Irish Set To Take On Providence At Alumni Hall

Feb. 8, 2005

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(#6 AP/#7 ESPN/USA Today) Notre Dame Fighting Irish (20-3, 8-2) vs. Providence Friars (1-19, 0-9)

The Date and Time: Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2005, at 7:30 p.m. ET.

The Site: Alumni Hall (2,620) in Providence, R.I.

The Tickets: Still available through the Notre Dame athletics ticket office (574-631-7356), the Providence athletics ticket office (401-865-4672) or at the door on game night.

The Radio Plans: Wednesday’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 Providence game, via the Notre Dame (www.und.com) athletics web site.

Web Sites: Notre Dame (www.und.com), Providence (www.friars.com).

#6/7 NOTRE DAME LOOKS TO CONTINUE ROAD SUCCESS WEDNESDAY AT PROVIDENCE
Following its largest margin of victory this season, No. 6/7 Notre Dame will try to extend its winning streak to a season-long eight games when it visits Providence Wednesday for a 7:30 p.m. (ET) BIG EAST Conference contest at Alumni Hall. The Irish also will be out to maintain their impressive run of success on the road this season – they are 8-1 away from home and are holding opponents to 52.9 ppg. and a .327 field goal percentage in their own arenas.

Notre Dame (20-3, 8-2 BIG EAST) reached the 20-win mark for the 12th consecutive season with a 75-47 victory at Pittsburgh last Saturday. The Irish used a 14-0 run late in the first half to break open the contest and rolled to their seventh consecutive win. Notre Dame held UP to 25 percent shooting and collected a season-high 50 rebounds in the game.

Junior forward Courtney LaVere continued her strong comeback from midseason knee surgery, coming off the bench to pile up a game-high 17 points and eight rebounds. Freshman guard Charel Allen made a solid return to her home state, winding up with 16 points, while senior All-America forward Jacqueline Batteast (12 points) and senior center Teresa Borton (10 points) also scored in double figures for the Irish.

Providence (1-19, 0-9) lost for the ninth consecutive time last Saturday, falling 71-24 to No. 11 Connecticut. Sophomore forward Shauna Snyder was the only Friar to score in double digits, ending up with 11 points.

Snyder is PC’s leading scorer this season (12.7 ppg.), while sophomore guard/forward Jill Furstenburg also is tallying in double digits (10.4 ppg.).

Head coach Susan Yow is in her third season at Providence with a record of 14-60 (.189) at the school. She is 0-2 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 seven-game winning streak that has seen Notre Dame win three times by double figures, and four times against ranked opponents (two vs. top-10 foes). In addition to the Purdue victory, the Irish also have come back a 13-point deficit to defeat No. 6/7 Rutgers, gone on the road to oust No. 9/10 Connecticut (snapping the Huskies’ 112-game BIG EAST regular-season home winning streak) and fought past No. 16/13 Boston College.

Despite the added focus shown to her by opposing teams (and a recent bout with a stomach virus), senior All-America forward Jacqueline Batteast was a major catalyst for the Irish this season, averaging 17.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.9 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 20 times this season, has earned game-high scoring honors on 12 occasions and has five double-doubles. She also moved into the top five on Notre Dame’s career lists for points (1,722), rebounds (893), blocks (154) and double-doubles (37), needing seven 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 11.4 points per game with a team-high 5.6 assists (second in the BIG EAST and 25th in the nation) and 2.83 steals per game (first in the BIG EAST and 38th in the nation). Duffy also leads the league and is fifth nationally with a .911 free throw percentage (92-101) this season, sparking the Irish to a .746 free throw ratio (second in the league and 19th in the NCAA as of Feb. 1).

In the post, senior center Teresa Borton is showing capable leadership by example. In her past nine games, Borton is averaging 11.0 ppg. and 7.0 rpg. with a .622 field goal percentage (46-74) and has six double-figure scoring games. She is third on the team in scoring this season (8.8 ppg.), second in rebounding (6.0 rpg.) and first in both blocked shots (1.74 bpg.) and field goal percentage (.574).

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 8-1 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 picked up its 20th win of the season Feb. 5 at Pittsburgh. The Irish have now posted 12 consecutive 20-win seasons (one of only six schools in the nation that can make that claim) and 16 in the 18-year Muffet McGraw era. In addition, Notre Dame reached the 20-win mark in its 23rd game this season, marking the fourth-fastest run to 20 victories in school history. The 2000-01 club opened with 23 consecutive wins, while the 1998-99 and 1999-2000 squads each did it in 22 games. However, in terms of calendar dates, the Irish logged their 20th win faster than any Notre Dame team except the 2000-01 unit, which reached the mark on Jan. 31.

• The Irish have been a fixture near the top of the RPI charts this year. Through Feb. 7, Notre Dame is fourth in the WBCA/Summerville RPI rankings, with the nation’s seventh-toughest schedule.

• Notre Dame has appeared in the top 10 of the AP balloting 12 times in the first 14 polls of the year, checking in at No. 6 for the third consecutive week. On three other times in school history have the Irish spent longer in the AP top 10 during one season – 1998-99 (16 weeks), 1999-2000 (15 weeks) and 2000-01 (18 weeks). All told, Notre Dame has now spent 68 weeks in the AP top 10 and has a 104-18 (.852) all-time record when it’s ranked in the top 10.

• The Irish have posted 36 wins over AP Top 25 opponents in the past seven seasons (1998-99 to present), including six this year (No. 6 Duke, No. 10 Ohio State, No. 20 Purdue, No. 6 Rutgers, No. 9 Connecticut and No. 16 Boston College). Notre Dame is tied for the third-most Top 25 wins this season, exceeded only by Duke’s eight wins and Ohio State’s seven victories. During the past two years, the Irish have 13 wins over ranked opponents.

• Notre Dame has defeated 23 top-10 opponents in its history, adding to that total with four victories this season. The four top-10 wins represent the second-highest total in school history (and tie Penn State for the most by any team in the nation this season) – 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. 2 (Ohio State) and No. 3 (Duke) 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 404-152 (.727) record in 18 seasons with the Irish, having logged the milestone 400th victory Jan. 23 against Rutgers. She also has a 492-193 (.718) overall record in 23 seasons, leaving her only eight victories shy of the 500-win plateau for her career.

A QUICK LOOK AT PROVIDENCE
To say the 2004-05 season has been taxing for Providence would be an understatement. The Friars came into the year knowing they would have only four returning letterwinners and seven newcomers on their roster. They also were aware that just two upperclassmen would be in uniform when the season tipped off, and one of those players would be an incoming junior college transfer. Yet, when PC’s lone senior and top statistical threat, forward Gayle Nwafili (12.3 ppg., 8.3 rpg. in 2003-04), went down with a season-ending knee injury during exhibition play, no one could have forecast what lay ahead for the Friars.

Providence (1-19, 0-9 BIG EAST) lost its first 10 games of the season before breaking through with a 59-56 win over Troy on Dec. 30. That was followed by a current string of nine consecutive losses, all of which have come in conference play. In fact, PC has lost 31 consecutive BIG EAST games, dating back to February 2003. In their most recent game last Saturday, the Friars dropped a 71-24 decision at home to No. 11 Connecticut, setting a conference record for the fewest points scored in a game and tying the league mark for fewest points in a half (six in the first). Sophomore forward Shauna Snyder was the only PC player in double figures, finishing with 11 points.

Snyder is the top scorer for Providence this season, averaging 12.7 points per game. Sophomore guard/forward Jill Furstenburg, who missed the first seven games of the year with an injury, is second on the team at 10.4 ppg., while freshman center Kristen Brown leads the team in rebounding (6.2 rpg.) and field goal percentage (.444).

Susan Yow is in her third season as the head coach at Providence, owning a 14-60 (.189) record at the school. She is in her 22nd year as a collegiate head coach, including stops at East Tennessee State, Drake, Kansas State and UNC Wilmington, and she has a career record of 236-356 (.397).

THE NOTRE DAME-PROVIDENCE SERIES
As is the case with several of its BIG EAST Conference opponents, Notre Dame had not played Providence prior to joining the league in 1995-96. Since then, the teams have met at least once annually, with home-and-home matchups in the 1996-97, 1998-99 and 2001-02 season. The Irish lead the all-time series with the Friars, 12-0, including a 6-0 record at Alumni Hall.

Senior All-America forward Jacqueline Batteast is one of three current Notre Dame players with a career double-figure scoring average against Providence, logging 17.3 points and 7.0 rebounds in four games. Senior center Teresa Borton is second on the team with 11.8 ppg. in four contests against PC, coupled with a .704 field goal percentage (19-for-27). Junior forward Courtney LaVere is the third double-digit scorer, collecting 10.5 ppg. with a .526 field goal percentage (10-for-19) in two previous outings against the Friars.

THE LAST TIME NOTRE DAME AND PROVIDENCE MET
After not topping the 70-point mark in nine consecutive games, the Notre Dame women’s basketball team snapped out of its offensive doldrums with an 81-51 win over Providence on Feb. 14, 2004, before a crowd of 8,760 at the Joyce Center, the seventh-largest audience in school history.

Jacqueline Batteast turned in another productive night, registering her eighth double-double of the year with 14 points and a game-high 10 rebounds in only 22 minutes of court time. Jeneka Joyce complemented Batteast from the perimeter, tying her (then) career high with 14 points, all in the first half, and matching her personal best by canning four of eight three-point attempts. Brooke Freeburg led all scorers with 18 points for Providence.

The Irish (15-8, 8-3 BIG EAST) led virtually the entire way, spotting Providence the opening basket before scoring 10 of the next 11 points. The Friars hung tough and trimmed their deficit to a point on two occasions, the last at 16-15 on a jumper in the lane by Jill Furstenburg with 7:13 left in the first half. That’s when Joyce single-handedly tipped the scales in Notre Dame’s favor, scoring all 14 of her points in a 22-11 Irish run to end the half, hitting four three-pointers in the process.

Notre Dame put the game on ice early in the second half, going on a 15-6 run and boosting the lead over 20 points on a three-pointer by Duffy with 15:15 remaining. Providence (4-18, 0-11) would get no closer the rest of the way as the Irish steadily pulled away, opening up a game-high 32-point lead on a layup by Crystal Erwin with 50 seconds left.

THE LAST TIME NOTRE DAME AND PROVIDENCE MET AT ALUMNI HALL
Alicia Ratay poured in 30 points and tied her career best with seven three-point field goals, as Notre Dame picked up a 67-61 BIG EAST Conference triumph at Providence on Feb. 16, 2003.

In addition to her scoring and shooting prowess (she was 9-for-12 from the field overall), Ratay also claimed team-high rebounding honors, pulling down seven caroms in the victory. Jacqueline Batteast chipped in with 15 points, six rebounds and four steals for the Irish.

Jessica Simmonds and Kristin Quinn shared team-high scoring honors for Providence with 15 points each, leading four Friars in double figures. Quinn got the starting nod in place of PC’s leading scorer, Michal Epstein, who was sidelined with an injury. Quiana Copeland came off the bench to grab a game-high nine rebounds for the Friars.

Playing before a boisterous Senior Day crowd of 1,781 at Alumni Hall, Providence (9-14, 3-9 BIG EAST) jumped out to an early 12-2 lead behind six quick points from Simmonds. The Friars maintained their advantage for the next 12 minutes and owned a 27-20 lead when Simmonds sank a layup with 7:35 remaining in the first half.

However, Notre Dame rode the strength of its defense to erase the deficit. For the fourth consecutive contest, the Irish used a massive scoring spurt to seize control, this time going on a 32-4 run that spanned 12:26 and crossed over into the second half. Ratay highlighted the charge with 13 points, including four three-pointers over that stretch. She also converted a rare four-point play (her first this year and third of her career) with 2:24 left in the first half to push the Notre Dame lead into double digits for the first time.

When the dust had settled, the Irish (15-8, 7-5) led by a comfortable 21-point margin (52-31) with 14:57 to play. Providence would not go quietly, and used an 18-5 run of its own to pull back within 57-49 with 5:27 remaining. Ratay helped Notre Dame rebuild a 12-point lead when she knocked down a long jumper with 2:45 left, but PC hung tough and behind three-point baskets from Quinn and Brooke Freeburg, the Friars got to within 63-57 with 32 seconds left.

Ratay then iced the game for Notre Dame at the free throw line, hitting two charities with 28 seconds to go for an eight-point margin. She nailed two more with five seconds left to fend off a final Providence charge after the hosts had whittled the lead to 65-61 on two Quinn free throws.

OTHER NOTRE DAME-PROVIDENCE SERIES NOTES

• Providence is one of three BIG EAST Conference opponents against whom Notre Dame is unbeaten (12-0). The others are St. John’s (15-0) and Pittsburgh (15-0).
• Notre Dame has scored at least 90 points six times in 12 previous meetings with Providence. Conversely, the Friars have broken the 70-point mark just three times against the Irish and have scored more than 60 points only twice in their last nine games against Notre Dame (72-66 on Jan. 5, 2002; 67-61 on Feb. 16, 2003).
• The Irish have won 10 of the 12 series games with PC by double figures. The only single-digit margins came on Jan. 5, 2002 at the Joyce Center (72-66) and Feb. 16, 2003 at Alumni Hall (67-61).
• Notre Dame is the only visiting school to have a unblemished all-time record (6-0) at Providence’s Alumni Hall with a minimum of three games played. The Irish also are one of four teams to boast a winning record on the Friars’ home court – the other success stories are Massachusetts (4-2), Miami (6-3) and Rutgers (7-1).
• The Irish have averaged 85.0 points per game in six previous matchups with the Friars at Alumni Hall, winning all six games by an average margin of 22.5 points per game.

PROTECTING PERFECTION
Coming into the 2004-05 season, Notre Dame had a perfect all-time record against four of the opponents on its schedule. Providence represents the fourth and final foe in that list, with the Irish holding a 12-0 series record against the Friars. In fact, of the four perfect series the Irish will defend this season, the Irish have defeated all four opponents at least 10 times – the others are Valparaiso (18-0 after a 69-59 win on Nov. 30), St. John’s (15-0 after a 72-65 win on Jan. 26) and Pittsburgh (14-0 after a 75-47 win on Feb. 5).

STREAKING ACROSS THE BIG EAST
The Irish have winning streaks of 10 or more games against three of their 13 BIG EAST Conference opponents. Their longest active conference winning streak is 15 games against both St. John’s and Pittsburgh, followed by a 12-game success string against Providence. The longest current Irish winning streak vs. any opponent is 18 games against Valparaiso.

THE BEAST OF THE BIG EAST
Notre Dame is 132-30 (.815) 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 145-39 (.788) against league opponents – when factoring in these 22 postseason tilts, the Irish are 74-8 (.902) at home, 58-25 (.699) on the road and 13-6 (.684) at neutral sites all-time vs. BIG EAST foes.

POLLING PLACE
Notre Dame is 181-43 (.808) all-time when it is ranked in the Associated Press poll at tipoff (the Irish are sixth entering Wednesday night’s game at Providence). When playing at home, Notre Dame has been especially strong, going 85-10 (.895) as a ranked host after posting a 12-2 record at the Joyce Center this season. Conversely, the Irish are 72-25 (.742) 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 104-18 (.852) as a top-10 squad, including a 51-4 (.927) 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.

Charel Allen NAMED BIG EAST FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
Freshman guard Charel Allen was selected as the BIG EAST Conference Freshman of the Week, the league office announced Monday. The 5-foot-11 rookie is the first Irish women’s basketball player to earn the BIG EAST’s weekly freshman award since March 3, 2003, when forward Courtney LaVere was chosen to receive the final honor of the ’02-03 campaign.

Allen played a pivotal role in two Notre Dame victories last week, averaging 12.5 points and 4.0 rebounds per game with a .625 field goal percentage (10-for-16) as the Irish defeated No. 16/13 Boston College, 64-57, and Pittsburgh, 75-47. Allen scored nine points and grabbed five rebounds against BC before collecting 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting against Pittsburgh in a return to her home state.

Having appeared as a reserve in all 23 games for Notre Dame this season, Allen currently ranks fourth on the Irish roster in scoring (8.0 ppg.) and third in both rebounding (4.3 rpg.) and field goal percentage (.461). She also has been instrumental in Notre Dame’s current seven-game winning streak, averaging 11.0 points per game with a .528 field goal percentage (28-for-53) during that stretch.

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 10 games (starting with the first matchup vs. Syracuse on Jan. 5), Duffy is averaging 7.2 assists per game, with at least five handouts in nine of 10 contests. In that time, she also has posted a sharp 2.12 assist/turnover ratio (72 assists, 34 turnovers).

And lest you think these numbers have been piled up against Podunk Tech, Notre Dame has played five ranked opponents (No. 16 Connecticut, No. 20 Purdue, No. 6/7 Rutgers, No. 9/10 Connecticut and No. 16/13 Boston College) in that 10-game span, and Duffy has averaged 6.8 assists per game with a 1.70 assist/turnover ratio (34 assists, 20 turnovers) against those top-25 squads.

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 388 assists (16.87 apg.; second in the BIG EAST and 24th in the nation as of Feb. 1) on 573 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 5.61 assists per game (second in the BIG EAST and 25th in the nation), with at least five dimes in 15 contests this year, including a career-high 11 assists vs. Rutgers on Jan. 23. Duffy also is second in the BIG EAST with 6.9 apg. in conference play.

ROAD WARRIORS
The Irish are 8-1 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 .327 field goal percentage (166-for-507) and a .218 three-point percentage (36-for-165) away from home and have allowed more than 60 points only once in their nine road games this year (61 by Syracuse on Jan. 19, although SU needed a Rochelle Coleman bucket with five seconds left to reach the mark).

PINE TIME PLAYERS
Notre Dame is 15-0 this year (6-0 vs. BIG EAST Conference opponents) when its bench outscores the opposition’s reserves. For the season, the Irish understudies are averaging 17.5 ppg., compared to 13.7 ppg. for Notre Dame opponents. Freshman guard Charel Allen has been the top Irish reserve this season, logging 8.0 ppg., followed by junior forward Courtney LaVere (7.9 ppg.), who has been coming off the bench ever since her Dec. 30 return from arthroscopic knee surgery.

Notre Dame’s bench play has been especially important during its current seven-game winning streak. The Irish are getting an average of 24.6 ppg. from their reserves in that stretch, compared to 13.6 ppg. from the opposition’s bench. Allen (11.0 ppg.) and LaVere (10.0 ppg.) have been the key bench contributors during the streak, never more so than when they combined for 25 points on 11-for-16 (.688) shooting in the Jan. 30 victory at No. 9/10 Connecticut. They also teamed up for 33 points on 14-for-22 (.636) shooting last Saturday at Pittsburgh.

THREE-FENSE
In the past 20 games, Notre Dame has limited its opponents to a .242 three-point percentage (87-for-359), 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 .254 mark (104-for-410) from long range.

THE FIVE-FINGER DISCOUNT
Notre Dame ranks second in the BIG EAST Conference in steals this season, averaging 9.74 thefts per game (224 total). The Irish have come up with at least 10 steals in 10 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 and 38th in the nation as of Feb. 1 (2.83 spg., 65 total), while her backcourt mate, sophomore Breona Gray is second on the team with 1.35 steals per game (31 total). Three other Notre Dame players have at least 20 steals this year – senior All-America forward Jacqueline Batteast (28), freshman guard Charel Allen (26) and senior center Teresa Borton (20).

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 are second in the BIG EAST Conference and 19th nationally (as of Feb. 1), shooting 74.6 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 (.911, 92-101), senior All-America forward Jacqueline Batteast (.830, 88-106) and freshman guard Charel Allen (.821, 46-56). Duffy currently ranks first in the BIG EAST and fifth 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 20-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 71 games since then (Jan. 20, 2003 to present), Duffy is connecting at an .870 clip (207-238) on her foul shots. She also has made 100 of her last 110 free throws (.909) in the past 29 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: 404-152, .727)
• 500th victory overall – needs eight wins (current record: 492-193, .718)

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.

DETHRONING THE CHAMPS
Notre Dame achieved a historic basketball feat on Jan. 30, becoming the first school ever to defeat both the reigning men’s and women’s NCAA champions in the same season on two occasions. This past weekend, the Irish women ousted Connecticut, 65-59 in Storrs, a mere three hours after the Notre Dame men also toppled the Huskies, 78-74 in South Bend.

Last season, 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 beat 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).

THE PITTSBURGH RECAP
The fans drawn to Pittsburgh’s Petersen Events Center on Saturday by freshman guard Charel Allen almost made it seem like a home game for Notre Dame. Junior forward Courtney LaVere made certain it wasn’t a game at all once Pitt’s leading scorer got into foul trouble.

LaVere came off the bench to lead No. 6/7 Notre Dame’s pivotal 14-0 run late in the first half and the Fighting Irish went on to their seventh consecutive victory, beating Pittsburgh 75-47.

LaVere scored 11 of her 17 points in the first half to help Notre Dame (20-3, 8-2 BIG EAST) turn a 24-18 lead into a 38-18 advantage over a five-minute stretch in which Pitt star Marcedes Walker drew her third foul. Walker, also a freshman, had 13 points and 11 rebounds before fouling out with 6:32 remaining for Pitt (11-10, 3-7).

Allen, who is one of Pennsylvania’s leading high school scorers ever, didn’t start but scored 16 points while being cheered on by hundreds of fans from her Monessen, Pa., hometown.

With Walker out, the 6-foot-1 LaVere and 6-3 senior center Teresa Borton dominated inside against Pittsburgh, which was far less physical without the BIG EAST’s third leading rebounder. LaVere started the run with a steal and finished it with consecutive baskets, then added two free throws after Pittsburgh scored for the first time in five minutes on Jessica Allen’s three-pointer, her only basket.

Borton had two blocked shots, a steal and a basket, and sophomore forward Crystal Erwin added a steal and basket during the run, which repeatedly saw the Panthers settle for three-point attempts when they couldn’t get the ball inside. Borton finished with 10 points and four blocked shots, and Erwin had eight points.

Pittsburgh was only 5-of-26 on three-pointers, with Vika Sholokohova going 1-of-9. Notre Dame was so successful pounding the ball inside it attempted only six three-pointers, making two. Walker, a muscular former high school shot putter, had little help offensively. Katie Histed had eight points and five rebounds, but missed 12 of 15 shots as the Panthers shot 25 percent (17-of-68) to Notre Dame’s 43.5 percent (27-of-62).

NOTING THE PITTSBURGH WIN

• Notre Dame picks up its 20th victory, marking the 12th consecutive 20-win season for the Irish and 16th 20-win campaign in the 18-year Muffet McGraw era.
• For the fourth time in the past seven seasons, Notre Dame earned its 20th win in 23 games or less (also 1998-99, 1999-2000 and 2000-01).
• The Irish improve to 15-0 all-time against Pittsburgh, including an 8-0 mark on the UP campus (2-0 at the Petersen Events Center).
• Notre Dame’s 15-game winning streak vs. Pittsburgh matches a 15-game success string vs. St. John’s for the longest Irish active winning streak against a BIG EAST Conference opponent.
• The Irish held the Panthers to their second-lowest point total in the 15-game series and recorded their largest margin of victory in the series since an 89-51 win on Feb. 17, 1996.
• The 28-point margin of victory was the largest of the season for the Irish, surpassing a 26-point differential (65-39) at Dayton on Dec. 9.
• Notre Dame had four double-figure scorers for the eighth time this season and improves to 11-1 this year when it has at least three double-digit scorers.
• The Irish pulled down a season-best 50 rebounds, one more than their previous high which had been set twice before (most recently vs. St. John’s on Jan. 26).
• The Notre Dame defense forced at least 20 turnovers for the 12th time this season.
• Junior forward Courtney LaVere scored a game-high 17 points, her largest scoring output since returning from knee surgery Dec. 30 and her second-highest scoring total of the year (18 vs. Illinois State on Nov. 12).
• Freshman guard Charel Allen just missed her career-high scoring total (17 at Syracuse on Jan. 19), but did post her eighth straight game with at least eight points (10.6 ppg. in that time).
• Junior guard Megan Duffy narrowly missed her fourth double-figure assist game of the year, logging all nine of her assists without a turnover in the first half.
• With four blocks vs. Pittsburgh, senior center Teresa Borton moved into a tie for fifth place on Notre Dame’s career blocks list with 133 rejections (also Shari Matvey from 1979-83).

HALF AND HALF
Over the past five seasons, Notre Dame has been nearly unbeatable when it has the lead at halftime. The Irish are 93-7 (.930) since the start of the 2000-01 campaign when they go into the dressing room with the lead. Notre Dame is 16-0 in such games this season, including a 6-0 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 143-8 (.947) record when they hold their opponents to less than 60 points in a game, including a 14-1 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 222 games over the past nine seasons, which is 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
Having clinched their 12th consecutive 20-win season with a 75-47 victory at Pittsburgh on Feb. 5, the Irish are one of just six teams nationwide to have an active streak of at least 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), none of whom have 20 wins yet this year (as of Feb. 7).

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 125 of their last 136 games (.919) at the 11,418-seat Joyce Center. Notre Dame also has a 74-8 (.902) 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 275-72 (.793) 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 may be no different. According to the Feb. 7 unofficial national attendance rankings (as compiled by the University of Wisconsin Sports Information Office), Notre Dame is 16th in the nation with an average of 5,635 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 63 of the past 65 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 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. Two weeks later on Jan. 30, Notre Dame was back on ESPN2 as it defeated No. 9/10 Connecticut, 65-59 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 (Saturday) 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:

• 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 beanbag bears (first 1,000 fans)

NEXT GAME: GEORGETOWN
Notre Dame returns home Saturday for a 2 p.m. (ET) BIG EAST Conference game against Georgetown at the Joyce Center. It is one of only two home games remaining on the regular-season schedule for the Irish, and it will be televised to a regional audience by Comcast Local and Comcast SportsNet Chicago.

Georgetown (9-12, 4-6 BIG EAST) is in the midst of a season-long three-game winning streak following a 71-65 win at home over West Virginia last Saturday afternoon. Senior guard Mary Lisicky came off the bench to score 19 points as the Hoyas rallied from a four-point halftime deficit to post the victory. GU had lost six of its first seven conference games prior to its current winning streak.

Notre Dame leads the all-time series with the Hoyas, 18-2, including a 9-0 record at home. Last season, the teams split their two matchups, with Georgetown rallying for a 76-73 win on Jan. 7, 2004, in Washington, D.C., before the Irish came back with a 66-52 victory on Feb. 4, 2004 at the Joyce Center. The Hoyas’ triumph snapped Notre Dame’s 15-game series winning streak that dated back to the 1992-93 season.