratay (ND)
Dec. 13 Santia Jackson (GU)
Dec. 20 Alicia Ratay (ND)
Dec. 27 Kennitra Johnson (UC)
Jan. 3 Mandy Wittenmyer (UP)
Jan. 10 Alicia Ratay (ND)
Brooke Stewart (UP)

IRISH IN THE NCAA STATISTICS

Ruth Riley Field Goal Pct. (8th)
Blocked Shots (6th)
Niele Ivey Assists (11th)
Alicia Ratay 3pt. Field Goal Pct. (9th)
Team Field Goal Pct. (9th)
3pt. Field Goal Pct. (3rd)
Field Goal Pct. Defense (16th)