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Irish Women's Basketball Set To Take On Purdue Thursday

Dec. 5, 2001

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Eight months after giving fans one of the most thrilling championship games in NCAA Tournament history, Notre Dame and No. 7/8 Purdue will do it all over again when they tangle at 7 p.m. (EST) Thursday at Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Ind. It marks the second time in as many seasons that two national championship game combatants have renewed acquaintances the following season – Connecticut and Tennessee split two games last year after the Huskies took the NCAA crown in 2000.

Notre Dame comes into Thursday’s game in an unfamiliar position, being unranked for the first time since the end of the 1997-98 season. The Irish fell to 2-3 this year following a 78-63 loss to No. 16/17 Michigan Sunday afternoon at the Women’s College Basketball Showcase in Grand Rapids, Mich.

Junior guard Alicia Ratay poured in a team-high 19 points and freshman forward Jacqueline Batteast added 17 points and nine rebounds to secure BIG EAST Conference Rookie of the Week honors. Sophomore guard Jeneka Joyce also turned in a solid performance with a season-high 11 points.

Notre Dame jumped out to an early 7-4 lead, thanks to seven quick points from Batteast. Michigan rallied to take the lead, but Ratay’s bucket pulled the Irish within 10-9 at the 14:34 mark of the first half. From there, the Wolverines set Notre Dame on its heels, going on a 28-10 run over the next 10:35 to take a 19-point lead.

The Irish scored the first six points of the second half to pull within 45-33 with 17:54 left. But, Michigan guard Alayne Ingram responded with her third three-point field goal of the game and the Wolverines held Notre Dame in check the rest of the way.

SCOUTING THE IRISH
Notre Dame looks to write a new chapter in its rapidly-developing history as the Irish defend their first NCAA championship in 2001-02. Seven monogram winners, including two starters, return from last season’s title-winning squad, giving head coach Muffet McGraw a broad foundation from which to build this year. In addition, the Irish welcome six talented freshmen to the fold, a group heralded as perhaps the finest recruiting class in school history and ranked as high as third by several national publications.

McGraw is in her 15th year at Notre Dame with a 324-120 (.730) record and has led the Irish to six straight NCAA Tournament appearances and eight overall. She was a near-unanimous choice as national coach of the year in 2000-01, winning top honors from the Atlanta Tipoff Club (Naismith Award), Associated Press, Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA), and Sports Illustrated for Women. She also was named the BIG EAST Coach of the Year, marking the third different conference to recognize McGraw as its top skipper since she took the reins at Notre Dame in 1987.

Both of Notre Dame’s returning starters have already been honored by the BIG EAST coaches in their preseason balloting. Senior guard/forward Ericka Haney (4.8 ppg., 5.0 rpg.) was a second team preseason all-conference pick and brings explosive quickness and versatility to the Irish lineup, along with veteran leadership. As Notre Dame’s only captain, she will be called upon to assume a greater mantle of responsibility in ’01-02, a trait she showed when she corralled a game-high nine rebounds at Arizona. Junior guard Alicia Ratay (15.4 ppg., 6.2 rpg.) was a first team preseason all-BIG EAST choice and is one of 30 finalists for the Naismith Award after setting an NCAA record for three-point percentage (.547) by a sophomore last season. She matched her season high with 19 points Sunday against Michigan.

Joining Ratay in the backcourt is sophomore Le’Tania Severe (10.4 ppg., 3.0 rpg, 5.0 apg), who was hampered by injuries last season, appearing in just 22 games, but has confidently taken control of the Irish offense this season. She smashed several of her previous career highs against Colorado State with 15 points and a trio of three-point field goals, the first of her career. She followed that up with a career-high six assists three days later at Arizona, a total she equalled Sunday against Michigan. Juniors Monique Hernandez (0.4 ppg., 0.8 rpg.) and walk-on Karen Swanson (5.0 ppg., 2.0 rpg.) along with sophomore Jeneka Joyce (4.6 ppg., 1.4 rpg.) give McGraw tremendous flexibility in her guard rotation. Joyce showed her value against Michigan, pouring in a season-high 11 points and connecting on three three-point field goals. Additionally, freshmen Allison Bustamante (3.0 ppg., 2.0 rpg.) Jill Krause (0.0 ppg., 2.0 rpg.) and Kelsey Wicks (4.2 ppg., 2.8 rpg.) provide the Irish with solid ballhandling and perimeter shooting depth. However, Bustamante will be sidelined for 2-3 weeks with a high left ankle sprain, an injury she suffered in practice on Nov. 28.

A pair of freshmen (and former Parade All-Americans) are looking to make an immediate impact on the Notre Dame front line, as forward Jacqueline Batteast (12.4 ppg., 8.2 rpg.) and center Teresa Borton (7.0 ppg., 6.2 rpg.) have started all five regular season games for the Irish. Batteast was named the 2001-02 preseason BIG EAST Rookie of the Year and her combination of speed, athleticism and perimeter shooting ability already make her a valuable weapon in the Irish arsenal. Batteast was named the BIG EAST Rookie of the Week on Monday after posting her second double-double of the season against Army (season-high 18 points and 12 rebounds) and tallying 17 points and nine rebounds against Michigan. Meanwhile, at 6-3, Borton is a smooth and versatile post player with excellent mobility and a solid defensive presence. She showed tremendous promise in her first collegiate game against Valparaiso, scoring a game-high 14 points and grabbing a game-best nine rebounds. Junior Amanda Barksdale was one of the nation’s top shot blockers last season and made her first appearance of the season against Michigan after missing Notre Dame’s first four games with a stress reaction in her right leg- she scored three points and blocked a shot in nine minutes against the Wolverines. Meanwhile, freshman Katy Flecky was a two-time Miss Colorado Basketball and offers the Irish an physical presence in the post. However, she sat out the Michigan game following a concussion she suffered in practice on Nov. 28.

SCOUTING PURDUE
Purdue (5-1) comes into Thursday night’s game ranked seventh in the latest Associated Press poll and eighth in the most recent ESPN/USA Today coaches’ poll. The Boilermakers return home following a successful two-game swing through the state of Louisiana, where they claimed wins over Tulane (64-52) and No. 18/15 LSU (70-54). In fact, the only team to solve Purdue this season has been No. 4 Oklahoma, which knocked off the Boilermakers, 80-75, back on Nov. 11 at the State Farm Tip-Off Classic in Durham, N.C.

Although Purdue lost six letterwinners and three starters from last season’s NCAA runner-up squad, the Boilermakers have barely skipped a beat, thanks in large part to the play of sophomore forward Shereka Wright. The 5-10 native of Copperas Cove, Texas, has averaged a team-high 17.7 points per game and is hitting on 49.3 percent of her shots. She has led Purdue in scoring in four of its six games this season, including a career-best 26 points in Sunday’s win at LSU.

The Boilermakers also are receiving solid contributions from senior guard Kelly Komara, who is averaging 12.7 points and a team-high 5.2 assists per game. In addition, senior forward Laura Meadows, a transfer from the University of Kentucky, is tallying 11 points and a team-high nine rebounds per game, while sophomore guard Beth Jones has proven to be Purdue’s top perimeter threat, coming off the bench to hit at a robust 54.5 percent clip (12-of-22) from the three-point line.

Kristy Curry is in her third season as the Boilermakers’ head coach, owning a 59-16 (.787) record at Purdue. Prior to arriving in West Lafayette, Curry spent eight seasons as an assistant coach at Tulane, Stephen F. Austin, Texas A&M and Louisiana Tech, compiling a 179-71 (.716) record during that time. Curry is 1-2 in her head coaching career against Notre Dame.

THE NOTRE DAME-PURDUE SERIES
Purdue owns a 9-4 edge in the all-time series with Notre Dame, although the Irish have won four of the last seven meetings since the Boilermakers won the first six games in the series. However, Purdue has had a decided advantage in games played at Mackey Arena, winning all five times Notre Dame has come to town, including a 71-61 triumph in their last visit on Dec. 8, 1999.

The two teams squared off twice last season with Notre Dame winning both games, the first time in series history that the Irish had won back-to-back meetings with Purdue. Notre Dame earned a 72-61 victory during their regular-season encounter on Dec. 9, 2000 at the Joyce Center, riding a 19-point performance from Alicia Ratay to the win.

Their second meeting came on the biggest of stages in the NCAA championship game on April 1, 2001, at the Savvis Center in St. Louis. In that game, Purdue led by 12 points (19-7) midway through the first half and held a 32-26 lead at the break. The Irish scored the first eight points of the second half to briefly move ahead, but the Boilermakers answered back and were up by as many as eight points with 12 minutes remaining. Notre Dame again chipped away at the lead and eventually tied the game on a basket by All-America center Ruth Riley with 1:01 left. After a Purdue miss, the Irish went back to Riley, who was fouled in the act of shooting with 5.8 seconds to play. The national player of the year calmly drilled both of her free throws, but it wasn’t until Boilermaker All-American Katie Douglas came up inches short on a desperation shot that Notre Dame could claim a 68-66 victory and its first national championship.

OTHER NOTRE DAME-PURDUE SERIES TIDBITS

  • Notre Dame and Purdue have played 10 times in the regular season, with all 10 games occuring within a 15-day span (Nov. 26 to Dec. 10). Thursday’s game will once again fall in that window, although it will be the first time the teams have met on Dec. 6.
  • Two of Notre Dame’s four wins in the series have come in postseason play – a 73-60 victory in the first round of the 1996 NCAA Tournament, and a 68-66 triumph in the 2001 NCAA championship game. The 1996 win also was Notre Dame’s first-ever NCAA Tournament victory.
  • The Irish and Boilermakers were the first teams from the same state to play for the NCAA title.
  • If junior guard Alicia Ratay scores 10 points against Purdue, she would reach the 1,000-point mark for her career, becoming the second Irish player in as many years to hit that plateau against the Boilermakers. Kelley Siemon joined the 1,000-Point Club with 10 markers in last year’s national championship game, which also was her final collegiate contest.

THEN AND NOW
Although it has been just over eight months since Notre Dame and Purdue played for the NCAA championship in St. Louis, the two teams will look much different when they hook up in Thursday night’s rematch. In fact, of the 68 points scored by the Irish in that championship game, only 18 of them (26.5 percent) have returned this season (Ericka Haney – 13, Alicia Ratay – 3, Jeneka Joyce – 2). Additionally, Purdue will have only 25 points back (37.9 percent) from its 66-point outing against Notre Dame in the NCAA title game (Shereka Wright – 17, Kelly Komara – 8).

Of the seven Irish players who appeared in the 2001 title game, four will be in uniform Thursday night – Haney, Ratay, Joyce and Amanda Barksdale. Of the nine Purdue players who saw action eight months ago, four will return Thursday night – Wright, Komara, Lindsey Hicks and Mary Jo Noon.

NOTRE DAME-PURDUE CONNECTIONS

  • Notre Dame head athletic trainer Jim Russ – now in his 16th season at Notre Dame – served as an assistant athletic trainer at Purdue from 1977-82.
  • Notre Dame director of golf George Thomas is a 1950 Purdue graduate and was a member of the Boilermaker golf team that finished second at the 1950 NCAA Championship.
  • Third-year Notre Dame assistant athletic trainer Doug Boersma is a 1997 Purdue graduate and worked with the Boilermaker football team as an undergraduate.

IF NOTRE DAME WINS …

  • Notre Dame would earn its first win over Purdue in six career visits to Mackey Arena and lock up its third consecutive victory over the Boilermakers, the longest Irish winning streak in the series.
  • The Irish would claim their first victory over a ranked opponent since a 68-66 win over No. 9/8 Purdue in last year’s NCAA championship game.
  • Notre Dame would log its 10th win in the last 14 games against a ranked opponent.
  • The Irish would garner their first road win over a ranked opponent since an 83-56 triumph at No. 19 Wisconsin on Nov. 22, 2000.
  • Notre Dame would defeat its first ranked opponent as an unranked team since downing No. 6/5 Texas Tech, 74-59, on March 15, 1998 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
  • Notre Dame would seal its sixth consecutive win over another school from the state of Indiana, and it would be the 33rd consecutive victory for the Irish when playing in the Hoosier State (last loss: 71-61 at Purdue on Dec. 8, 1999).
  • The Irish would register their sixth win in the last seven games against a Big Ten opponent.
  • Muffet McGraw would pick up her 325th career win at Notre Dame (and 413th victory overall).
  • Notre Dame would improve its overall record to 90-15 (.857) over the last three-plus seasons.

IRISH INJURY REPORT (as of Dec. 5)
Out–Freshman G Allison Bustamante–Out 2-3 weeks (high left ankle sprain – Nov. 28)
Questionable–Freshman F Katy Flecky–Concussion – Nov. 28 (DNP vs. Michigan)

NOTRE DAME AGAINST THE BIG TEN CONFERENCE
Notre Dame is 26-36 (.419) all-time against the current alignment of the Big Ten Conference, although the Irish have won five of their last six games against Big Ten schools (0-1 this season after falling to Michigan on Sunday). Notre Dame has played all 11 members of the Big Ten, owning winning records against Indiana (5-3), Wisconsin (3-2), Northwestern (2-1) and Iowa (1-0). In addition, Notre Dame’s 13-game series with Purdue is the longest against any Big Ten opponent in school history.

RANK AND FILE
Notre Dame will face its third ranked opponent of the season when it battles No. 7/8 Purdue Thursday night. Back on Nov. 21, the Irish dropped a narrow 72-66 decision at No. 20/22 Colorado State, and on Sunday, Notre Dame fell to No. 16/17 Michigan, 78-63.

Ranked foes are nothing new for the Irish – they faced 11 Top 25 clubs last season and posted a sparkling 9-2 record, including seven wins over Top 10 teams. Over the last three-plus seasons, Notre Dame is 19-12 (.613) against ranked opponents, including a 12-6 (.667) mark against foes who were ranked in the Top 10 in one or both of the major polls. See pages 157-159 in the Notre Dame women’s basketball media guide for more information on the Irish against ranked opponents.

BATTEAST NAMED BIG EAST ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Freshman forward Jacqueline Batteast was selected as the BIG EAST Conference Rookie of the Week, the league office announced Monday. It’s the first weekly award of Batteast’s career, and she is the first Irish player to earn the conference’s top rookie award since Alicia Ratay garnered the honor for the sixth time on Feb. 21, 2000.

Batteast, the 2001-02 preseason BIG EAST Rookie of the Year, averaged 17.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game last week as Notre Dame defeated Army, 89-57, and lost to No. 16/17 Michigan, 78-63. Batteast notched her second double-double of the season in the win over Army, finishing with game-high totals of 18 points, 12 rebounds and four blocked shots – the latter total also is tied for the most rejections by a BIG EAST player this season. Batteast followed that performance up with 17 points and nine rebounds in Sunday’s loss to Michigan.

JOYCE CONTINUES TO HAVE MICHIGAN’S NUMBER
Sophomore guard Jeneka Joyce appears to have found her favorite opponent in Michigan. The Topeka, Kan., native put together her second consecutive solid outing against the Wolverines on Sunday, tallying a season-high 11 points and hitting three three-point field goals. Last season, Joyce poured in a career-high 14 points and canned four treys in Notre Dame’s 88-54 victory over Michigan in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

YOUTH WILL BE SERVED
With six freshmen on this year’s roster, Notre Dame is certainly going through some growing pains. However, the Irish rookies are getting a great deal of college experience this season, as evidenced by their production through the first five games of the 2001-02 campaign. Notre Dame’s freshmen have accounted for 43.6 percent of the points (144 of 330), 50.9 percent of the rebounds (110 of 216) and 42 percent of the minutes (420 of 1000) recorded by the Irish this season. Additionally, Notre Dame has started at least two freshmen (Jacqueline Batteast and Teresa Borton) in every game this year, both of whom are among the team leaders in points and rebounds, and four of the six Irish rookies are averaging 12 minutes per contest.

BATTEAST SHALL BE FIRST
Freshman forward Jacqueline Batteast has started a unique trend for Notre Dame this season. The South Bend, Ind., native has scored the first basket of the game for the Irish in four of their five games this year. This trend was highlighted Sunday against Michigan, when Batteast scored Notre Dame’s first seven points in a 2:33 span.

A SEVERE DEVELOPMENT
Sophomore guard Le’Tania Severe has quickly adapted to her new role as the starting point guard for the Irish, filling the large shoes of All-American Niele Ivey. In just her second game as a starter, Severe poured in a career-high 15 points at No. 20/22 Colorado State, canning the first three three-point field goals of her career. Three days later at Arizona, she added 12 points and dished out a career-high six assists. She then matched her assist total Sunday with six dimes against Michigan.

Through the first five games of this season, Severe is third on the team with 10.4 points per game and leads the squad with 5.0 assists per game. Entering the 2001-02 campaign, her previous career bests were seven points and two assists and she had yet to make a three-point field goal in her tenure with the Irish.

IT’S BATTEAST, TO SAY THE LEAST
Although the 2001-02 season is only four games old, freshman forward Jacqueline Batteast is already showing flashes of the potential which led the BIG EAST coaches to vote her as the league’s preseason Rookie of the Year. The South Bend, Ind., resident, who was chosen as the BIG EAST Rookie of the Week on Monday, already has posted two double-doubles this season (13 points/11 rebounds at Colorado State and 18 points/12 rebounds vs. Army) and has scored in double figures in four of Notre Dame’s five games. This season, Batteast is second on the team in scoring at 12.4 points per game and leads the squad with 8.2 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per contest.

CRASHING THE BOARDS
Despite losing its top two rebounders from last year (Ruth Riley and Kelley Siemon), Notre Dame doesn’t appear to have broken stride in the rebounding department this season. The Irish have averaged 43.2 rebounds per game in their first five games of 2001-02, owning a +8.2 edge on the glass this year.

Leading the charge on the boards for Notre Dame have been a pair of freshmen – forward Jacqueline Batteast is setting the pace at 8.2 rebounds per game, while center Teresa Borton is hot on her heels with 6.2 caroms per contest. In fact, five different players are averaging at least four rebounds per game. Additionally, the Irish have been potent on the offensive glass, collecting 16.6 offensive rebounds per game. Borton is setting the pace with 16 offensive caroms, more than half of her 31-rebound total this year.

THE BEST OFFENSE IS A GOOD DEFENSE …
Over the last five-plus seasons, 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 89-1 (.989) record when they hold their opponents to less than 60 points in a game. Curiously, the only time that notion didn’t come to pass was last season, when Rutgers handed Notre Dame a 54-53 loss, one of only two setbacks the Irish suffered en route to the 2001 national championship.

The Irish already have added to this total twice during the 2001-02 season, holding Valparaiso to 35 points in the season opener on Nov. 18 and limiting Army to 57 points on Nov. 26.

… 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 last five-plus seasons (1995-96 to present), the Irish are 80-3 (.964) 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 contributed another win to that growing record when it rang up 89 points in a win over Army on Nov. 26.

NOTRE DAME MAKING A LIVING BEYOND THE ARC
Notre Dame has established itself as one of the top three-point shooting teams in the nation over the last three season. The Irish led the nation in three-point percentage last season, hitting 46.4 percent of their shots from long distance – in fact, over the last six seasons, Notre Dame has averaged better than 10 three-point attempts per game. The Irish also set a new school record with 28 three-point tries in their win over Army on Nov. 26.

However, this year’s season-opening win over Valparaiso produced an offensive anomaly for Notre Dame. The Irish were held without a three-point field goal, breaking a streak of 50 consecutive games in which they had made at least one trey. Prior to that game, the last time Notre Dame had gone dry from beyond the arc was Jan. 26, 2000, at St. John’s.

Notre Dame didn’t waste time in starting up a new three-point streak, canning 35 triples in their last four games. The Irish have now made at least one three-pointer in 150 of their last 152 games, a streak which stretches back more than four seasons.

KILLER B’S IN THE IRISH LINEUP
Notre Dame had a decidedly youthful look in its starting lineup when it opened the season Sunday against Valparaiso, as freshmen Jacqueline Batteast and Teresa Borton got the nod at forward and center, respectively. In doing so, the pair were first rookie tandem in 20 years to start a season opener for the Irish – Ruth Kaiser and Mary Beth Schueth cracked the starting five in a 78-44 win over St. Joseph’s (Ind.) on Dec. 2, 1981. Borton paced the Irish with 14 points and nine rebounds against the Crusaders, while Batteast scored two points and grabbed five rebounds against Valparaiso.

Batteast, a 6-1 native of South Bend, was a consensus All-American as a senior at Washington High School after averaging 26.0 ppg., 16.0 rpg. and 4.4 bpg. She also has been chosen as the 2001-02 BIG EAST Conference Rookie of the Year. Borton joined Batteast as a Parade All-America selection last season at West Valley High School in Yakima, Wash., where the 6-3 post player rang up 17.9 ppg. while leading her school to the Class 3A state title.

THE END OF ONE STREAK …
For the first time since the end of the 1997-98 season, Notre Dame is not ranked in either of the major national polls this week, earning 37 points in the Associated Press poll and 41 points in the ESPN/USA Today poll which would put the Irish 28th in both surveys if they were extended. This week’s exclusion snapped a 60-week run in the ESPN/USA Today poll and a 56-week stretch in the AP rankings.

… BUT THE CONTINUATION OF ANOTHER
Thanks to Kent State’s loss at home to Rhode Island last Saturday night, Notre Dame now owns the longest active home winning streak in the nation at 40 games. The Irish have not lost a game at the Joyce Center since Dec. 8, 1998, when Connecticut logged a 106-81 victory. Notre Dame’s home winning streak next will be put to the test on Sunday when the Irish welcome traditional rival USC to the Joyce Center for a 1 p.m. (EST) tipoff.

RATAY NAMED NAISMITH CANDIDATE FOR SECOND CONSECUTIVE YEAR
Notre Dame junior guard Alicia Ratay has been selected as a preseason candidate for the 2001-02 Naismith College Basketball Player of the Year Award. It marks the second time in as many seasons that Ratay has been named to the 30-player preseason Naismith watch list.

Ratay averaged 12.9 points and 5.1 rebounds per game last season, and set an NCAA record for three-point percentage (54.7 percent) by a sophomore on the way to third-team all-BIG EAST Conference honors – she was the only sophomore to make any of the three all-league squads. Ratay also is a former BIG EAST Rookie of the Year and was named an honorable mention All-American by the Associated Press in 2000. She will be looking to follow in the footsteps of her former teammate, Ruth Riley, who won the 2000-01 Naismith Award, becoming the first Notre Dame women’s basketball player to be so recognized.

The Naismith Awards, in their 34th year, are given in honor of the inventor of the game of basketball – Dr. James Naismith. The awards program was founded by the Atlanta Tipoff Club, an organization dedicated to recognizing the achievements of student-athletes in basketball. The Awards, including Men’s and Women’s College Player of the Year, Men’s and Women’s Coach of the Year, Male and Female Prep Player of the Year and Men’s and Women’s Official of the Year, are determined by a vote of the Naismith Board of Selectors. In addition, the Board of Selectors, comprised of a select group of leading basketball coaches, journalists and administrators, honors a Men’s and Women’s Outstanding Contributor to Basketball. The 2001-02 Naismith Award will presented April 5, 2002 in Atlanta.

NOTRE DAME PICKED SECOND IN BIG EAST PRESEASON BALLOTING
Fresh off a share of their first-ever BIG EAST championship last season, the Irish have been picked to finish second in 2001-02 according to a preseason poll of the league’s coaches which was released at BIG EAST Media Day on Oct. 25. Notre Dame claimed two first-place votes and 155 points overall, trailing only Connecticut (11 first-place votes, 167 points). Rutgers, Boston College and Villanova round out the top five, with VU picking up the remaining first-place vote.

Individually, junior guard Alicia Ratay was a first team preseason all-BIG EAST selection after earning third-team honors last year. The Lake Zurich, Ill., native set an NCAA record for three-point percentage by a sophomore last season (.547) and is the top returning scorer for the Irish in 2001-02 after charting 12.9 points per game a year ago.

Senior guard/forward Ericka Haney also was recognized by the conference coaches, earning second team preseason all-BIG EAST laurels. She joins Ratay as one of two starters back from last year’s NCAA championship squad and averaged 11 ppg. and 5.7 rpg. during the ’00-01 campaign.

In addition, freshman forward Jacqueline Batteast was chosen as the preseason BIG EAST Rookie of the Year. It’s the latest in a series of early-season honors for the South Bend, Ind., product, who also has been named a first team freshman All-American by the Women’s Basketball News Service and has been tabbed as one of the Top 21 “New Players of Impact” by Women’s College Hoops.com.

OH CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN
This season, for only the fourth time in school history, Notre Dame has just one captain – senior guard/forward Ericka Haney. She is the first solo captain for the Irish since Sheila McMillen in 1998-99 and the second in head coach Muffet McGraw’s 15-year tenure.

IRISH HAIL FROM SEA TO SHINING SEA
The 13 players on this season’s Notre Dame roster hail from 10 different states, including two each from Florida, Illinois and Ohio. Other states represented on the Irish roster include Colorado, Indiana, Kansas, New Mexico, Texas, Washington and Wyoming. The all-time Notre Dame women’s basketball roster features players from 34 different states, including 23 during the Muffet McGraw era. Ironically, the most common home state on the Irish all-time roster – Michigan (14) – is not represented on this season’s roster.

FUN WITH NUMBERS
This season, Notre Dame fans are seeing a pair of jersey numbers on the floor that haven’t made an appearance in quite some time. Freshman guard Kelsey Wicks has chosen to wear No. 24, becoming the first Irish player since Andrea Alexander (1990-94) to sport those digits. In addition, freshman forward Jacqueline Batteast is wearing No. 21 this season, a number which has not been modeled by an Irish player since All-American Beth Morgan wore the same jersey from 1993-97. Prior to Morgan, the last Notre Dame player to wear No. 21 was current Irish assistant coach Coquese Washington, who had the number from 1989-93.

IRISH CLOSING IN ON 500TH ALL-TIME VICTORY
Notre Dame is on the verge of becoming the 50th team in NCAA history, and the fourth BIG EAST Conference school to post 500 career wins. The Irish currently have an all-time record of 488-219 (.690), putting them just 12 victories away from the magic mark. However, Notre Dame is in a dogfight with several other schools to see who will be the next to reach the 500-win plateau.

NOTRE DAME AMONG RECENT WINS LEADERS
Notre Dame has won 142 games in its last five-plus seasons, the fifth-most wins of any school in the country.

NOW THAT’S A HOME COURT ADVANTAGE
Notre Dame is looking to continue some impressive streaks in 2001-02. The Irish have won a school-record 40 consecutive games at home, which became the longest active streak in the nation when Kent State’s 43-game run came to an end Dec. 1 with a loss to Rhode Island. The Irish have not lost at home in nearly three years, dating back to a defeat at the hands of top-ranked Connecticut on Dec. 8, 1998. Notre Dame also has a 49-3 (.942) record in BIG EAST games at the Joyce Center, with Connecticut the only league team to solve the Irish at home.

Notre Dame also sports a four-year, 25-game non-conference winning streak at the Joyce Center – a streak that includes victories over a trio of sixth-ranked teams (UCLA and Duke in 1998-99 and Purdue in 2000-01), as well as 25th-ranked Illinois in ’98-99. Notre Dame’s last non-conference loss at the Joyce Center came way back on Dec. 9, 1996, when 19th-ranked Wisconsin toppled the Irish, 81-69. Overall, the Irish are 65-2 (.970) at the Joyce Center in their last 67 home games, with the only losses coming to Connecticut.

Since its inaugural season in 1977-78, Notre Dame has played all of its games at the Joyce Center. The Irish own a 228-65 mark for a .778 winning percentage since that first season. Last year, the Irish were a perfect 15-0 for the second year in a row. The 15 victories are a school record for home wins in a season and the first time Notre Dame teams have been undefeated at home during the regular season. During the last five-plus seasons, Muffet McGraw’s squad is 78-4 (.951) at the Joyce Center.

SEASON TICKET SALES REACH ALL-TIME HIGH FOR IRISH
Attendance at Notre Dame women’s basketball games in 2000-01 increased nearly 88 percent compared to the previous season – and indications suggest another significant jump is in order for the 2001-02 campaign. Coming off the 2001 NCAA championship, there already have been more than 6,700 season tickets sold to the general public and University faculty and staff for the ’01-’02 women’s basketball season. That’s compared to 2,700 a year ago and 940 in 1999-2000- a jump of nearly 150 percent over last season, and a whopping 700 percent rise in just two years.

The sale of season tickets for the ’01-02 campaign actually began midway through Notre Dame’s 2001 championship season. All seats are reserved for Irish women’s games for the first time this season – all seating in previous years had been general admission.

The Irish ranked ninth nationally in attendance last year at 6,376 fans per game, compared to 3,392 in 1999-2000. Notre Dame also recorded the first two women’s basketball sellouts in school history, as 11,418 fans packed the Joyce Center for victories over top-ranked Connecticut and Georgetown.

Both of Notre Dame’s home games in 2001-02 have attracted more than 7,300 fans, placing both among the top 10 crowds in school history. In fact, all of the top 20 crowds in the Notre Dame record book have occurred during the 15-year tenure of head coach Muffet McGraw.