Notre Dame senior guard Megan Duffy was one of 25 players named to the 2005-06 State Farm Wade Trophy preseason candidate list, it was announced Wednesday. Duffy is one of four point guards on the list, joining UCLA's Nikki Blue, Texas Tech's Erin Grant and North Carolina's Ivory Latta.

Irish Seek Redemption Against Huskies Sunday

Jan. 28, 2005

(#6 AP/#7 ESPN/USA Today) Notre Dame Fighting Irish (17-3, 5-2)
vs. (#9 AP/#10 ESPN/USA Today) Connecticut Huskies (13-4, 6-0)

The Date and Time: Sunday, Jan. 30, 2005, at 7 p.m. ET.

The Site: Gampel Pavilion (10,167) in Storrs, Conn.

The Tickets: None are available – the game is a sellout.

The TV Plans: ESPN2 national broadcast with Dave O’Brien (play-by-play), Doris Burke (analysis), Jonathan Labovich (producer) and Bob Frattaroli (director).

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

Real-Time Statistics: Live in-game statistics are available for the Connecticut game, via the Connecticut (www.uconnhuskies.com) athletics web site.

Web Sites: Notre Dame (www.und.com), Connecticut (www.uconnhuskies.com).

#6/7 NOTRE DAME GETS SECOND CRACK AT #9/10 CONNECTICUT SUNDAY NIGHT
As the old saying goes, “you don’t get many second chances in life.” No. 6/7 Notre Dame gets one of those rare second chances Sunday when it visits No. 9/10 Connecticut for a 7 p.m. (ET) game that will be televised nationally by ESPN2. Back on Jan. 12, the Irish fell to the Huskies, 67-50 in what remains the only double-digit loss (and one of just three defeats overall) on the Notre Dame ledger this season.

Since that setback to UConn, the Irish (17-3, 5-2 BIG EAST) have won four consecutive games, including two against Top 25 opponents. Notre Dame kept that streak going Wednesday with a 72-65 victory over St. John’s at the Joyce Center. In that game, the Irish trailed by four at halftime, but went on a 19-4 run early in the second half to take a double-digit lead before a late SJU rally slimmed the final margin.

Three Notre Dame players finished with double-doubles in the win, a feat that had not been accomplished since December 1995. Sophomore forward Crystal Erwin (14p, 10r) and junior guard Megan Duffy (14p, 10a) each had their first career double-doubles, while senior All-America forward Jacqueline Batteast put up her fifth of the season (10p, 10r).

The victory at Notre Dame also has ignited Connecticut (13-4, 6-0), which is in the midst of a five-game winning streak. The Huskies shook free of Pittsburgh late in the first half Wednesday night and rolled to an 89-53 road conquest of the Panthers. Jessica Moore had a game-high 19 points to pace UConn.

Junior forward/guard Barbara Turner is scoring a team-high 12.4 ppg. for the Huskies, while junior guard Ann Strother averages 12.1 points per night.

Head coach Geno Auriemma is in his 20th year at Connecticut, owning a 545-107 (.836) record at the school. He is 16-3 all-time against Notre Dame.

A QUICK LOOK AT THE FIGHTING IRISH
It’s hard to say a 13-3 team was at a crossroads in its season, but Notre Dame found itself in such a situation entering its Jan. 16 game with No. 20 Purdue. The Irish had opened with wins in 13 of their first 14 games, including a memorable run to the Sportsview.tv Preseason WNIT title that included victories over a pair of top-10 opponents (No. 6 Duke and No. 10 Ohio State). However, after rising as high as third in the polls, a pair of bitter losses to BIG EAST foes Villanova and No. 16 Connecticut sapped some of the team’s confidence and left them searching for answers heading into the Purdue contest.

After a tense struggle through the first 10 minutes, Notre Dame pulled away and put together its second-highest offensive production of the season while ending a four-game losing streak to its in-state rival. The victory sparked a current Irish four-game winning streak that has seen Notre Dame win three times by double figures, including twice against ranked opponents. The highlight of the streak thus far came on Jan. 23, when the Irish rallied from a double-digit deficit for the first time since March 2003, climbing from a 13-point first-half hole to oust No. 6/7 Rutgers, 63-47.

Despite the added focus shown to her by opposing teams, senior All-America forward Jacqueline Batteast was a major catalyst for the Irish this season, averaging 18.6 points (26th in the nation as of Jan. 24), 6.9 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. A three-time BIG EAST Player of the Week and member of the Wooden Women’s Award Midseason Top 20 List, Batteast has scored in double digits 18 times this season, has earned game-high scoring honors on 11 occasions and has five double-doubles. She also moved into the top five on Notre Dame’s career lists for points (1,686), rebounds (884), blocks (151) and double-doubles (37), needing 14 points and 16 rebounds to become only the third Irish player to amass 1,700 points and 900 rebounds (joining All-Americans Katryna Gaither and Ruth Riley).

Junior guard Megan Duffy also has stepped up her play this season, registering 11.8 points per game with a team-high 5.6 assists (second in the BIG EAST) and 2.7 steals per game (first in the BIG EAST). Duffy also leads the league and is fourth nationally with a .916 free throw percentage (76-83) this season, sparking the Irish to a league-leading .751 free throw ratio (14th in the NCAA as of Jan. 24).

In the post, senior center Teresa Borton is showing capable leadership by example. In her past seven games, Borton is averaging 11.9 ppg. and 6.6 rpg. with a .635 field goal percentage (33-52) and has four double-figure scoring games. She is third on the team in scoring this season (8.8 ppg.), second in rebounding (5.7 rpg.) and first in both blocked shots (1.7 bpg.) and field goal percentage (.571).

SOME POTENT NOTABLES ABOUT THE FIGHTING IRISH
* Notre Dame won its first seven games this season, the second-best debut in the program’s history. The 2000-01 squad opened with a 23-game win streak en route to school’s first national championship. The Irish also reached the double-digit win mark Dec. 19 at Marquette, getting their 10th win faster than any team in school history (the ’00-01 team did it two days later on Dec. 21, 2000).

* The Irish are 6-1 on the road this year, and won their first five road games this season for the second time in school history. The 2000-01 club opened with a 10-game road winning streak to set the school standard. Ironically, Notre Dame struggled in true road games last year, losing its first four and six of its first seven on the opposition’s floor.

* Notre Dame has been a fixture near the top of all major RPI charts this season. Through Jan. 26, the Irish are fourth in the WBCA/Summerville RPI rankings, with the nation’s 11th-toughest schedule.

* Notre Dame has appeared in the top 10 of the AP balloting 10 times in the first 12 polls of the year, returning to that level this week at No. 6 after a one-week hiatus. On three other times in school history have the Irish spent longer in the AP top 10 – 1998-99 (16 weeks), 1999-2000 (15 weeks) and 2000-01 (18 weeks). All told, Notre Dame has now spent 66 weeks in the AP top 10 and has a 101-18 (.849) all-time record when it’s ranked in the top 10.

* The Irish have posted 34 wins over AP Top 25 opponents in the past seven seasons (1998-99 to present), including four this year (No. 6 Duke, No. 10 Ohio State, No. 20 Purdue and No. 6 Rutgers).

* Notre Dame has defeated 21 top-10 opponents in its history, adding to that total with three victories this season. The three top-10 wins match the second-highest total in school history (also 1996-97 and 1998-99) – the 2000-01 squad holds the Irish record with seven top-10 victories.

* Notre Dame owns a unique distinction with victories over both the No. 1 (Duke) and No. 3 (Ohio State) teams in this week’s Associated Press poll. In fact, the Irish are one of only two teams to defeat Duke so far this season, and also one of just two squads to solve OSU in 2004-05.

* Head coach Muffet McGraw has a 401-152 (.725) record in 18 seasons with the Irish, having logged the milestone 400th victory Jan. 23 against Rutgers. She also has a 489-193 (.717) overall record in 23 seasons, leaving her only 11 victories shy of the 500-win plateau for her career.

A QUICK LOOK AT CONNECTICUT
It took a little more than two months, but No. 9/10 Connecticut has regained the form that has led to three consecutive national championships. Starting with a 67-50 victory at Notre Dame on Jan. 12, the Huskies have reeled off five wins in a row by an average of 20.4 points per game and remain the only unbeaten team in BIG EAST Conference play this season.

In its last outing, UConn (13-4, 6-0 BIG EAST) pulled free of Pittsburgh late in the first half and went on to register an 89-53 victory over the Panthers on Wednesday night in the Steel City. Senior forward/center Jessica Moore scored 19 points and freshman guard/forward Charde Houston added 15 points for the Huskies, who shot 57.8 percent from floor and caused 25 Pittsburgh turnovers.

Despite missing four games (including the first Notre Dame contest) with a foot injury, junior forward/guard Barbara Turner leads Connecticut in scoring (12.4 ppg.) and is third in field goal percentage (.529). Junior guard Ann Strother is second in scoring (12.1 ppg.) and tops in assists (3.6 apg.) and three-point percentage (.391), while Houston has had an exceptional rookie season, averaging 11.8 ppg., while leading the team in blocks (1.35 bpg.), steals (1.53 spg.) and field goal percentage (.565).

Head coach Geno Auriemma has amassed a 545-107 (.836) record in his 20 seasons at Connecticut, including a 16-3 career mark against Notre Dame.

THE NOTRE DAME-CONNECTICUT SERIES
Although it took six seasons to develop, the Notre Dame-Connecticut series has evolved into the one of the top matchups of the season in both the BIG EAST Conference and the nation as a whole. Connecticut leads the series by a 16-3 count (9-0 at UConn, including a 7-0 mark in Storrs), but the past eight games have been almost evenly split with UConn winning five times and Notre Dame winning on three occasions.

The teams did not begin playing one another until the 1995-96 season after the Irish joined the BIG EAST. The Huskies were coming off their first national championship, while Notre Dame had made just two NCAA Tournament appearances up to that point. As expected, Connecticut held the upper hand in the early matchups, winning the first 11 times the clubs squared off.

Notre Dame broke through for its first victory over the Huskies on Jan. 15, 2001, a 92-76 conquest at the Joyce Center before a sell-out crowd of 11,418. That win was the first act in a remarkable Notre Dame-UConn trilogy during the 2000-01 season, with the Huskies claiming a heartstopping 78-76 win in the BIG EAST Championship final. The third installment saw the Irish rally from a 16-point deficit to defeat Connecticut, 90-75 in the NCAA national semifinals in St. Louis en route to the school’s first national championship.

The Huskies bounced back with three consecutive victories in the series, including a pair during the 2002-03 season. Notre Dame returned to the winner’s circle last season with a 66-51 win at the Joyce Center, adding yet another chapter in the fast-developing rivalry, before UConn won the first matchup this season, 67-50 in South Bend.

THE LAST TIME NOTRE DAME AND CONNECTICUT MET
Ashley Battle canned a pair of jumpers to ignite a 10-2 second-half run as No. 16 Connecticut blew open a tight game down the stretch and defeated No. 7/6 Notre Dame, 67-50 back on Jan. 12 at the Joyce Center.

Battle and Charde Houston turned out to be the key factors for UConn in the second-half surge. The veteran Battle scored 13 of her 15 points after the break, while Houston had 15 of her game-best 19 points in the second half for the Huskies. Together, they accounted for 28 of Connecticut’s 36 points during the final 20 minutes.

Sophomore forward Crystal Erwin was the only Notre Dame player to score in double figures, tallying 11 points. Senior All-America forward Jacqueline Batteast, who was hobbled after suffering an ankle injury with five minutes left in the first half, wound up with only eight points, one of two games this season where she has not finished in double digits. Senior center Teresa Borton did grab a game-high nine rebounds and blocked three shots, while junior guard Megan Duffy handed out nine assists for Notre Dame.

The first half was a closely-contested affair, with neither side leading by more than six points. Connecticut had the largest leads of the period, the second coming on Houston’s jumper that gave the Huskies a 26-20 lead with 4:15 remaining in the half. The Irish rallied to within 28-26 on Duffy’s jumper with 14 seconds to go, but Ann Strother answered with a three-pointer just before the horn to give UConn a five-point halftime advantage.

Notre Dame came out of the locker room refreshed and scored nine of the first 12 points in the second half, taking a 35-34 lead on Erwin’s jumper at the 15:13 mark. A minute later, Jessica Moore’s layup put Connecticut back in front for good, but the Irish remained close, trailing only 41-39 after Batteast sank two free throws with 11:20 to play.

At that point, the Huskies went on their game-turning run to push the lead into double figures. Notre Dame got as close as 53-44 when Erwin made one of two foul shots with 5:39 left, but Battle converted a pair of old-fashioned three-point plays in the closing minutes as UConn outscored the Irish 14-6 to end the game. Notre Dame also went ice cold from the floor late in the second half, missing 14 of its final 18 shots.

THE LAST TIME THE IRISH AND HUSKIES MET AT GAMPEL PAVILION Top-ranked Connecticut used an 18-2 run during a six-minute span that crossed over halftime and went on to register a 77-59 win over Notre Dame on Feb, 23, 2003 at Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, Conn.

Diana Taurasi led a balanced Husky attack with 13 points, while Willnett Crockett came off the bench to toss in 12 points. Ann Strother and Maria Conlon each ended up with 11 points, while Jessica Moore added 10 points for Connecticut.

Teresa Borton paced four Notre Dame players in double figures with a career-high 21 points, while Jacqueline Batteast grabbed a career-best 18 rebounds, but finished with only five points. Courtney LaVere had 13 points in a reserve role, and Alicia Ratay and Katy Flecky each contributed 10 points for Notre Dame, which outrebounded UConn, 43-40, but was crippled by 18 turnovers.

The Huskies wasted little time in taking the lead, scoring the first seven points of the game and jumping out to a 10-2 lead as the Irish misfired on 16 of their first 17 shots from the field, including six second-chance opportunities. Despite the frigid start, Notre Dame wouldn’t back down and got withiin 16-14 on LaVere’s layup at the 9:40 mark. UConn built its lead back up to seven points on two occasions, but again the Irish rallied, and when Borton hit a layup with 1:29 remaining in the period, the game was tied at 28-28.

The Huskies regained a measure of momentum going into halftime, as Crockett converted a three-point play and Moore nailed a last-second layup. That was a precursor to an early second-half eruption by the hosts, who scored 13 of the first 15 points in the period to grab their largest lead of the day at the time. UConn bumped its lead up to a game-high 22 points (74-52) on Crockett’s layup with 3:10 to play before Notre Dame trimmed the margin down to the final score.

OTHER NOTRE DAME-CONNECTICUT SERIES NOTES
* Sunday’s game marks the third time in series history Notre Dame will be ranked higher than Connecticut at tipoff. In the 2001 BIG EAST Championship final, the Irish were No. 1 in both polls, while the Huskies were second and UConn pulled out a last-second 78-76 win in Storrs. Notre Dame also was ranked higher than Connecticut in this year’s earlier matchup (No. 7/6 vs. No. 16), but the Huskies won that game as well, 67-50 at the Joyce Center.

* Connecticut is one of only two BIG EAST Conference opponents to hold a series edge over Notre Dame, leading the series with the Irish, 16-3. The other league foe with a winning record against Notre Dame is Rutgers, which owns an 11-9 series lead over the Irish.

* The Notre Dame-Connecticut “No. 1 vs. No. 2” matchup at Gampel Pavilion in the 2001 BIG EAST Championship game (won by the Huskies, 78-76, on Sue Bird’s jumper at the horn) garnered an 0.96 Nielsen rating (730,914 households) on ESPN2, making it the highest-rated and most-watched game in that network’s history. It also was the third most-watched non-NCAA Tournament game in the annals of either ESPN or ESPN2, and five days later, it was replayed on ESPN Classic as that network’s first-ever women’s basketball “Instant Classic.”

* Since the start of the 1998-99 season, Connecticut has lost by 15-plus points only four times, with three of those losses coming to Notre Dame (twice in 2000-01, once in 2003-04).

* Notre Dame is one of only four teams in the nation (and the first of three BIG EAST squads) to defeat Connecticut more than once in the past 12 seasons (1993-94 to present). During that 12-year stretch, Tennessee, Villanova and Boston College are the only other programs with multiple wins over the Huskies.

* The Irish and Huskies have combined to win the last five NCAA championships, making the BIG EAST the only conference to win the national title in five consecutive seasons. The BIG EAST also is the only league to have two different teams win the NCAA championship in consecutive seasons (Connecticut in 2000, 2002, 2003 and 2004; Notre Dame in 2001).

* Either Notre Dame or Connecticut has appeared in seven of the past nine Final Fours, with both teams reaching college basketball’s biggest stage in 2001.

* Including Sunday’s game, at least one of the participants in the series has been ranked in all 20 contests, with both teams having been ranked 12 times. Sunday’s game will represent the seventh time both Notre Dame and Connecticut are ranked in the top 10 nationally at tipoff.. – UConn leads in those games, 4-2 (although the Irish won the last such contest, 90-75 on March 30, 2001, at the NCAA Final Four in St. Louis).

DETHRONING THE CHAMPS
With the Notre Dame women visiting Connecticut Sunday, and the Irish men entertaining the Huskies at the Joyce Center earlier that same day, both teams have the chance to duplicate a rare college basketball feat they accomplished last season.

In 2003-04, Notre Dame became just the fourth school since the inception of the NCAA women’s basketball tournament in 1982 to have both its men’s and women’s basketball teams defeat the defending national champions in the same season. The Irish women did their part by ousting Connecticut (66-51) on Jan. 13, 2004, while the Notre Dame men completed the double with an 84-72 win at Syracuse on Feb. 16, 2004.

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

As if that wasn’t enough, Notre Dame also was the only school to defeat both of the eventual national champions last season. In addition to the Irish women downing Connecticut, the Notre Dame men toppled the UConn men, 61-50 on Feb. 21, 2004, only five days after they dispatched Syracuse.

THE BEAST OF THE BIG EAST
Notre Dame is 129-30 (.811) in regular-season competition against the rest of BIG EAST Conference, owning the best conference winning percentage of any current member of the BIG EAST since joining the circuit for the 1995-96 campaign. The Irish also have finished either first or second in the BIG EAST eight times in their nine-year membership, and claimed a share of their first-ever regular-season conference championship in 2001.

When including postseason competition (BIG EAST and NCAA tournaments), Notre Dame is 142-39 (.785) against league opponents – when factoring in these 22 postseason tilts, the Irish are 73-8 (.901) at home, 56-25 (.691) on the road and 13-6 (.684) at neutral sites all-time vs. BIG EAST foes.

POLLING PLACE
Notre Dame is 178-43 (.805) all-time when it is ranked in the Associated Press poll at tipoff (the Irish are sixth entering Sunday night’s game at No. 9/10 Connecticut). When playing at home, Notre Dame has been especially strong, going 84-10 (.894) as a ranked host after posting an 11-2 record at the Joyce Center this season. Conversely, the Irish are 70-25 (.737) all-time when they play on the road as a ranked team.

Upon closer inspection, Notre Dame has been very sharp when it’s ranked in the top 10 of the AP poll. The Irish are 101-18 (.849) as a top-10 squad, including a 50-4 (.926) record at home. In fact, prior to its Dec. 2 overtime loss to then-No. 15 Michigan State, Notre Dame had a 41-game home winning streak when it was ranked in the AP top 10, dating back to December of 1998.

RISING UP
Notre Dame has posted a 4-2 record against ranked opponents this season, including a 3-0 mark against top-10 foes. Here’s a look at the Irish statistical leaders against Top 25 clubs this year:

* Jacqueline Batteast – 20.2 ppg., 6.7 rpg., .384 FG% (43-112), three 20-point games
* Megan Duffy – 13.5 ppg., 6.5 apg., .488 FG% (21-43), .600 3FG% (12-20), five six-assist games
* Charel Allen – 8.8 ppg., 4.5 rpg., .475 FG% (18-38), 1.000 3FG% (3-3)
* Teresa Borton – 8.2 ppg., 6.8 rpg., 2.8 bpg., .500 FG% (19-38)
* TEAM – 69.0 ppg., .543 3FG% (19-35), .802 FT% (105-131)

THE QUICK DISH
With apologies to ESPN.com’s Melanie Jackson, Notre Dame has its own true “Quick Dish” in junior guard Megan Duffy. During the past seven games (starting with the first matchup vs. Syracuse on Jan. 5), Duffy is averaging 7.9 assists per game, with at least six handouts in each contest. In that time, she also has posted a sharp 2.20 assist/turnover ratio (55 assists, 25 turnovers).

And lest you think these numbers have been piled up against Podunk Tech, Notre Dame has played three ranked opponents (No. 16 Connecticut, No. 20 Purdue and No. 6 Rutgers) in that seven-game span, and Duffy has averaged 8.7 assists per game with a 2.0 assist/turnover ratio (26 assists, 13 turnovers) against those top-25 squads.

BATTEAST NAMED BIG EAST PLAYER OF THE WEEK FOR THIRD TIME
For the third time this season, and the fourth time in her career, Batteast has been selected as the BIG EAST Conference Player of the Week, the league office announced Monday. The 6-foot-2 wing also was tapped for the honor back on Nov. 22 and Dec. 20, and she is the third player this season to be named BIG EAST Player of the Week three times, joining Meg Bulger of West Virginia and Jessalyn Deveny of Boston College.

Batteast earned the weekly conference award after averaging 23.0 points per game with a .515 field goal percentage (17-for-33) as the Irish downed Syracuse (74-61) and Rutgers (63-47). In the first game at SU, she scored a game-high 19 points, including five critical markers down the stretch after the Orange had trimmed the Notre Dame lead to five points. Four days later against RU, Batteast tallied 18 of her game-high 27 points in the second half as the Irish erased a 13-point first-half deficit. In fact, Batteast herself outscored the entire Scarlet Knights’ squad in the final period (18-16).

BATTEAST NAMED TO WOODEN AWARD MIDSEASON TOP 20 LIST
Senior All-America forward Jacqueline Batteast has been named to the John R. Wooden Women’s Award Midseason Top 20 List, recognized the leading candidates for the honor that goes to the nation’s outstanding women’s college basketball player. In March, approximately 15 finalists for the Wooden Women’s Award will be placed on the voting ballot by the award’s National Advisory Board, which is comprised of some of the country’s leading sportswriters and sportscasters who cover women’s basketball on a regular basis. Those ballots will then be mailed to more than 250 voters across the nation, with the top five vote-getters earning Wooden Award All-America honors, as well as a trip to the Wooden Award trophy presentation ceremony April 9 at the Omni Hotel in Los Angeles.

For the season, Batteast ranks second in the BIG EAST in scoring (19.0 ppg.), and also stands among the conference leaders in rebounding (10th – 6.7 rpg.), assists (13th – 3.11 apg.), free throw percentage (2nd – .838), double-doubles (7th – 4) and 20-point games (2nd – 8). In addition, Batteast ranks in the top five on the Irish career lists for points (5th – 1,676), scoring average (4th – 15.4 ppg.), rebounds (4th – 874), rebounding average (3rd – 8.0 rpg.), blocks (3rd – 147) and double-doubles (tie-2nd – 36).

ROAD WARRIORS
The Irish are 6-1 on the road this season, a far cry from last year’s struggles away from the Joyce Center, when they lost their first four and six of their first seven true road contests. In fact, Notre Dame won its first five road games this year, marking only the second time in school history the Irish opened with five or more road victories (they won 10 in a row to begin the 2000-01 campaign).

Accenting Notre Dame’s play on the road has been its defensive prowess. The Irish are holding opponents to 52.9 ppg., a .336 field goal percentage (130-for-387) and a .185 three-point percentage (22-for-119) away from home and have allowed more than 60 points only once in their seven road games this year (61 by Syracuse on Jan. 19).

THREE-FENSE
In the past 17 games, Notre Dame has limited its opponents to a .233 three-point percentage (69-for-296), after Irish foes were shooting .333 from beyond the arc (17-for-51) in the first three games of the season. On Dec. 9, Notre Dame held Dayton to an opponent season-low .071 three-point percentage (1-for-14), with the Flyers missing their final 13 three-point attempts.

For the season, Notre Dame leads the BIG EAST in three-point percentage defense, holding opponents to a .248 mark (86-for-347) from long range.

THE FIVE-FINGER DISCOUNT
Notre Dame ranks second in the BIG EAST Conference in steals this season, averaging 9.45 thefts per game (189 total). The Irish have come up with at least 10 steals in eight games and had a season-best 20 thefts on Nov. 22 vs. Colorado State, the most by a BIG EAST team this season.

Individually, junior guard Megan Duffy is tops in the conference in steals (2.7 spg., 54 total), while her backcourt mate, sophomore Breona Gray is second on the team with 1.3 steals per game (26 total). Three other Notre Dame players have at least 15 steals this year – senior All-America forward Jacqueline Batteast (25), freshman guard Charel Allen (21) and senior center Teresa Borton (16).

THE SEASON FOR SHARING
One of the key elements in Notre Dame’s success this season has been its penchant for distributing the ball well. In fact, the Irish have 339 assists (16.95 apg.; third in the BIG EAST and 26th in the nation as of Jan. 24) on 498 field goals made (24.9 per game), including a Preseason WNIT-record 29 handouts in the season opener vs. Illinois State.

Junior guard Megan Duffy leads the way at 5.6 assists per game (second in the BIG EAST and 34th in the nation), with at least five dimes in 13 contests this year, including a career-high 11 assists vs. Rutgers on Jan. 23. Duffy also is second in the BIG EAST with 7.43 apg. in conference play.

LOTS OF FREE STUFF
When given the opportunity, Notre Dame has taken advantage of its trips to the free throw line this season. The Irish lead the BIG EAST Conference and are 14th nationally (as of Jan. 24), shooting 75.1 percent from the charity stripe. In fact, they set a school record by going a perfect 18-for-18 on Nov. 30 at Valparaiso, which also matches the best mark by any team in the country this season.

Notre Dame has been led at the gift line by junior guard Megan Duffy (.916, 76-83), senior All-America forward Jacqueline Batteast (.838, 83-99) and freshman guard Charel Allen (.824, 42-51). Duffy currently ranks first in the BIG EAST and fourth in the nation in free throw percentage, while Batteast is second in the conference and has shown the greatest improvement among all Irish players this season with more than a 21-percent jump from last year’s career low .627 mark.

One side note about Duffy’s free throw prowess – the Irish junior struggled at the line early in her freshman season, shooting just 59.3 percent (16-27) during her first 15 collegiate games. However, in the 68 games since then (Jan. 20, 2003 to present), Duffy is connecting at an .868 clip (191-220) on her foul shots. She also has made 84 of her last 92 free throws (.913) in the past 26 Irish games, dating back to Feb. 28, 2004.

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

* Winningest basketball coach at Notre Dame – picked up 394th victory with the Irish on Dec. 19 at Marquette, passing longtime men’s coach Digger Phelps (393 wins from 1971-91).
* 400th victory at Notre Dame – registered 400th win at Notre Dame on Jan. 23 vs. Rutgers (current record: 401-152, .725)
* 500th victory overall – needs 11 wins (current record: 489-193, .717)

THE ST. JOHN’S RECAP
Sophomore forward Crystal Erwin had 14 points and 10 rebounds and junior guard Megan Duffy added 14 points and 10 assists, leading No. 6/7 Notre Dame to a 72-65 victory over St. John’s on Wednesday night at the Joyce Center. The Irish improved to 15-0 all time against St. John’s, but the seven-point margin of defeat was the closest ever for the Red Storm. Twice before they had lost by 13.

Senior All-America forward Jacqueline Batteast added 10 points and 10 rebounds, giving the Irish (17-3, 5-2 BIG EAST) three players with double-doubles for the first time since they accomplished the feat against Michigan State in 1995.

Kia Wright led St. John’s with 23 points, including 17 in the first half, and 10 rebounds for her first career double-double. Tara Walker had 16 points for St. John’s and Greeba Barlow added 12 for the Red Storm (14-4, 3-4).

The double-doubles were firsts for Erwin and Duffy, while Batteast moved alone into second place on Notre Dame’s career list with 37, including five this season. Batteast also had four blocked shots, while senior center Teresa Borton added 12 points, seven rebounds and three blocks.

The Irish started the game with little intensity – just as they had before beating then-No. 6 Rutgers last Sunday – falling behind by eight points and trailing 35-31 at halftime.

The Irish came out more aggressive in the second half, using a 19-4 run early in the second half to take control. Duffy started the run with a three-pointer, but the key was improved defense. The Irish held St. John’s to 2-of-19 shooting during the stretch, forcing one shot clock violation and four turnovers.

The Irish also outplayed St. John’s inside in the second half, outscoring the Red Storm 22-14 and winning the rebounding battle 26-21.

NOTING THE ST. JOHN’S WIN
* Notre Dame improves to 15-0 all-time against St. John’s, including a 7-0 record at the Joyce Center ? the current Irish 15-game winning streak vs. the Red Storm is the longest active run against a BIG EAST Conference opponent and second-longest current string for Notre Dame vs. a single foe (18 against Valparaiso).
* The Irish are 35-2 (.946) against New York schools, including an 18-0 mark at the Joyce Center.
* Notre Dame matched its season high with 49 rebounds (also vs. Nebraska on Nov. 14).
* The Irish dished out at least 20 assists for the sixth time this season.
* Notre Dame had four players score in double figures for the seventh time in 2004-05, and the Irish are 10-1 this year when they have at least three double-digit scorers.
* Notre Dame narrowly missed shooting 45 percent from the field for the fourth consecutive game, winding up at .444 (28-for-63).
* The Irish had three players register double-doubles in the same game for the first time since Dec. 21, 1995 at Michigan State, when Beth Morgan (28p, 11r), Katryna Gaither (27p, 14r) and Carey Poor (10p, 10r) all doubled up in an 87-83 overtime loss to the Spartans.
* The Notre Dame bench outscored its St. John’s counterparts, 14-9, giving the Irish a perfect 12-0 record this year when they hold the advantage in bench points.
* Sophomore forward Crystal Erwin notched her first career double-double, highlighted by a career-best 10 rebounds which were one more than her previous high that she set three days earlier against Rutgers.
* Junior guard Megan Duffy also logged her first career double-double and the first points-assists double-double by a Notre Dame player since Jan. 15, 2001, when Niele Ivey mirrored Duffy’s numbers (14p, 10a) in a 92-76 win over top-ranked Connecticut.
* Duffy posted her second consecutive double-figure assist game, becoming the first Irish player to pull off that feat since Nov. 17 & 20, 2000, when Ivey had 10 handouts at Valparaiso and 11 vs. Arizona.
* Senior All-America forward Jacqueline Batteast collected her fifth double-double of the season and 37th of her career, giving her sole possession of second place on the Irish all-time double-doubles list (one more than Ruth Riley’s 36 from 1997-2001).
* Freshman guard Charel Allen quietly compiled her fifth consecutive game of eight points or more, including four games with exactly eight points.

SPORTSVIEW.TV PRESEASON WNIT REWIND
Punctuated by emotional second-half rallies in the semifinal and final, Notre Dame won four consecutive games to claim the 2004 Sportsview.tv Preseason WNIT championship. The Irish capped off their season-opening charge with a 66-62 victory over No. 10/9 Ohio State in the title game, scoring the final 12 points of the contest to erase an eight-point Buckeye lead with a little more than five minutes remaining. That win came on the heels of a 76-65 semifinal conquest of No. 6 Duke, a victory that also saw Notre Dame come back from an eight-point deficit late in the second half.

Senior All-America forward Jacqueline Batteast was named the tournament Most Valuable Player after averaging 21.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.3 assists with a .507 field goal percentage in the four-game series. Batteast was at her best in the final two games, scoring a game-high 17 points vs. Duke (including a personal 10-0 run that put the Irish ahead for good) and then rolling up a career-best 32 points in the championship game against Ohio State. In that latter contest, she had another 10-point run in the first half and later scored seven of her team’s last 12 points, including the go-ahead jumper with 2:45 to play. However, her biggest contribution came with two seconds remaining, when she raced from beyond the top of the key all the way to the deep corner, blocking OSU’s potential game-tying three-pointer to cement Notre Dame’s title.

Not to be overlooked, junior guard Megan Duffy earned a place on the Preseason WNIT all-tournament team after recording 15.0 points and 6.0 assists per game with a .500 field goal percentage (.600 from beyond the arc). She was the catalyst for an Irish offense that averaged nearly 77 points per game and dished out better than 20 assists per night in the tournament, including a Preseason WNIT-record 29 assists in the first round vs. Illinois State.

HALF AND HALF
Over the past five seasons, Notre Dame has been nearly unbeatable when it has the lead at halftime. The Irish are 90-7 (.928) since the start of the 2000-01 campaign when they go into the dressing room with the lead. Notre Dame is 13-0 in such games this season, including a 3-0 record in BIG EAST Conference play.

THE BEST OFFENSE IS A GOOD DEFENSE …
During the past decade, Notre Dame has discovered that a solid defensive effort can almost certainly guarantee a victory. In fact, since the beginning of the 1995-96 season (Notre Dame’s first in the BIG EAST Conference), the Irish have an amazing 140-7 (.952) record when they hold their opponents to less than 60 points in a game, including an 11-1 mark this season.

… BUT SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO SCORE IF YOU WANT TO WIN
Not resting solely on its defensive laurels, Notre Dame also seemingly has found the magic mark when it comes to outscoring its opponents. Over the past decade (1995-96 to present), the Irish are 90-3 (.968) when they score at least 80 points in a game. The only blemishes on that record are a pair of overtime losses to Texas A&M (88-84) and Michigan State (87-83) in 1995 and a 106-81 loss to Connecticut in 1998. Notre Dame has tacked two more wins onto that ledger with its victories this season over Illinois State and Purdue.

NOTRE DAME AMONG RECENT WINS LEADERS
Notre Dame has won 219 games over the past nine seasons, which is tied for the seventh-most wins of any school in the country during that time.

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

THE GOLD STANDARD
The Irish are one of just six teams nationwide to have an active streak of 11 consecutive 20-win seasons. The others in these elite club are Tennessee (28), Texas Tech (15), Louisiana Tech (13), Old Dominion (13) and Connecticut (11).

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 124 of their last 135 games (.919) at the 11,418-seat Joyce Center. Notre Dame also has a 73-8 (.901) home record in BIG EAST play.

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

Since its inaugural season in 1977-78, Notre Dame has played all of its games at the Joyce Center, posting a 274-72 (.792) record at the venerable facility. In three of the past five seasons (1999-2000, 2000-01 and 2003-04), the Irish were a perfect 15-0 at home, setting a school record for home wins in a season.

JAMMIN’ THE JOYCE
Beginning with its national championship season of 2000-01, Notre Dame has ranked in the top 15 in the nation in attendance each of the past four years, and current returns indicate this season will be no different. According to the Jan. 24 unofficial national attendance rankings (as compiled by the University of Wisconsin Sports Information Office), Notre Dame is 14th in the nation with an average of 5,537 fans per game.

All of the top 20 crowds in the Irish record book have occurred during the 18-year tenure of head coach Muffet McGraw (1987-present). And, as more evidence of Notre Dame’s rapid elevation to “hot ticket” status in South Bend, 19 of the top 20 crowds in school history have been recorded in the past six seasons (1999-2000 to present), including 12 audiences of 8,000 or more fans, and 62 of the past 64 home games with at least 5,000 fans filing into the Joyce Center.

NOTRE DAME ON THE SMALL SCREEN
The Irish are scheduled to make at least 13 appearances on regional or national television during the 2004-05 season (additional broadcasts may be announced at a later date).

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

The Irish returned to the airwaves Dec. 2 when they dropped an 82-73 overtime decision to No. 15 Michigan State on College Sports Television (CSTV). That was the first of three Notre Dame games that will air nationally on the fledgling cable network, which has signed an agreement with the BIG EAST Conference to carry a national women’s basketball Game of the Week eight times in 2004-05. The Irish also lost to No. 16 Connecticut, 67-50 on Jan. 12 at the Joyce Center and will visit No. 14/13 Boston College on Feb. 15 in front of the CSTV cameras.

In addition, Notre Dame will play twice on ESPN2 this year. On Jan. 16, the Irish downed No. 20 Purdue, 86-69 in the BIG EAST/Big Ten Challenge at the Joyce Center. On Sunday, Notre Dame is back on ESPN2 when it heads to Storrs, Conn., to meet No. 9/10 Connecticut at Gampel Pavilion.

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

Detroit-based Comcast Local (Channel 3 on Comcast cable systems in South Bend) is the latest television outlet to select Notre Dame women’s basketball games for broadcast. The newly-formed network will air five Irish games this season – at USC (Nov. 26), and home games vs. Washington (Dec. 11), St. John’s (Jan. 26), Georgetown (Feb. 12) and West Virginia (Feb. 26) – with former Irish All-America center, WNBA champion and 2004 Olympic gold medalist Ruth Riley slated to provide color commentary on the final three broadcasts. Comcast Local can be seen in South Bend on Comcast Cable channel 3.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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):

* Feb. 2 vs. Boston College – Notre Dame women’s basketball trading cards (first 1,500 fans)
* Feb. 12 vs. Georgetown – Notre Dame women’s basketball dry erase boards (first 2,000 fans)
* Feb. 26 vs. West Virginia – Notre Dame women’s basketball beanie bears (first 1,000 fans)

NEXT GAME: BOSTON COLLEGE
The Irish will reach the midway point of the BIG EAST Conference season, as well as tip off the month of February, when they play host to No. 14/13 Boston College Wednesday at 7 p.m. (ET) at the Joyce Center. The Eagles will represent the fifth ranked opponent for Notre Dame in the past seven games, with the BC contest being one of only three home games remaining on the 2004-05 Irish schedule.

Boston College (14-3, 5-1 BIG EAST) is in the midst of its own challenging stretch, as Notre Dame will be the third top-25 foe in a six-game span for the Eagles. BC opened with wins in 12 of its first 13 games, marred only by an overtime loss on the road at No. 15 Michigan State (a fate the Irish also can relate to). However, the Eagles have split their last four games, dropping decisions at No. 6/4 Stanford and at home to No. 8/9 Rutgers, the latter a 71-60 margin in their most recent outing on Wednesday night. BC will look to get back in the win column Saturday when it plays host to Pittsburgh.

The Notre Dame-Boston College series has been an entertaining one, largely dominated by the home team. The Irish lead the rivalry, 8-4, including a 6-0 mark at the Joyce Center. Last season, the teams met just once, with Notre Dame pulling out a 52-50 victory at home. Next week’s matchup is the first of two this season between the Irish and Eagles – they will tangle again on Feb. 15 in Chestnut Hill, Mass., with that rematch televised nationally on CSTV.