Irish Set To Take On Seton Hall In Big East Opener

Jan. 1, 2005

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(#6 AP/#4 ESPN/USA Today) Notre Dame Fighting Irish (11-1, 0-0) vs. Seton Hall Pirates (8-3, 0-0)

The Date and Time: Sunday, Jan. 2, 2005, at 2 p.m. ET.

The Site: Joyce Center (11,418) in Notre Dame, Ind.

The Tickets: Still available through the Notre Dame athletics ticket office (574-631-7356) or at the Joyce Center Gate 10 ticket windows on game day.

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) and former Irish standout Sara Liebscher (analysis) 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, courtesy of College Sports Online’s GameTracker, are available for the Seton Hall game, via the Notre Dame (www.und.com) athletics web site.

Web Sites: Notre Dame (www.und.com), Seton Hall (www.shupirates.com).

#6/4 NOTRE DAME TIPS OFF CONFERENCE PLAY SUNDAY AT HOME AGAINST SETON HALL
Following one of the most successful pre-conference seasons in school history, No. 6/4 Notre Dame hopes it will find more of the same good fortune when it plays host to Seton Hall Sunday at 2 p.m. (ET) in the BIG EAST Conference opener for both teams. Since playing their five games of the season at the Joyce Center, the Irish have been at home only twice in the ensuing 40 days. However, they will find themselves on familiar ground during the upcoming month, playing six of their next eight before the Irish faithful.

Notre Dame (11-1, 0-0 BIG EAST) picked up its fourth consecutive win and remained unbeaten in five road games this season with a 73-49 victory at Northern Illinois on Thursday night. The game turned out to be a simple matter of shooting efficiency, as the Irish connected on 51 percent of their field goal attempts while holding the Huskies to an opponent season-low .236 field goal percentage.

Senior All-America forward Jacqueline Batteast scored a game-high 21 points for Notre Dame, while freshman guard Tulyah Gaines came off the bench to post new career highs with 12 points and seven rebounds.

Seton Hall (8-3, 0-0) has won six in a row after claiming the Carolina Classic championship with a 53-42 victory at South Carolina on Thursday night. Tournament MVP Ashley Bush paced the Pirates with a double-double (12 points, 14 rebounds).

Bush leads SHU in scoring (12.5 ppg.) and rebounding (7.8 rpg.), while ranking among the top 20 in the BIG EAST in both categories.

Seton Hall head coach Phyllis Mangina is in her 20th season at her alma mater, sporting a 282-274 (.507) record. She is 3-12 all-time vs. Notre Dame.

A QUICK LOOK AT THE FIGHTING IRISH
With four starters and seven monogram winners back in the fold, Notre Dame would appear to have all the pieces in place for a magical 2004-05 season.

Tested early and often by both a rugged schedule (eight games in the first 20 days of the season) and demanding opposition (No. 6 Duke, No. 10 Ohio State and No. 15 Michigan State), the Irish have been up to the challenge, opening with seven consecutive victories and claiming the Sportsview.tv Preseason WNIT championship. The pollsters have apparently taken notice of Notre Dame’s success, as the Irish have been a regular in the top 10 of both the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today polls this season, checking in at No. 6 and No. 4, respectively in this week’s polls.

Despite the added focus shown to her by opposing teams, senior All-America forward Jacqueline Batteast was a major catalyst in the non-conference charge for the Irish, averaging 19.3 points (27th in the nation as of Dec. 20), 6.9 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game. She was named the Preseason WNIT Most Valuable Player and BIG EAST Player of the Week on Nov. 22 after logging a career-high 32 points in the WNIT championship game against Ohio State. She has scored in double digits in 10 Irish games this season and has been Notre Dame’s leading scorer seven times. In addition, she has three double-doubles this year, most recently piling up game highs of 27 points and 10 rebounds, while hitting the game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer to beat Marquette. For her efforts in that game, she was named the conference Player of the Week for the second time this season on Dec. 20.

Junior guard Megan Duffy also has stepped up her play this season, registering 11.9 points and a team-high 4.5 assists and 2.8 steals per game. Duffy also leads Notre Dame and is tied for 11th in the nation with a .907 free throw percentage (49-for-54) this season, sparking the Irish to a league-leading .773 free throw ratio (12th in the NCAA as of Dec. 20).

Duffy’s backcourt mate, sophomore Breona Gray, has also shown great improvement this year. Moviing effortlessly into the starting lineup, the Las Vegas native has more than tripled her scoring average from last season (6.3 ppg.) and ranks second on the team with 17 steals (1.4 spg.).

Injuries also have not been enough to slow Notre Dame so far this season. When junior forward Courtney LaVere was sidelined in late November with minor knee surgery, sophomore forward Crystal Erwin stepped into the breach and filled the role nicely. In six starts, Erwin is averaging 9.3 points per game, including a career-high 24 points (on 9-for-9 shooting) against Washington on Dec. 11. Prior to this season, Erwin had scored in double figures only once in her career, but she has done so four times this year.

SOME POTENT NOTABLES ABOUT THE FIGHTING IRISH

• Notre Dame is off to a 11-1 start for only the second time 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 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 5-0 on the road this year, marking just the second time in school history they have won their first five true road games in a season. 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’s defense has been especially sturdy of late, holding seven of its last eight opponents to less than 60 points, including three of the past four below 50 points.
• Notre Dame has been a fixture near the top of all major RPI charts this season. Through Dec. 31, the Irish are fourth in the CollegeRPI.com rankings, with the nation’s 13th-toughest schedule.
• With this week’s No. 6 ranking in the Associated Press poll, Notre Dame has appeared in the top 10 of the AP balloting seven times in the first eight polls of the year. 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 spent 53 weeks in the AP top 10 and has a 96-16 (.857) all-time record when it’s ranked in the top 10.
• The Irish have posted 32 wins over Top 25 opponents in the past seven seasons (1998-99 to present), including two in its first four games this year (76-65 vs. No. 6 Duke and 66-62 vs. No. 10 Ohio State).
• The Irish have defeated 20 top-10 opponents in their history, adding to that total with their victories over sixth-ranked Duke and 10th-ranked Ohio State in the Sportsview.tv Preseason WNIT.
• Head coach Muffet McGraw has a 395-150 (.725) record in 18 seasons with the Irish, which puts her just five victories shy of the 400-win mark for her Notre Dame career.

A QUICK LOOK AT SETON HALL
With three starters and nine letterwinners returning this season, Seton Hall has high hopes of returning to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1995. The Pirates are certainly loaded with experienced veterans, who have helped SHU qualify for the postseason WNIT each of the past two seasons, and big things are expected of Seton Hall this year.

In what has become a common theme of late, the Pirates looked sharp during non-conference play, going 8-3 to open the season for the third time in the past five years (and second consecutive season). Seton Hall also comes into its matchup at Notre Dame as one of the hotter teams in the conference, having won six in a row to close out the month of December.

Sunday’s contest also wraps up a three-game road swing for the Pirates, who came to South Bend after winning the Carolina Classic in Columbia, S.C., on Dec. 29-30 with wins over Campbell (59-41) and South Carolina (53-42). Sophomore guard Heta Korpivaara scored a career-high 20 points in the Campbell game, while senior forward/guard Ashley Bush collected a double-double with 12 points and 14 rebounds in the victory over South Carolina. In the latter contest, SHU held the Gamecocks to only 17 points in the first half, but had to fight through some shooting troubles of its own (.275 field goal percentage) in order to secure the win. Bush was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player, while Korpivaara and senior guard Asia Carroll, who scored a game-high 14 points against South Carolina, earned spots on the all-tournament team.

Bush currently leads Seton Hall in scoring (12.5 ppg.), rebounding (7.8 rpg.) and steals (2.4 spg.), ranking among the top 20 in the BIG EAST in all three categories. Sophomore forward Monique Blake is second on the team in all three disciplines (12.3 ppg., 7.5 rpg., 1.2 spg.), while owning team-high honors in blocked shots (2.0 bpg., third in BIG EAST) and field goal percentage (.528).

Seton Hall head coach Phyllis Mangina is in her 20th season piloting her alma mater with a career record of 282-274 (.507). She is 3-12 all-time against Notre Dame.

THE NOTRE DAME-SETON HALL SERIES
Although their series did not begin fairly recently (the 1993-94 season), Notre Dame and Seton Hall have become quite familiar with one another, playing a total of 15 times in the past 11 seasons, including dual matchups in four campaigns (1995-96, 1996-97, 1998-99 and 2001-02). The Irish hold a 12-3 lead in the series with the Pirates, including a 6-1 advantage at the Joyce Center.

The first two times Notre Dame and Seton Hall played, the games took place outside the confines of the BIG EAST Conference, which the Irish did not join until 1995-96. The Pirates won both of those initial contests (62-55 in 1993; 60-55 in overtime in 1994) en route to an NCAA Sweet Sixteen berth and an NCAA second-round appearance, respectively.

Since the Irish and Pirates began squaring off annually as members of the BIG EAST, Notre Dame has had the upper hand, winning 12 of the 13 league games, including once in the conference tournament. In fact, the Irish had won their first 12 BIG EAST games with SHU before the Pirates got their first conference victory over Notre Dame last season with a 51-45 conquest in South Orange, N.J.

Sunday’s game is the first of two meetings between Notre Dame and Seton Hall this season. The Irish and Pirates will close out the regular season on March 1 in South Orange.

THE LAST TIME NOTRE DAME AND SETON HALL MET
Reserve center LaNedra Brown scored all 10 of her points in the final 9:21, leading Seton Hall to a 51-45 victory over No. 23 Notre Dame on Feb. 8, 2004 at Walsh Gym in South Orange, N.J.

Melissa Langelier scored 13 points and made four free throws in the final 25 seconds for Seton Hall (13-8, 5-5 BIG EAST), which earned its first victory over the Irish since Nov. 26, 1994, a span of 13 games.

The loss snapped a five-game winning streak for Notre Dame (14-8, 7-3).

Ashley Bush’s drive put Seton Hall ahead 43-41 with 3:21 left. Notre Dame forward Jacqueline Batteast, who was in foul trouble all game and finished with nine points, six below her season average, made one free throw with 2:11 remaining to cut it to 43-42.

With the shot clock winding down, Brown hit a 14-foot jumper with 43 seconds left. She and Langelier then iced the win by combining to hit all six of their free throws in the final half-minute.

The teams took turns exchanging the lead in a tight second half. A layup by Courtney LaVere and a three-point play by Le’Tania Severe gave the Irish a 33-29 lead with 12:02 left, but Seton Hall regained the lead at 41-40 on two free throws by Langelier with 4:40 to go. Notre Dame then tied it on a free throw by LaVere before Bush put Seton Hall back on top.

The Irish went on a 10-0 run in the first half, led by two power post moves from reserve forward Crystal Erwin. Batteast and center Teresa Borton also added baskets inside during the spurt, helping Notre Dame take a 14-10 lead with 11:50 remaining in the first half. The Irish extended their lead to 21-13, the biggest by either team in the game, and were up 23-17 at halftime.

THE LAST TIME NOTRE DAME AND SETON HALL MET AT THE JOYCE CENTER
Katy Flecky canned two free throws with two seconds to play, lifting Notre Dame to a 62-60 victory over Seton Hall in BIG EAST Conference action on March 1, 2003, at the Joyce Center.

Courtney LaVere tossed in a game-high 20 points for Notre Dame, including the game-tying layup with 7.8 seconds remaining. It was the fifth 20-point game of her rookie season for LaVere, who made seven of 13 shots and six of seven free throws. In her final home game, Alicia Ratay also scored a game-best 20 points and became Notre Dame’s career three-point field goal leader with 252 treys, three more than the previous record holder, Sheila McMillen.

Jacqueline Batteast narrowly missed her seventh double-double of the 2002-03 season, finishing with 11 points and nine rebounds for Notre Dame. Le’Tania Severe chipped in with a season-high seven assists for Notre Dame, which shot 56 percent from the field in the second half.

Leslie Ardon paced three Seton Hall players in double figures with 16 points, as well as a game-high 10 rebounds. Melissa Langelier came off the bench to tally 13 points, including three three-pointers, and Cecilia Lindqvist contributed 10 points for the Pirates.

Following an emotional Senior Day ceremony prior to the game, Notre Dame came out ice cold, misfiring on 12 of its first 13 shots. Seton Hall took full advantage of the Irish shooting woes, jumping out to a pair of 12-point leads, the last at 19-7 with 6:44 to go in the first half. The lead remained in double digits for another two minutes, before Notre Dame scored six of the last eight points in the period to slice the Pirate edge to 27-21 at the half.

The Irish (17-9, 9-6 BIG EAST) wiped their deficit clean in the opening three minutes of the second half, going on an 8-2 run. The spurt was highlighted by Ratay’s record-breaking three-pointer at the 18:42 mark. Teresa Borton added a layup to tie the game at 29-29 with 17:49 to play.

Seton Hall (13-12, 7-8) halted the Notre Dame charge and rebuilt a 36-33 lead two minutes later when Charlene Thomas knocked down a baseline jumper. However, the Irish counterpunched with 9-0 run, punctuated by a three-pointer from Batteast at the 10:59 junction. The Pirates then offered their own rally, scoring seven straight points to retake a 43-42 lead with just over nine minutes to go.

From there, neither team led by more than three points, with eight ties and nine lead changes down the stretch. At times, it seemed like a giant chess game, with every Seton Hall move being matched by Notre Dame. The Pirates took a 56-53 lead on a Lindqvist triple with 2:59 to play, but Ratay answered with her own trey 15 seconds later. Langelier then hit two free throws which were countered with a Ratay layup, tying the game at 58-58 with 1:14 to play.

Notre Dame forced a turnover on Seton Hall’s next possession, but could not cash in when Ratay missed a jumper in the lane and Borton fouled LaNedra Brown on the rebound with 29.7 seconds left. Brown then made both of her free throws to give the visitors their last lead of the day and set up the frantic final half-minute.

After a SHU timeout, Notre Dame worked the ball to Batteast at the top of the key. She drove the lane and at the last second, she dished off to a wide-open LaVere and the freshman made no mistake, knotting the score at 60-60. The Pirates got the ball to halfcourt and called timeout in front of their bench with 3.8 seconds left. However, Seton Hall’s plans were foiled when Flecky tipped away the inbounds pass and Brown fouled her as the pair scrambled for the loose ball.

Flecky, a 63-percent foul shooter, gave Irish fans a momentary scare on her first free throw, banging it hard off the heel of the rim before settling through the iron. Her second shot was true as well, giving Notre Dame its third double-digit comeback victory of the ’02-03 season.

OTHER NOTRE DAME-SETON HALL SERIES NOTES

• After winning two of its first three games against Notre Dame and averaging 67 points per game, Seton Hall has lost 11 of its last 12 contests with the Irish and has averaged only 51.0 points in those games.
• The series has had two distinct chapters to it, with the first three (1994-96) and the last three (2002-04) all decided by nine points or less. In fact, two of those games went to overtime and the past three contests have seen a scant 4.3 ppg. margin of victory.
• By contrast, the intervening nine matchups (1996-2002) all were decided by at least 11 points, with Notre Dame winning each time by an average margin of 30.7 points per game.
• In the 13 series games since Notre Dame joined the BIG EAST Conference in 1995-96, the Irish have scored less than 62 points in a game only once against Seton Hall (their most recent matchup, a 51-45 SHU win). Conversely, the Pirates have topped the mark just once, falling 88-79 in overtime to the Irish in their first conference matchup on Jan. 2, 1996 in South Orange, N.J.
• After losing its first home game against Seton Hall, Notre Dame has won the past six matchups at the Joyce Center, all coming since the Irish joined the BIG EAST. During that six-game home winning streak against the Pirates, Notre Dame has outscored SHU by an average of 27 points per game (77.3-50.3) and only the most recent contest (a 62-60 Irish win) was decided by single digits.
• Last year’s 51-45 Seton Hall victory also led to a dubious distinction for Notre Dame. It was just the second time in school history the Irish did not have a single player score in double figures. The only other time that happened was on Feb. 3, 1978 at Marquette.

BLOWING THE LID OFF THE BIG EAST
Notre Dame is 6-3 (.667) in BIG EAST Conference openers since it joined the league for the 1995-96 season. The Irish have won four of their last five BIG EAST lidlifters, but are coming off a 76-73 loss at Georgetown in last year’s conference opener. In that game, Notre Dame held a six-point lead and was at the foul line with 43 seconds to go before the Hoyas went on a 11-2 game-ending run to pull out the victory.

Sunday’s game with Seton Hall will mark the first time since the 2000-01 season that the Irish have opened the BIG EAST season at home. That year, Notre Dame defeated Villanova, 64-33 on Dec. 6, 2001, en route to a 15-1 conference record and a share of its first-ever BIG EAST regular-season title.

GETTING OFF ON THE RIGHT FOOT AT HOME
Notre Dame is 6-3 (.667) in BIG EAST Conference home openers since it joined the league in time for the 1995-96 season. The Irish also have won four of their last five BIG EAST lidlifters at the Joyce Center, including a 53-40 win over No. 16/15 Virginia Tech to begin last year’s home league docket.

RINGING IN THE NEW YEAR
Notre Dame is 20-7 (.741) all-time in its first game of a new calendar year, including a 6-2 (.750) mark when that first January game takes place at home. The Irish also are 8-1 (.889) in such games since joining the BIG EAST in 1995-96, and 7-1 (.875) when the first game of the new year falls on Jan. 2. Ironically, two of those Jan. 2 games came against Seton Hall, with Notre Dame winning both times on the road (88-79 in overtime in 1996; 87-47 in 1997). During the past decade (1995-2004), the Irish have celebrated the new year with a victory nine times. In that time, the only blemish on the Notre Dame record has been a 71-54 loss to No. 7/6 Purdue on Jan. 4, 2003 at the Joyce Center.

THE BEAST OF THE BIG EAST
Notre Dame is 124-28 (.816) 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 won 80 of their last 98 regular-season conference games, 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 137-37 (.787) against league opponents – when factoring in these 21 postseason tilts, the Irish are 69-7 (.908) at home, 55-24 (.696) on the road and 13-6 (.684) at neutral sites all-time vs. BIG EAST foes.

POLLING PLACE
Notre Dame is 172-41 (.808) all-time when it is ranked in the Associated Press poll at tipoff (the Irish are sixth entering Sunday’s game against Seton Hall). When playing at home, Notre Dame has been especially strong, going 79-9 (.898) as a ranked host after opening this season with a 6-1 record at the Joyce Center. Conversely, the Irish are 69-24 (.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 97-16 (.858) as a top-10 squad, including a 46-3 (.939) 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.

ROAD WARRIORS
The Irish are off to a 5-0 start on the road this season, marking just the second time in school history Notre Dame has won its first five true road games of the year. Only the 2000-01 team managed to win more than five road games to open the season, going on a 10-game road winning streak before losing at Rutgers, 54-53.

Accenting Notre Dame’s play on the road has been its defensive prowess. The Irish are holding opponents to 50.0 ppg., a .316 field goal percentage (90-for-285) and a .163 three-point percentage (14-for-86) away from home and have not allowed more than 59 points in a road game this year.

EXTENDING THE DEFENSE
In the past nine games, Notre Dame has limited its opponents to a .189 three-point percentage (28-for-148), 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 .226 mark (45-for-199) from long range.

THE SEASON FOR SHARING
One of the key elements in Notre Dame’s early success has been its penchant for distributing the ball well. In fact, the Irish have 202 assists (16.8 apg.; fourth in the BIG EAST) on 305 field goals made (25.4 per game) in their first 12 outings, including a Preseason WNIT-record 29 handouts in the season opener vs. Illinois State. Junior guard Megan Duffy leads the way at 4.5 assists per game (sixth in the BIG EAST), with at least five dimes in six contests this season, including a career-high 10 assists vs. Washington on Dec. 11.

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 12th nationally (as of Dec. 20), shooting 77.3 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 (.907, 49-54), freshman guard Charel Allen (.857, 24-28) and senior All-America forward Jacqueline Batteast (.852, 52-61). Duffy currently leads the BIG EAST and is tied for 11th in the nation in free throw percentage, while Batteast has shown the greatest improvement among all Irish players this season with better than a 22-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 61 games since then (Jan. 20, 2003 to present), Duffy is connecting at an .859 clip (164-191) on her foul shots. She also has made 57 of her last 63 free throws (.905) in the past 18 Irish games, dating back to Feb. 28, 2004.

CHARGING FROM THE GATE
Notre Dame is off to a 11-1 start for only the second time in school history. In 2000-01, the Irish won their first 23 games of the season and ascended to the No. 1 ranking before falling at Rutgers, 54-53. Notre Dame’s 7-0 start this season also marks the second time ever that the Irish have opened with seven consecutive victories.

WINNING TEN-DENCIES
With its 50-47 win at Marquette on Dec. 19, Notre Dame recorded its 10th victory of the season, marking the earliest calendar date ever that the Irish have reached double-digit victories. The 2000-01 squad previously held that distinction, getting its 10th win on Dec. 21, 2000, ironically also at Marquette (75-56).

BEAT THE CLOCK
At Marquette on Dec. 19, senior All-America forward Jacqueline Batteast did something that no other Irish player had done in nearly a decade – hit a game-winning shot at the buzzer. Batteast buried a three-pointer from the right wing as time expired to give Notre Dame a 50-47 victory over the Golden Eagles. Prior to Batteast’s heroics, the last time an Irish player won a game at the horn was Jan. 14, 1995, when Letitia Bowen hit a putback as time ran out to give Notre Dame a 67-65 triumph at Detroit.

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 – needs five wins (current record: 395-150, .725)
• 500th victory overall – needs 17 wins (current record: 483-191, .717)

THE NORTHERN ILLINOIS RECAP
Senior All-America forward Jacqueline Batteast proved to Notre Dame head coach Muffet McGraw that she and her teammates could play after a long layoff.

Batteast scored 21 points to lead the sixth-ranked Irish to a 73-49 win over Northern Illinois on Thursday night at the Convocation Center in DeKalb, Ill. Notre Dame (11-1) hadn’t taken the court since Dec. 19 and McGraw was concerned that her team would be rusty. “I was worried we might lose our edge,” she said.

Batteast sparked an early 12-0 run that gave the Irish a 17-6 lead. The Huskies (2-8) cut Notre Dame’s lead to seven points several times in the first half, but could get no closer.

The Irish led 36-26 at halftime and opened the second half with a 20-9 run. With the victory, Notre Dame improved to 5-0 on the road this season.

Freshman guard Tulyah Gaines added 12 points for the Irish, and Notre Dame’s bench outscored the Huskies’ reserves 25-11. The Irish also outscored Northern Illinois 28-8 in the paint.

Northern Illinois guard Stephanie Raymond led the Huskies with 15 points, while Kristin Wiener added 14 for NIU, which struggled with its shooting. In fact, minus Wiener’s 4-for-9 effort, the Huskies’ starting lineup shot just 5-for-34 (.147) in the contest.

NOTING THE NORTHERN ILLINOIS VICTORY

• Notre Dame moves to 11-1 this season, marking only the second time in school history the Irish have won 11 of their first 12 games (they went 23-0 to start the 2000-01 season).
• This year’s club also joins the ’00-01 squad as the only Notre Dame teams ever to win their first five true road games of the season (the 2000-01 team won its first 10 road contests).
• The Irish now are 8-5 all-time against Northern Illinois, including a 4-3 mark in DeKalb.
• Notre Dame held the Huskies to their lowest point total in series history while also recording the largest margin of victory in the rivalry – there had previously been three 23-point wins in the series.
• Notre Dame has won its last eight games against current Mid-American Conference teams, dating back to 1995 when NIU beat the Irish, 87-64, in DeKalb.
• Thursday’s game also was the last of four for Notre Dame this season against teams it used to play in the old North Star Conference; the Irish also have defeated Valparaiso, Dayton and Marquette and are now 111-23 (.828) all-time against former NSC schools, including wins in 23 of their last 24 matchups.
• Notre Dame held NIU to opponent season lows of 13 field goals and a .236 field goal percentage.
• Conversely, the Irish shot better than 50 percent from the field for the third time this season (.510, 25-for-49).
• For the first time this season, all 11 Irish players cracked the scoring column, with freshman walk-on guard Amanda Tsipis completing the feat on two free throws in the final five seconds.
• Senior All-America forward Jacqueline Batteast collected her fifth 20-point game of the season and 26th of her career, tying her with former teammate Alicia Ratay (1999-2003) for fifth place in school history.
• Batteast also registered her 83rd double-figure scoring game, pushing her into sole possession of fifth place in that category, ahead of Karen Robinson (82 from 1987-91); Ratay is next in that department with 95.
• Freshman guard Tulyah Gaines set new career highs with 12 points (previously had five at Dayton on Dec. 9) and seven rebounds (previously grabbed two on two occasions); Gaines is the ninth different Notre Dame player to score in double figures in a game this season.
• Senior center Teresa Borton reached a personal milestone vs. NIU, grabbing her 500th career rebound; she also tied her career bests with a game-high four assists and three steals.

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 86-7 (.925) since the start of the 2000-01 campaign when they go into the dressing room with the lead. Notre Dame has added nine wins to that count this season (Illinois State, Nebraska, Ohio State, Colorado State, USC, Valparaiso, Dayton, Washington and Northern Illinois).

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 137-6 (.958) record when they hold their opponents to less than 60 points in a game. That count includes this season’s wins over Nebraska, Colorado State, USC, Valparaiso, Dayton, Washington, Marquette and Northern Illinois.

… 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 89-3 (.967) 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 tacked another win to that ledger with its opening-night 92-73 win over Illinois State.

NOTRE DAME AMONG RECENT WINS LEADERS
Notre Dame has won 213 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 119 of their last 129 games (.922) at the 11,418-seat Joyce Center. Notre Dame also has a 69-7 (.908) home record in BIG EAST Conference play.

The Irish have been particularly strong when it comes to non-conference games at home, winning 53 of their last 56 non-BIG EAST contests (.946) 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 269-71 (.791) 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 early returns indicate this season will be no different. According to the Dec. 27 unofficial national attendance rankings (as compiled by the University of Wisconsin Sports Information Office), Notre Dame is 15th in the nation with an average of 4,949 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 56 of the past 58 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 will face Connecticut on Jan. 12 at the Joyce Center and visit Boston College on Feb. 15 in front of the CSTV cameras.

In addition, Notre Dame is scheduled to play twice on ESPN2 this season. On Jan. 16, the Irish will battle Purdue in the second annual BIG EAST/Big Ten Challenge at the Joyce Center. Two weeks later on Jan. 30, Notre Dame travels to Storrs, Conn., to meet Connecticut at Gampel Pavilion.

The BIG EAST also has added two Irish games to its regional television package this season. Notre Dame will visit Villanova on Jan. 9 and will play host to Rutgers 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. Exact clearances will be made available closer to game time.

Comcast Local (based in Detroit) 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). 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).

BIG EAST CONFERENCE APPROVES BASKETBALL STRUCTURE FOR 2005-06
The Presidents of the BIG EAST Conference institutions have approved all recommendations by the league’s athletic directors relating to the structure of men’s and women’s basketball beginning in the 2005-06 academic year. The approvals were made at the Presidents’ annual meeting held in Philadelphia on Nov. 9.

The recommendations include maintaining a 12-team postseason conference championship tournament and a one-division regular season structure. The men’s and women’s teams will continue to play 16-game regular season league schedules.

In 2005-06, the BIG EAST will include 16 schools. The new members will be: University of Cincinnati, DePaul University, University of Louisville, Marquette University and University of South Florida. While the tournament format will be the same for the men and women, the formula for regular season scheduling will be different. The men’s teams will play 13 opponents with three repeat matchups to reach 16 league games. The women’s teams will meet each opponent once and have one repeat opponent.

For regular season scheduling, the conference office will determine prior to each season which matchups will be repeated. The factors in making the repeat games will be television, rivalries and geography.

BIG EAST men’s teams have captured the last two NCAA crowns and three of the last six. BIG EAST women’s teams have won the last five NCAA titles. The BIG EAST conducts its men’s championship at Madison Square Garden in New York. The women’s championship is played at the Hartford Civic Center in Hartford, Conn.

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):

• Jan. 2 vs. Seton Hall – Adidas bracelets (first 5,000 fans); Red Panda acrobat will perform
• Jan. 5 vs. Syracuse – Notre Dame women’s basketball license plates (first 2,000 fans)
• Jan. 12 vs. Connecticut – Glowing t-shirts (first 2,000 fans); Project Playground will perform

NEXT GAME: SYRACUSE
Notre Dame will continue the opening week of BIG EAST Conference play Wednesday when they play host to Syracuse in a 7 p.m. (ET) contest at the Joyce Center. It will be the first of two meetings this season between the Irish and Orange, who are slated to tangle in upstate New York on Jan. 19.

Syracuse (8-3) already has exceeded its six-win total from last season and has registered eight non-conference victories for the first time since 1989-90. The Orange have remained exclusively in the Northeast for their non-league schedule, visiting the state of Connecticut three times among their five road games to date (wins at Yale, Quinnipiac and Sacred Heart). SU’s three losses have come at the hands of Massachusetts (52-51), Kent State (60-49) and Auburn (48-35). The Orange welcome Pittsburgh to town Sunday in the BIG EAST opener for both teams.

Notre Dame leads its all-time series with Syracuse, 16-2, including an 8-0 mark at home. The Irish and Orange played twice last season, with Notre Dame winning on both occasions (64-35 at Syracuse; 54-33 at the Joyce Center).

NCAA AND BIG EAST STATISTICAL LEADERS
Here’s where the Irish players and team stand in the most recent NCAA statistics report (through games of December 20) and BIG EAST Conference statistics report (through games of January 1) – bold indicates league/national leaders: