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Women's Basketball Opens Two-Game Road Trip At #20/22 Colorado State

Nov. 19, 2001

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NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Although the 2001-02 season is only one game old, Notre Dame already will get an opportunity to gauge its progress when it visits No. 20/22 Colorado State for a Wednesday night matchup at Moby Arena in Fort Collins, Colo. It’s the first stop on a two-game road swing for the youthful Irish, who also will visit Pacific-10 Conference foe Arizona on Saturday.

No. 15 Notre Dame opened defense of its NCAA championship with a 42-35 win over Valparaiso Sunday before 7,960 fans at the Joyce Center. Freshman center Teresa Borton made a splashy debut, scoring a game-high 14 points and grabbing nine rebounds. Junior guard Alicia Ratay chipped in with 11 points and nine rebounds while playing all 40 minutes. As a team, the Irish limited the Crusaders to a paltry 27.7 field goal percentage, posting their best defensive effort against a non-conference opponent in nearly 12 years.

After unveiling the national championship banner in a pregame ceremony, the Irish opened the game on a 9-2 run, a charge capped by Borton’s three-point play with 14:55 to go in the first half. Valparaiso answered with a pair of buckets, but Notre Dame came right back with a 7-0 spurt, taking a 10-point lead at the midway point of the half. The Irish bumped their edge up to 11 points when Ratay knocked down two free throws at the five-minute mark. But, in a recurring theme, the Irish could never quite shake the pesky Crusaders, as the visitors clawed back within 24-20 on a three-point field goal just before the halftime horn.

Valparaiso continued its rally early in the second half, going on a 10-3 run and taking a 30-29 lead with 14:34 to play. At that point, the Notre Dame defense clamped down and allowed the Crusaders only field goal the rest of the way. In fact, Valparaiso went scoreless for a six-minute stretch midway through the second half, while the Irish retook a 35-30 lead on a jumper and two free throws by Ratay. The Crusaders pulled within 35-33 with 6:34 left, but Borton hit a pair of layups in traffic and sophomore guard Le’Tania Severe made three free throws in the final three minutes to seal Notre Dame’s 39th consecutive home victory and 24th straight non-conference win at the Joyce Center.

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 323-117 (.734) 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 (6.0 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. Junior guard Alicia Ratay (11.0 ppg., 9.0 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 scored 11 points and pulled down a game-high nine rebounds in the season opener against Valparaiso.

Joining Ratay in the backcourt will be sophomore Le’Tania Severe (7.0 ppg., 6.0 rpg, 4.0 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 matched her career high with seven points and set a new career standard with four assists against Valparaiso. Juniors Monique Hernandez and walk-on Karen Swanson, along with sophomore Jeneka Joyce give McGraw tremendous flexibility in her guard rotation. Additionally, freshmen Allison Bustamante, Jill Krause and Kelsey Wicks (2.0 ppg., 3.0 rpg.) provide the Irish with solid ballhandling and perimeter shooting depth. Wicks showed an early penchant for attacking the glass, collecting 10 rebounds in both Irish exhibition games.

A pair of freshmen (and former Parade All-Americans) are poised to make an immediate impact on the Notre Dame front line, as forward Jacqueline Batteast (2.0 ppg., 5.0 rpg.) and center Teresa Borton (14.0 ppg., 9.0 rpg.) started both exhibition games and the season opener against Valparaiso. 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. 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 but missed both exhibition games and the Valparaiso contest with a stress reaction in her right leg, while freshman Katy Flecky was a two-time Miss Colorado Basketball and offers the Irish an physical presence in the post. Flecky also displayed a deft shooting touch in the second exhibition game against Christian Brothers, canning six of nine shots and finishing with 13 points.

SCOUTING COLORADO STATE

One of the best-kept secrets in women’s college basketball lies in Fort Collins, Colo., where Colorado State is quietly building one of the nation’s elite programs. Over the last four-plus seasons, the Rams have amassed a solid 106-26 (.803) record and three NCAA Tournament berths, as well as a trip to the semifinals of the Women’s National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) in 2000. All of CSU’s recent success has come under fifth-year head coach Tom Collen, who came to town following a 16-year career as an assistant coach at Arkansas, Purdue and Miami (Ohio).

Colorado State is ranked 20th in the latest Associated Press poll and 22nd in the most recent ESPN/USA Today coaches’ balloting after a season-opening 102-30 thrashing of Sacramento State last Friday at Moby Arena. Sophomore forward Joy Jenkins led five Rams in double figures, coming off the bench to score 19 points and make seven of eight shots from the field. Junior forward Ashley Augspurger added 18 points and junior guard Elizabeth English charted a double-double with 12 points and 10 assists. As a team, CSU was dominant on both ends of the floor, shooting 51.9 percent from the field, including a 65.7 percent mark in the second half, while holding Sacramento State to just 20.9 percent shooting. Additionally, the Rams’ defense was a menacing force, causing a whopping 42 turnovers and chalking up a school-record 24 steals.

THE NOTRE DAME-COLORADO STATE SERIES

Wednesday’s game will be the first meeting between Notre Dame and Colorado State.

IF NOTRE DAME WINS …

* The Irish would win their road opener for the fourth consecutive season and the 10th time in the Muffet McGraw era.

* Notre Dame would pick up its 10th win in the last 12 games against a ranked opponent.

* The Irish would log their seventh consecutive win over a non-conference ranked opponent.

* Notre Dame would claim its 16th consecutive victory against a first-time opponent.

* The Irish would improve to 89-12 (.881) over the last three-plus seasons.

NOTRE DAME TRAVEL PLANS

Notre Dame will depart from South Bend Regional Airport via commercial airline Tuesday at 12:43 p.m. (EST), arriving in Denver at approximately 3 p.m. (MST). The Irish will then bus to Fort Collins, Colo., where they will headquarter at the Fort Collins Marriott (970-226-5200). Following the Colorado State game, Notre Dame will fly out of Denver at 7:40 p.m. (MST), arriving in Tucson, Ariz., at around 9:20 p.m. (MST). While in Tucson, the Irish will stay at the Westin La Paloma (520-577-5857). After playing Arizona, Notre Dame will depart Tucson on Sunday at 8:35 a.m. (MST), returning to South Bend at approximately 1:55 p.m. (EST).

IRISH INJURY REPORT (as of Nov. 20)

Out – Junior C Amanda Barksdale Out 7-10 days (stress reaction – right leg) Probable – Freshman G Kelsey Wicks Sprained left ankle – Nov. 1

TAKING THE SHOW ON THE ROAD

Notre Dame has had an even measure of success in road openers during its history. The Irish are 12-12 (.500) in their first road game of the season, although they have won their last three road lidlifters. Last season, Notre Dame began its drive to the NCAA championship with a 71-46 victory at Valparaiso.

RANK AND FILE

Notre Dame will face its first ranked opponent of the season when it visits No. 20/22 Colorado State Wednesday night. 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 years, Notre Dame has had most of its success against ranked opponents when it is ranked itself – the Irish are 23-19 (.548) in games where both teams are ranked. Notre Dame also is 143-25 (.851) all-time when it takes the floor as a ranked team – the Irish stand 15th in both major polls entering Wednesday’s game at CSU. See pages 157-159 in the Notre Dame women’s basketball media guide for more information on the Irish against ranked opponents.

NOTRE DAME-COLORADO STATE CONNECTIONS

Although Notre Dame and Colorado State have never met on the hardwood, they do have a handful of connections. Most notably, Irish freshman center Teresa Borton and CSU junior guard Katie Borton are cousins. Both hail from Yakima, Wash., and spent their prep days at West Valley High School. Additionally, Notre Dame freshman forward Katy Flecky returns to her home state just two games into her college career. Flecky is a native of Lone Tree, Colo., and played at two-time state champion Highlands Ranch High School.

Colorado State has two Indiana natives on its roster – junior guard Elizabeth English is from Rushville, Ind., and attended Rushville Consolidated High School, while junior guard Jackie Campbell is a native of Chesterton, Ind., and graduated from Chesterton High School.

NOTRE DAME AGAINST THE MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE

Notre Dame doesn’t have a whole lot of experience to call on when it comes to facing the Mountain West Conference. The Irish have played just three games against the current MWC alignment, going 2-1 (.667) with wins over BYU and Utah and a loss to San Diego State. In an interesting twist, Notre Dame downed Utah, 69-54 in last year’s NCAA Midwest Regional semifinals at the Pepsi Center in Denver, not far from the site of Wednesday’s clash with Colorado State.

A FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING

Colorado State will be the 164th different opponent for Notre Dame when the two teams match up Wednesday night in Fort Collins. The Irish are 98-65 (.601) when playing an opponent for the first time and have a 15-game winning streak against first-time opponents. Notre Dame has not lost to a first-time foe since Jan. 4, 1997, when Ohio State claimed a 74-67 win over the Irish in Columbus, Ohio.

IRISH GETTING DEFENSIVE

If the season opener is any indication, Notre Dame is ready to continue the defensive lockdown it mastered last season. The Irish gave up just 35 points in the victory over Valparaiso, holding the Crusaders to a 27.7 field goal percentage and only one field goal over the final 14 minutes of the contest. The 35 Valparaiso points were the fewest allowed by the Irish to a non-conference opponent since Nov. 24, 1989, when Notre Dame routed Liberty, 113-35, at the Rotary Classic in Orlando, Fla.

Last season, the Irish led the nation in field goal percentage defense (.336) and ranked fifth in scoring defense (55.8 ppg.). They held 12 opponents to under 50 points and limited 22 of their 36 foes to under 35 percent shooting.

NOTRE DAME WITH A RARE DRY SPELL FROM LONG RANGE

Sunday’s win over Valparaiso also 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 Sunday, the last time Notre Dame had gone dry from beyond the arc was Jan. 26, 2000, at St. John’s. In fact, it was just the second time in the last 148 games that Notre Dame has not canned a three-point field goal, 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.

ANSWERING THE CALL

In its two exhibition games this season, Notre Dame displayed an extraordinary amount of depth, as 11 different players saw action in each preseason tilt. The Irish also received solid support from their reserve units, picking up an average of 29.0 points per game off the bench in wins over Ohio Girls’ Basketball Magazine and Christian Brothers. Leading the charge for the Notre Dame reserves was freshman guard Kelsey Wicks, who snared 10 rebounds in both exhibition games. Freshman forward Katy Flecky also turned in a strong performance against Christian Brothers, scoring 13 points (6-0 shooting) and grabbing six rebounds in an understudy role.

POLL POSITION

Notre Dame is ranked 15th in the latest ESPN/USA Today Top 25 poll, marking the 59th consecutive week in which the Irish have appeared in the coaches’ poll, extending a school-record streak which dates back to the beginning of the 1998-99 season. This string has been highlighted by a six-week stay atop the rankings last season and a year-end finish at No. 1. Notre Dame also was ranked 15th in the latest Associated Press Top 25 poll, the 55th consecutive week in which the Irish have appeared in the media poll.

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 will have 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 will see 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.

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 39 consecutive games at home, the second-longest active streak in the nation behind Kent State’s 43-game run. In fact, the Irish have not lost at home in nearly three years, dating back to a loss to 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, 24-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 64-2 (.970) at the Joyce Center in their last 66 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 227-65 mark for a .777 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 77-4 (.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 10th 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.

In their season opener on Sunday, the Irish drew 7,960 fans for their win over Valparaiso, the sixth-largest crowd 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.

NOTRE DAME FACES TOUGH SCHEDULE IN 2001-02

Notre Dame will play 10 teams which reached the postseason as part of a rugged schedule this year. The Irish will battle seven NCAA Tournament squads, including four (Connecticut – 1/1, Purdue – 11/11, Michigan – 19/18 and Colorado State – 20/22) which are ranked in the Top 25 in the latest Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today polls. In addition, six Irish opponents (Villanova, Rutgers, Boston College, DePaul, USC and Arizona) are receiving votes in one or both of the major rankings.

IRISH ON THE SMALL SCREEN

Notre Dame will get a good deal of face time in 2001-02, playing on television six times, including nationally-televised contests against Connecticut (Jan. 21 on ESPN) and Arizona (Nov. 24 on Fox Sports Net). In addition, Notre Dame will appear three times as part of the BIG EAST regular-season television package, playing host to Virginia Tech (Jan. 26) and traveling to Villanova (Jan. 12) and Rutgers (Feb. 16). All three of those games will be telecast live on Fox Sports Chicago as part of the league’s TV deal. The BIG EAST Championship semifinals on March 4 also will be aired on the BIG EAST TV package, while the conference championship game on March 5 will be broadcast live on ESPN2.

Additionally, the rematch of the 2001 NCAA championship game between Notre Dame and Purdue on Dec. 6 from West Lafayette, Ind., will be televised live by LeSea Broadcasting’s flagship station, WHME-TV 46 in South Bend. Other LeSea stations may choose to carry the broadcast as well.

NOTRE DAME RECEIVES COMMITMENTS FROM PAIR OF TOP 25 PROSPECTS

Notre Dame head coach Muffet McGraw announced Nov. 15 that two of the nation’s top high school student-athletes have chosen to continue their careers with the Irish, signing national letters of intent to attend Notre Dame beginning in the fall of 2002. Megan Duffy (Dayton, OH/Chaminade Julienne HS) and Courtney LaVere (Ventura, CA/Buena HS) are the first players to commit to the Irish during the early signing period.

Duffy, a 5-7 guard, averaged 17 points per game last season for Chaminade Julienne High School in Dayton, Ohio. She was a 2001 first-team Division I all-state selection and earned honorable mention All-America accolades from Street & Smith’s. Additionally, Student Sports tabbed her as a junior All-America selection. She was rated as high as No. 24 in the country by the All-Star Girls Report (ASGR) and No. 29 by School Sports.

LaVere, a 6-3 forward, tallied 13.8 points and eight rebounds per game last season for Buena High School in Ventura, Calif. She also shot 54 percent from the field and 73 percent from the free throw line for BHS, which was ranked in the top 10 nationally throughout the 2000-01 season by USA Today. In addition, LaVere was an All-America honoree by both USA Today and Street & Smith’s last year, and she already has been selected as a preseason third-team All-American for the ’01-02 campaign by School Sports. Like Duffy, LaVere also was a first-team all-state selection last season. She is a consensus top-15 player according to all of the major recruiting services – No. 10 by the Blue Star Index, No. 13 by School Sports and No. 15 by ASGR.

The additions of Duffy and LaVere already have given Notre Dame one of this year’s top 10 recruiting classes, according to at least one recruiting outlet. The Blue Star Index has ranked the latest group of Irish signees sixth in the nation, marking the sixth consecutive year in which Blue Star has placed Notre Dame’s recruiting class among the Top 20 in the country.

BOOK ON NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON TO HIT SHELVES IN DECEMBER

Fans of Notre Dame women’s basketball will be able to relive the 2000-01 NCAA championship season in a new book by Mark Bradford entitled “Nice Girls Finish First.” The book, which is slated to hit store shelves on Dec. 10, is the story of how the Irish and head coach Muffet McGraw put together a squad of truly remarkable young women, some of whom overcame great odds, to win the national championship last April. Included in the book are in-depth interviews with members of the Notre Dame senior class and starting lineup, giving an unique perspective on what it goes into putting together a championship team.

Bradford is a sportswriter for the South Bend Tribune, and also has done freelance work for the Associated Press and Indianapolis Star. The Mishawaka, Ind., resident has covered Notre Dame football and men’s and women’s basketball for the last six years.

KRAUSE FEATURED IN “CONFESSIONS OF A FRESHMAN”

Freshman guard Jill Krause will give fans an inside look at the the 2001-02 Irish women’s basketball team through regular diary entries on the Notre Dame athletic website, www.und.com. Entitled “Confessions of a Freshman,” the Glenview, Ill., native will trace the journey for a first-year player on the defending NCAA championship squad. Her diary entries may be accessed either from the front page or the women’s basketball page on the Notre Dame website.

HANEY SHINES ON BIG EAST ALL-STAR TEAM

For the second time in as many years, Notre Dame sent a player with the BIG EAST Women’s Basketball All-Star Team, as guard/forward Ericka Haney joined the squad for its six-game swing of Germany this summer. Haney followed in the footsteps of Niele Ivey, who helped lead the BIG EAST All-Stars to a 5-1 record during a junket through Canada in the summer of 2000.

Haney helped the BIG EAST, which was led by Syracuse head coach Marianna Freeman, to an unbeaten 6-0 record during its tour, scoring a team-high 18 points in a 103-57 win over Ludwigsburg/Malmsheim in the final game of the trip.

Haney finished with a team-high 13.0 points per game and collected 4.5 rebounds per game during her European vacation. She also scored in double figures in five of the All-Stars’ six wins.

– ND –