Notre Dame Fighting Irish - Official Athletics Website

No. 22 Women's Basketball Visits Georgetown Saturday

Feb. 22, 2002

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NOTRE DAME, Ind. – One of the hottest teams in the BIG EAST Conference will be back in action Saturday when No. 22 Notre Dame plays its final road game of the regular season at 4 p.m. (EST) against Georgetown at McDonough Arena. The Irish, winners of eight in a row and 16 of their last 19 games, will be looking to sew up second place in the conference standings, marking the sixth time in the last seven seasons Notre Dame has finished in the top two in the final league tables.

The Irish (18-7, 12-2 BIG EAST) kept up their winning ways Tuesday with a hard-fought 72-63 victory over a much-improved West Virginia squad at the Joyce Center. Junior guard Alicia Ratay scored a season high for the second consecutive game, dropping in 31 points, including a career-high 11-of-13 free throws. Senior guard/forward Ericka Haney chipped in with a season-best 15 points, while sophomore guard Le’Tania Severe chalked up 12 points and a career-high nine rebounds for the Irish, who logged their 51st consecutive home victory, extending the nation’s longest active home winning streak.

Georgetown (12-13, 4-10) enters Saturday’s game on the heels of a 59-46 loss to Villanova Tuesday night. Sophomore forward Rebekkah Brunson scored 15 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead the Hoyas in the loss. GU has struggled mightily following a solid start, dropping 11 of its last 15 contests. The Hoyas also have had their troubles at home, going just 4-8 on the McDonough Arena hardwood.

Despite missing 10 games with a stress fracture, Brunson, the 2001 BIG EAST Rookie of the Year, leads Georgetown in scoring (15.8 ppg.) and rebounding (8.8 rpg.). She also is second on the squad with a sharp .494 field goal percentage.

Junior forward Nok Duany picked up much of the slack in Brunson’s absence, ranking second on the team at 12.3 points and 6.0 rebounds per game. Freshman guard Mary Lisicky, a BIG EAST Rookie-of-the-Week selection back on Dec. 17, is third at 11.8 ppg., and has drained a team-best 67 three-point field goals this season.

Georgetown head coach Patrick Knapp is in his 19th season as a collegiate mentor, having compiled a 265-271 (.494) record. He is in his 16th year with the Hoyas with a 220-232 (.487) record to his credit. Knapp is 1-13 in his coaching career against Notre Dame, including an 0-6 mark in Washington, D.C.

– ND –