Dec. 5, 2005
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Notre Dame senior All-America guard Megan Duffy (Dayton, Ohio/Chaminade-Julienne HS) and freshman guard Lindsay Schrader (Bartlett, Ill./Bartlett HS) both were selected to the BIG EAST Conference Weekly Honor Roll, the league office announced Monday. It’s the second time in as many weeks Duffy has received the distinction, while Schrader is the first freshman this season to earn a spot on the BIG EAST Honor Roll, which recognizes student-athletes with exceptional performances aside from the players chosen to receive the conference’s Player of the Week and Freshman of the Week awards.
Duffy averaged 20.5 points, 4.0 assists and 2.5 steals per game last week as Notre Dame registered victories over Iona (74-55) and Wisconsin (77-72). In last Tuesday’s win over Iona, Duffy scored a game-high 21 points, ringing up 17 in a 12-minute second-half stint. She then added a game-high 20 points Sunday at Wisconsin, going 6-of-6 at the free throw line in the final 30 seconds to seal the win, Notre Dame’s third over a Big Ten Conference opponent in as many games this season.
Meanwhile, Schrader, who was named BIG EAST Freshman of the Week on Nov. 21, posted the two highest point totals of her rookie season this past week, averaging 13.5 points and 4.0 rebounds per game with an .800 field goal percentage (12-of-15). Schrader tallied a season-high 14 points in only 22 minutes against Iona, before coming back with 13 points on a perfect 6-of-6 shooting at Wisconsin. Her field goal percentage at UW was one made shot away from tying the school record for shooting efficiency by a freshman (7-of-7 — Alicia Ratay at Rutgers on Feb. 19, 2000; Teresa Borton vs. Seton Hall on Jan. 9, 2002).
Syracuse swept the weekly conference awards, with center Vaida Sipaviciute taking the Player of the Week honor, and guard Jenny Eckhart claiming the Freshman of the Week citation.
Notre Dame (6-0) rose to 10th in the latest Associated Press poll released Monday afternoon, marking the seventh time in the past 10 seasons the Irish have appeared in the top 10 of the AP balloting at some point during the campaign. The women’s basketball team also is the sixth Notre Dame squad this season to be ranked in the top 10 in its respective sport (current rankings: women’s cross country – fourth; football, men’s cross country and women’s soccer – fifth; volleyball – ninth).
Off to its third 6-0 start in the past six seasons and second in as many years, Notre Dame returns to the hardwood Wednesday at 7 p.m. (ET) when it heads to West Lafayette, Ind., to take on No. 24/23 Purdue at Mackey Arena.
— ND —