Nov. 12, 2006
Storylines
- Notre Dame will be playing Bowling Green for the first time in almost 10 years.
- Notre Dame will be playing Bowling Green for the first time in almost 10 years.
Irish Set For Monday Night Test Against Bowling Green
After an encouraging victory in its season opener, Notre Dame gets back on the Joyce Center hardwood Monday when it plays host to Bowling Green in a 7 p.m. (ET) contest. The Falcons are the first of four reigning conference champions and 11 NCAA Tournament participants that the Irish will see during the 2006-07 season.
Notre Dame began its 30th anniversary season in strong fashion last Friday, leading from the opening tip to the final horn in an 88-66 victory over Central Michigan at the Joyce Center. The Irish needed all of four minutes to open up a double-digit lead on the Chippewas, scoring 17 of the game’s first 20 points and never looking back.
Junior center Melissa D’Amico led a quartet of Notre Dame players in double figures, tallying 16 points in only 15 minutes of action. Junior guard Charel Allen ignited the early run with 13 of her 15 points in the first half, while senior guard Breona Gray had 13 points and sophomore forward Chandrica Smith offered up a career-high 11 points in only nine minutes.
Rankings
- Notre Dame is not ranked.
- Bowling Green is receiving votes in the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today polls.
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 594-266 (.691).
A Quick Look At The Fighting Irish
A large majority of college basketball programs would be pleased with an 18-12 record and an 11th consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament. Then again, those programs aren’t Notre Dame.
The Irish players and coaches alike feel dissatisfied with last season’s performance, which started well with a 9-2 non-conference record and a top-15 national ranking, but ended with an NCAA first-round loss to Boston College. Along the way, Notre Dame also posted an 8-8 record in the rugged BIG EAST Conference, collected three victories over ranked opponents, and won the Duel in the Desert in Las Vegas with a convincing victory over eventual NCAA regional finalist Utah (68-55).
The Irish know they will face a host of challenges in 2006-07, with hurdles that include replacing All-America point guard Megan Duffy, tackling a schedule that features 16 postseason qualifiers (and 11 NCAA Tournament participants), and most recently, dealing with the season-ending knee injury to sophomore guard Lindsay Schrader. The Bartlett, Ill., product was slated to be Notre Dame’s top returning scorer this season, having carded 10.5 points and a team-high 5.4 rebounds per game during her rookie campaign.
However, this year’s Irish squad already may be living up to the phrase “expect the unexpected.” When many outside observers dismissed Notre Dame’s chances, the players and coaches have pulled even closer, with team chemistry and cohesion becoming the single greatest strength the Irish will possess in 2006-07. In fact, between seven other returning monogram winners and four other players with significant starting experience, not to mention four talented freshmen, those who want to write off Notre Dame before the season even starts may do so at their peril.
Junior guard Charel Allen (8.5 ppg., 4.3 rpg.) takes over as the top returning scorer for the Irish. The Monessen, Pa., resident spent much of last season working her way back to 100 percent after a March 2005 knee injury, saving her strongest efforts for the final month of the season, averaging 9.9 points and 4.5 rebounds in the season’s last 11 games.
Allen’s backcourt mate and fellow junior, Tulyah Gaines (4.9 ppg., 3.2 rpg., 1.7 apg.), assumes the mantle of court leadership for Notre Dame as both a team co-captain and the new starting point guard. Like her classmate, Gaines was very sharp down the stretch in 2005-06, averaging 8.0 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game with a 2.2 assist/turnover ratio in the final six games of the year.
A third junior, center Melissa D’Amico, will seek to anchor the Irish post game. Standing 6-foot-5, the Manorville, N.Y., native started 17 times last season, averaging 5.9 points and 3.7 rebounds per game, while ranking eighth in the BIG EAST in blocked shots (1.17 bpg.). She also owned a solid .468 field goal percentage and named the MVP of the Duel in the Desert (and subsequently the BIG EAST Player of the Week) after collecting 16.0 points and 6.5 rebounds per game with an .824 field goal percentage in the two-game tourney.
Complementing the Notre Dame veterans is a freshman class that was ranked 21st in the nation by All-Star Girls Report. Guards Melissa Lechlitner and Ashley Barlow finished second and third, respectively, in the 2006 Indiana Miss Basketball voting, with Barlow winning MVP honors for the 2006 Indiana-Kentucky All-Star Series after scoring 20.0 points per game. Meanwhile, 6-3 forward Danielle Ben-Tsvulun is a two-time all-area pick out of Fort Wayne, Ind., while 6-4 center Erica Williamson averaged a double-double (10.0 ppg., 10.4 rpg.) in her final two prep seasons, winning state titles in two different states during that time.
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 248 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 was ranked 11th in the nation in attendance in 2005-06 (6,601 fans per game), marking the sixth consecutive season the Irish have ranked among the national top 20 in attendance. Notre Dame also has attracted 5,000-or-more fans to 79 of its last 81 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 Bowling Green
The term “mid-major” gets thrown around way too loosely in many media circles. Case in point – Bowling Green, which is certainly no “mid” and represents everything “major” when it comes to women’s college basketball.
The Falcons have posted an astounding 52-11 (.825) record during the past two-plus seasons, rolling to consecutive Mid-American Conference regular-season and tournament titles before putting huge scares into both Kansas State (2005) and UCLA (2006) in the NCAA Tournament. And what’s even more impressive is the fact that Bowling Green brings back all five starters and nine letterwinners from last year’s 28-3 club whose only two regular-season losses were by four points each (one in overtime).
Picking up right where they left off the past two years, the Falcons opened the 2006-07 campaign with an impressive display of defensive muscle, shutting down Detroit, 68-37, last Friday in the Motor City. BG held the Titans to 24.5 percent shooting and forced 25 turnovers in the contest. On the other end of the floor, the Falcons showed good balance, with senior forwards Carin Horne and Ali Mann sharing team-high scoring honors (11 points) and just nosing out senior forward Megan Thornburn and junior guard Whitney Taylor (10 points).
Mann was BG’s leading scorer and rebounder last season at 14.6 points and 7.6 rebounds per night. Current senior forward Liz Honegger was hot on her heels with 13.6 ppg. and 7.5 rpg., while Horne logged 11.7 ppg. and current junior point guard Kate Achter averaged 10.9 points and 4.8 assists per game.
Head coach Curt Miller is early in his sixth season at Bowling Green, owning a 94-56 (.627) record in his first head coaching post. Monday will mark his first career matchup with Notre Dame.
The Notre Dame-Bowling Green Series
Despite the fact their respective campuses are relatively close (158 miles), Notre Dame and Bowling Green have played only twice before, with the Irish winning both prior contests. On Nov. 26, 1995, Notre Dame claimed a 92-67 victory at the Joyce Center, before venturing to Bowling Green’s Anderson Arena and earning an 85-70 triumph on Nov. 23, 1996.
The Last Time Notre Dame And Bowling Green Met
Katryna Gaither scored 19 of her game-high 25 points in the second half as No. 14/17 Notre Dame erased a six-point halftime deficit and charged to an 85-70 victory over Bowling Green on Nov. 23, 1996 at BG’s Anderson Arena.
Gaither knocked down eight of nine shots in the final 20 minutes, highlighting a sizzling .640 field goal percentage (16-of-25) by the Irish in the second stanza. Sheila McMillen came off the bench to drop in 16 points, while Beth Morgan and Mollie Peirick had 12 points and Rosanne Bohman carded 11 points for the visitors. Notre Dame shot .558 for the game, not to mention a sharp .917 from the free throw line.
Michelle Terry had a team-high 16 points and Chrissy Billiter collected 11 points in a reserve role for Bowling Green. The Falcons were hindered by a .344 second-half shooting percentage, as well as a .143 three-point percentage (2-of-14) in the contest.
Bowling Green jumped out to an early 10-4 lead before the Irish battled back with six consecutive points, beginning with a jumper by Niele Ivey. However, the rookie guard would go down moments later with a season-ending knee injury – which turned out to be a long-term blessing for Notre Dame, as Ivey would play a pivotal role in the program’s 2001 NCAA championship (during her fifth year of eligibility).
The Irish used a 7-0 run later in the period to open up the first of two six-point leads. However, the Falcons ended the first half with a 9-0 surge, regaining a 43-39 advantage going to the dressing room.
The hosts remained ahead for the first three minutes of the second half before Gaither’s jumper ignited a 9-0 run that put Notre Dame ahead for good at 57-49 with 14:48 to play. Bowling Green halved the margin in the next 90 seconds, but the Irish then erupted with a 28-9 spree to settle matters, with Gaither contributing 13 points and McMillen adding nine.
The Last Time Notre Dame And Bowling Green Met At The Joyce Center
Sheila McMillen came off the bench to pour in a team-high 19 points, pacing five Notre Dame players in double figures, as the Irish pulled away in the second half for a 92-67 win over Bowling Green on Nov. 26, 1995 at the Joyce Center. Notre Dame also had two players register double-doubles in the victory, with Carey Poor logging 18 points and 11 rebounds, while Katryna Gaither had 16 points and 12 rebounds (to go along with a game-high six assists).
Notre Dame shot 52.9 percent (37-of-70) in the game, including a staggering .677 (21-of-31) in the second half. The Irish also made five of eight three-pointers in the period, and forced 14 of Bowling Green’s 25 turnovers during that time.
Sara Puthoff had a game-high 20 points for the Falcons, while Chrissy Billiter tallied 17 points for the visitors, who were facing Notre Dame for the first time ever. Bowling Green posted a .351 field goal percentage (26-of-74) in the game, but a .462 three-point ratio helped the Falcons stay within striking distance for much of the day.
After an early feeling-out period, Bowling Green surged in front with an 11-2 run, with Michelle Terry hitting three buckets to cap the surge and give the Falcons a 16-6 edge with 13:05 left in the first half. Yet, as quickly as the Irish fell behind, they came right back, using a 13-2 charge of their own to go back in front with eight minutes remaining in the period.
BG was within a point after Charlotta Jones canned a runner in traffic with 4:06 to go, but Notre Dame scored 11 of the next 14 points, taking their largest lead (nine points) before settling for a 40-35 intermission edge.
Puthoff made the first shot of the second half to briefly pull the Falcons within three points. But, Poor accounted for six points in an 11-0 Irish run that pushed the lead into double digits for the first time. Trailing by 13 with 13:35 left, Bowling Green made one final push, with Puthoff and Billiter sparking a 12-2 spurt that got the Falcons to 59-56 on Billiter’s short bank shot just past the midway point of the second half.
Moments later, Poor hit a pair of baskets, sandwiched around a Beth Morgan jumper, to kickstart a 32-5 Notre Dame run over the ensuing eight minutes. Kari Hutchinson also made a strong contribution for the Irish during the game-changing run, scoring all 11 of her points (including three three-pointers) during a 3:08 span down the stretch.
Other Notre Dame-Bowling Green Series Tidbits
- In the second half of its two prior series matchups with Bowling Green, Notre Dame has shot .661 (37-of-56) from the floor and .952 (20-of-21) from the free throw line while averaging 49 points in the final 20 minutes.
- As the two-time defending Mid-American Conference regular-season and tournament champion, Bowling Green is the first of four league medalists Notre Dame will play during the 2006-07 season. The others will be: Connecticut (BIG EAST Conference Tournament), Rutgers (BIG EAST regular season) and Tennessee (Southeastern Conference Tournament).
- Notre Dame is 63-16 (.797) all-time against teams from the state of Ohio, including a 30-7 (.811) record when playing them at the Joyce Center. The Irish also have won 11 consecutive home games against Buckeye State schools since a 78-74 loss to Dayton on March 8, 1993 in the quarterfinals of the Midwestern Collegiate Conference Tournament. In the Muffet McGraw era, Notre Dame is 46-12 (.793) against Ohio schools, with a 22-4 (.846) record at the Joyce Center.
- Both Notre Dame and Bowling Green competed in the 2006 NCAA Tournament at Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Ind., although they were in separate regions. The Irish dropped a 78-61 first-round decision to Boston College in the Albuquerque Regional, while the Falcons fell to UCLA, 74-61 in the opening round of the Cleveland Regional.
- Junior guard Amanda Tsipis is the lone Ohio native on this year’s Notre Dame roster. Tsipis hails from Perry, Ohio, and graduated from Perry High School in 2004. All told, nine Ohio residents have played for the Irish, with that total ranking fourth in program history behind Indiana (17), Michigan (14) and Illinois (10).