Women's Hoops Continues Road Swing At Miami

Jan. 20, 2000

Date: Saturday, January 22, 2000
Place: Knight Sports Complex (1,200)
Time: 2:00 p.m. (EST)
Radio: All Notre Dame games are broadcast on WJVA-AM (1580 in South Bend). Jeremy Gray provides play-by-play for games.

SATURDAY’S GAME — The fifth-ranked Notre Dame women’s basketball team looks to extend its 10-game win streak this afternoon when the Irish (14-2, 5-0) travel to Miami (8-7, 2-2) for the first of two regular-season matchups with the Hurricanes. Today’s game is the second of three straight road contests for Coach Muffet McGraw’s squad, who reached an all-time high in the Associated Press poll with its number five ranking.

Notre Dame has won 10 straight after defeating Pittsburgh 67-53 in its last outing. Miami has has dropped two of its last three, including a 63-61 loss to Georgetown on Wednesday night. The Irish have not lost since dropping a 71-61 decision to Purdue on the road on December 8. Both of Notre Dame’s losses have come on the road this season as the Irish own an 8-0 mark at the Joyce Center where they have won school-record 16 straight contests.

Notre Dame leads the all-time series between the two schools 7-2 and has won six of the last seven meetings. The Irish suffered their last loss to the Hurricanes in Coral Gables, Fla., when they dropped a 77-76 decision on February 3, 1999. Notre Dame is 4-1 against Miami on the road.

Notre Dame is fifth in the AP ranking and sixth in the ESPN/USA Today poll this week. The Irish have been ranked in the top 10 of the AP poll 24 of the past 27 weeks, including a school-record 19 consecutive weeks from November 16, 1998 thru November 29, 1999. Notre Dame has been in the top 10 of the ESPN/USA Today poll for 27 straight weeks.

PITTSBURGH REVIEW – Notre Dame closed out the first half with a 10-1 run and then opened the second half with a 24-3 run as the Irish earned its 10th straight win with a 67-53 victory over Pittsburgh. Alicia Ratay led the Irish in scoring for the eighth time this season as she tossed in 17 points, connecting on six-of-10 field goals. Ruth Riley registered her third double-double in four games as she scored 12 points and grabbed a season-high 14 rebounds. Kelley Siemon was the third Irish player in double figures as she came off the bench to score a season-high 14 points. Notre Dame held the Panthers in scoring check most of the game with only one player (Gina Montesano – 10 points) reaching double figures. The Irish limited Pittsburgh to just 37.5 percent shooting from the field and owned a 42-26 advantage on the boards.

Notre Dame Probable Starting Lineup

Off The Bench

* – Indicates monograms won

No. 5/6 Notre Dame (14-2, 5-0) at
Miami (8-7, 2-2)

IVEY NAMED BIG EAST PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Senior guard Niele Ivey was named the BIG EAST Co-Player of the Week after averaging 18.0 points and 9.0 assists in two Irish victories last week. Ivey, who earned the honor for the fourth time in her career, was selected along with Jenea Skeeters of Villanova. She had a season-high 22 points against Syracuse in a 71-56 victory as she connected on a career-best six three-pointers. Ivey also dished off eights assists which marked the 11th game in which she had six or more assists in a game. In a 75-54 victory over Seton Hall, she recorded her fourth double-double of the season, and eighth in her career, as she scored 14 points and dished off 10 assists. In the two victories , Ivey shot 13-21 (.619) frm the field.

RILEY HAS HIGH SCHOOL NUMBER RETIRED – Notre Dame junior Ruth Riley had her high school number “25” retired at North Miami High School (Indiana) on Thursday night (January 6). The Macy, Ind., native was a standout in three sports – basketball, volleyball and track. She is the first such athlete from her high school to have her number retired.

IRISH TOUGH AT HOME AGAINST BIG EAST FOES – Notre Dame has compiled a 37-3 (.925) record against BIG EAST opponents at the Joyce Center since joining the league in 1995-96. All three of those losses have been to Connecticut. Notre Dame was a perfect 9-0 at the Joyce Center in league action during the 1996-97 campaign.

16 AND COUNTING – Notre Dame won its 16th consecutive home game (a school record) with its 71-56 victory over Syracuse on Saturday. The former mark of 15 was set on two previous occasions before the current win streak. The 16-game Joyce Center streak began on December 10, 1998 when the Irish defeated Villanova 63-62. That win followed a 106-81 setback to Connecticut on December 8, 1998 which snapped a 15-game win streak at the Joyce Center. The 16-game homecourt win streak currently is the 11th longest among NCAA Division I women’s basketball schools. Notre Dame does not play at home until until January 29 when the Irish host Georgetown at 7:30 p.m.

HELPING PUT THE BIG IN THE BIG EAST – During its four-plus seasons as a member of the BIG EAST Conference, Notre Dame has proven to be one of the league’s most dominant teams. The Irish have a 64-13 record (83.1 percent) in regular season games and an 8-4 mark (66.7 percent) in BIG EAST tournament action for an overall record of 72-17 (80.9 percent) against league opponents. Of Notre Dame’s 17 league losses, 10 have come against Connecticut. The Irish have lost to four other teams in the BIG EAST – Rutgers (three times), Boston College (twice), Villanova and Miami. All of the losses to those teams have come on the road.

IVEY SHINES AGAINST ORANGEWOMEN – Niele Ivey scored a season-high 22 points against Syracuse in last Saturday’s victory. Six of her eight field goals in the game were from three-point range. The six three-pointers marked a career best for the senior guard who scored 20-plus points for the fourth time in her career. Ivey hit six-of-11 three-point attempts in the game. She had eight assists in the game which marked the 11th time in 15 outings in which she has dished off six or more assists.

A BIG ASSIST – For the second straight year, Niele Ivey has dished off 100-plus assists and has 400 in her career. Ivey reached the 400-assist mark against Pittsburgh on Tuesday night and is just the fifth Notre Dame player to reach that mark. She ranks ninth nationally with a 7.1 assist-per-game average and has dished off eight or more assists in six of Notre Dame’s last seven games. Ivey is averaging 8.6 assists in those contests and has dished off 10 or more assists in four games this season.

RILEY STREAK SNAPPED – Ruth Riley failed to reach double figures for just the second time this season in scoring nine points against West Virginia on January 5. After being held scoreless for the first time in her career (64 games) in the season opener against Toledo, Riley came back to score in double figures in 10 consecutive games. She has scored 20-plus points twice this season as she netted a season-high 32 points against Liberty on December 5 which marked the third 30-point performance of her career. Riley also had 20 points in a win over Florida International at the Orange Bowl Women’s Basketball Fab Four. She is second in the Irish scoring column averaging 15.1 ppg. Riley has scored in double figures in 60 of 79 career games.

ANOTHER DAILY DOUBLE FOR RUTH – Ruth Riley, who led Notre Dame and the BIG EAST Conference with 12 double-doubles last season, registered her third double-double in four games as she scored 12 points and grabbed a season-high 14 rebounds. She posted back-to-back double-double performances in games against Georgetown and Seton Hall. Riley had 18 points and 13 rebounds against the Hoyas which marked her first double-double of the season and then followed that with a 17-point and 13-rebound performance in a win over Seton Hall. Her most recent double-double occurred a week ago against Seton Hall as she scored 17 points and grabbed 13 rebounds. She has 24 career double-doubles and has grabbed 10 or more rebounds 25 times in her career

FRESHMAN FOLLIES – Freshman guard Alicia Ratay leads the team in scoring (15.3 ppg.) and is second in rebounding (5.1 rpg.). Ratay, a three-time BIG EAST rookie-of-the-week honoree, has topped the 20-point mark three times this season, including a 32-point performance against North Carolina which marked just the second 30-point performance by an Irish rookie in the 22-year history of the program. Ratay led Notre Dame in scoring for the eighth time this season against Pittsburgh as she scored a game-high 17 points and has netted double figures in 11 contests.

IRISH CAPTURE WACHOVIA WOMEN’S INVITATIONAL – Notre Dame captured the Wachovia Women’s Invitational Tournament in Richmond, Va., as the Irish beat North Carolina and Liberty in the seventh annual event. The tournament is recognized as one of the most prestigious in-season events.

Junior center Ruth Riley was named MVP of the tournament in addition to being selected along with freshman Alicia Ratay to the all-tournament team. Riley scored 32 points (the third 30-point performance of her career) against Liberty in the championship game as she connected on 12-of-14 shots from the field and was a perfect eight-for-eight from the free throw line. In addition, she had seven rebounds and two blocked shots in 29 minutes of action. Against North Carolina, she registered 12 points, seven rebounds and four blocked shots in 28 minutes. For the tournament she averaged 22.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.0 blocked shots. Riley also was 17-of-22 (.773) from the field and a perfect 10-for-10 from the charity stripe.

Ratay had the first 30-point performance of her career, and second-ever by a Notre Dame freshman, when she tossed in 32 points on a 12-for-15 shooting performance against North Carolina. The Irish rookie also hit six-of-eight from three-point range. In the championship tilt, she was the only other Notre Dame player in double figures as she netted 17 points, grabbed four rebounds and dished off five assists playing a season-high 36 minutes. For the tournament, she averaged 24.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.5 steals. Ratay shot 18-of-25 (.720) percent from the field and was seven-for-11 (.636) from three-point range.

POLL WATCHING– Notre Dame is ranked fifth (an all-time high) in the Associated Press and sixth in the ESPN/USA Today rankings this week. The Irish have been been ranked in the top 10 of the AP poll 24 of the last 27 weeks over the past two seasons. The Irish slipped out of the top 10 (after a school-record 19 consecutive weeks there) on November 29, 1999, prior to that, Notre Dame had held a spot in the top 10 of every poll dating back to November 16, 1998. Coach Muffet McGraw’s squad has now been ranked 27 consecutive weeks in the top 10 of the ESPN/USA Today ranking. Notre Dame has earned a top 25 ranking for a school-record 30 consecutive weeks, breaking the old mark of 24 weeks set from February 5, 1996 thru March 10, 1997.

HEAD COACH MUFFET McGRAW – Notre Dame head coach Muffet McGraw is in her 13th season with the Irish and 17th as a collegiate coach. She has guided Notre Dame to four straight NCAA tournament appearances and six overall. McGraw led the Irish to the 1997 Final Four as her team claimed the East Regional championship. In 1998, McGraw’s squad finished with a 22-10 mark and advanced to the Sweet 16. In 12-plus seasons at Notre Dame, she has a record of 275-112 (.711), and in 17-plus campaigns overall, her teams have registered a 363-153 (.703) ledger. Prior to coming to Notre Dame, she spent five seasons at Lehigh where she compiled an 88-41 record for a .683 winning percentage. Last season, McGraw, after guiding the Irish to their sixth consecutive 20-win season, was named as a finalist for the Naismith Women’s Basketball and Associated Press coach-of-the-year awards.

PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER MAGAZINE TO FOLLOW IRISH ALL SEASON – Annette John-Hall, a feature writer for the Philadelphia Inquirer will be following head coach Muffet McGraw, a native of Pottsville, Pa., and the Irish all season long and feature them in the magazine section of that publication. She will file stories throughout the season on McGraw and her squad. Hall has already written three features thus far with the fourth installment scheduled for sometime in January.

IRISH GET 200TH WIN AT JOYCE CENTER – Notre Dame earned its 200th win at the Joyce Center against Valparaiso on December 29. Since its inaugural season in 1977-78, the Irish own a 204-65 mark for a .758 winning percentage. Notre Dame set a new school record with its 16th consecutive home victory at the Joyce Center against Syracuse on January 15. The last time the Irish lost at home was on December 8, 1998. The Irish have won a school-record 15 straight on two occasions – January 2, 1995-January 10, 1996 and December 10, 1997-December 2, 1998. Both times Connecticut stopped the Irish home win streaks.

HOME SWEET HOME – Since its inaugural season in 1977-78, Notre Dame has played all of its games at the Joyce Center. The Irish own a 204-65 mark for a .758 winning percentage since that first season. Currently, the Irish are 8-0 at home and have won 16 straight home games dating back to the 1998-99 campaign. Last season, Notre Dame won a school-record 12 games at home en route to a 12-1 home mark. During the last four-plus seasons, Coach Muffet McGraw’s squad is 54-4 (.931) at the Joyce Center.

SERIES RECORD VERSUS MIAMI – Notre Dame leads the series 7-2 and has won six of the last seven meetings. The last time the Irish traveled to Coral Gables (February 3, 1998), they suffered a 77-76 setback to the Hurricanes. McGraw’s squad is 4-1 at the Knight Sports Complex.

LINEUP SHAKEUP – In the 16 games played this season, Notre Dame has used seven different starting lineups. Below is a listing of the starting lineup and ND’s record with that starting five.

Haney, Siemon, Riley, Ratay and Ivey – (1-0)
Haney, Ratay, Riley, Green and Ivey – (1-0)
Henderson, Riley, Ratay, Ivey and Dunbar – (3-1)
Haney, Henderson, Riley, Ratay and Ivey – (5-0)
Haney, Siemon, Riley, Ratay and Dunbar – (1-0)
Riley, Green, Ratay, Ivey and Siemon – (1-0)
Riley, Green, Ratay, Ivey and Siemon – (1-0)
Henderson, Riley, Green, Ratay and Ivey – (3-0)

RILEY REACHES 1,000-POINT – Junior center Ruth Riley became the 15th player in Notre Dame women’s basketball history to reach the 1,000-point plateau this season. Riley reached the mark in the first half of Notre Dame’s win over Florida International on December 19. The 6-5 Macy, Ind., native has 1,123 career points in 79 career games for a 14.2 career scoring average. Currently, Riley is 13th on the Irish career scoring list.

RILEY GRABS 600TH REBOUND – Ruth Riley reached another milestone last Saturday against Syracuse when she grabbed her 600th career rebound. She is the 10th player in Notre Dame history to have achieved that mark. She currently is 10th (with 615) on the all-time Irish rebounding list and needs just eight more to move ahead of Beth Morgan (1993-97) on that list. Riley is one of just nine Irish players to score 1,000 points and grab 600 rebounds.

IRONWOMAN – Against Syracuse, Ruth Riley made her 73rd consecutive start in an Irish uniform. The Irish junior has played in all 79 games throughout her career. Her first career start came seven games into her freshman season during the 1997-98 campaign and was against Wisconsin on the road in Madison, Wis., on December 8, 1997.

A PERFECT 10 – Ruth Riley, who has made 39 of her 46 free throw attempts this season (.825), was a perfect 10-for-10 from the charity stripe against Georgetown. It marked a personal best for the Irish junior who earlier this season hit eight-of-eight from the line against Liberty en route to a 32-point performance.

SIEMON HAS STRONG OUTING AGAINST PITTSBURGH – Kelley Siemon had her best outing of the 1999-2000 campaign in Notre Dame’s win Tuesday night at Pittsburgh. Siemon registered double figures for the second time this season when she scored a season-high 14 points against the Panthers. The junior forward connected on five-of-10 shots from the field, was four-of-four from the free throw line and grabbed four rebounds in the contest while playing 21 minutes.

GREEN GAINS STARTING ROLE – Senior guard Danielle Green, who had come off the bench earlier in the season, had started the last four games for the Irish and has been in the starting lineup in five of the 13 games she has played. She is the team’s fourth leading scorer averaging 10.5 ppg., and has scored in double figures in seven of the last 10 games she has played. Green has scored in double figures in eight games overall, including a season-high 16 points in the season opener at Toledo.

DOUBLE DIPPER – Guard Niele Ivey had her fourth double-double of the season in Notre Dame’s win over Seton Hall on January 11 as she scored 14 points and dished off 10 assists. It was the eighth double-double of her career and the eighth time she has dished off 10 or more assists in a game. Her other double-doubles this season have come against North Carolina (17 points, 13 assists), Michigan State (14 points, 11 assists) and Marquette (19 points, 12 assists). Ivey leads the team in assists with 114 for a 7.1 average.

“D” UP – Notre Dame is yielding just 61.5 points per game this season. In its last six games, the Irish have not allowed their opponents more than 65 points. For the fourth time in six games against Pittsburgh on Tuesday, Notre Dame held its opponent to under 55 points. In the last six outings, the Irish defense is allowing just 55.8 points per game.

RILEY NOTCHES THIRD 30-POINT PERFORMANCE – Ruth Riley’s 32-point performance in the championship game of the Wachovia Women’s Invitational marked the third time in her career that she scored better than 30 points in a game. Riley had two 30-plus efforts last season, both against Providence College, as she scored 36 and a school-record 41.

A ROOKIE RARITY – Alicia Ratay’s 32-point performance against North Carolina was the first 30-point outing of her brief career and marked just the second time an Irish freshman has scored better than 30 points in a game. The only other Notre Dame rookie to record a 30-point performance was Michelle Marciniak as she scored 33 versus Georgia in a 90-86 loss on December 8, 1991.

RILEY NAMED FINALIST FOR NAISMITH PLAYER OF THE YEAR – On everyone’s preseason All-America teams, Ruth Riley, a third-team Associated Press All-America selection in 1999, is one of 10 finalists for the 1999-2000 Naismith Women’s Basketball Player of the Year Award which is presented by the Atlanta Tip-off Club. Riley and the nine other candidates were selected by a vote of the Board of Selectors comprised of leading college basketball coaches, journalists and basketball analysts. She is the first Notre Dame women’s basketball player to be named a finalist for the award, which was first presented in 1983. The nine other finalists include: Svetlana Abrosimova (Connecticut), Edwina Brown (Texas), Tamika Catchings (Tennessee), Tamicha Jackson (Louisiana Tech), Maylana Martin (UCLA), Kelly Miller (Georgia), Lynn Pride (Kansas), Semeka Randall (Tennessee) and Nikki Teasley (North Carolina).

NON-CONFERENCE LOSSES A RARITY – Notre Dame’s loss to Purdue marked just the second loss the Irish had suffered to a non-conference opponent during the regular season in two seasons. The Irish were a perfect 8-0 against non-conference foes during the 1998-99 regular season. When Notre Dame lost to Illinois on November 27, it marked the first regular season loss to a non-conference opponent in 12 games. Heading into its matchup with the Illini, Notre Dame’s last non-conference regular-season loss was to Wisconsin (89-77) on December 8, 1997.

NOTRE DAME TO TAKE ON 10 NCAA TOURNAMENT FOES THIS SEASON – The 1999-2000 Notre Dame women’s basketball slate features 10 teams which last season participated in the 64-team 1999 NCAA tournament field. Notre Dame has already played Toledo, Illinois, North Carolina, Liberty, Purdue and Florida International with four other tourney teams on the slate: Boston College (Feb. 5), Connecticut (Feb. 26), Marquette (Jan. 2), Rutgers (Feb. 19).

RATAY NETS 18 IN DEBUT – Freshman guard Alicia Ratay, a first-team Parade High School All-American, scored 18 points in her collegiate debut. It was the most by an Irish rookie in her first college game since Michelle Marciniak scored 16 points in an 86-70 loss to Penn State on November 22, 1991. Ratay’s five field goals were all from three-point range as she hit five-of-eight field goals from beyond the arc.

RILEY HELPS USA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL CAPTURE SILVER MEDAL – Ruth Riley was one of 12 players selected to the 1999 World University Games Team. She and 1999 graduate Sheila McMillen (now an assistant coach at Western Michigan) were among the 44 players invited to Colorado Springs, Colo., for the five-day tryout. The team, coached by Penn State’s Rene Portland, took home the silver medal after posting a 4-2 mark in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, site of the basketball competition. Riley appeared in all nine games with the USA and started five of those contests and was the team’s third-leading scorer and second-leading rebounder as she averaged 9.3 points and 5.2 rebounds, with a .630 field-goal percentage. At a tournament in Madrid Spain prior to the start of the World University Games, the USA Women’s Basketball squad posted a 3-0 mark and captured first-place. During those three games, she averaged 7.3 points and 5.3 rebounds. This was Riley’s second stint with the USA Women’s basketball program. In the summer of 1998, she was a member of the USA Women’s Basketball Select Team.

SIEMON TOURS WITH BIG EAST TEAM – Junior Kelley Siemon averaged 6.6 points and 4.6 rebounds in helping the BIG EAST/Nike Women’s Basketball All-Stars to a 4-1 record in a ’99 summer tour of Belgium and Germany. Siemon scored 14 points in the win over Aalst (Division) and had seven points and eight rebounds in a win over the Belgian Junior National Team. The team was coached by Boston College’s Cathy Inglese.

IRISH SIGN TWO – Notre Dame signed two players listed among the top 40 prep players in the country during the early signing period. Jeneka Joyce, a 5-9 shooting guard from Topeka, Kan., and Le’Tania Severe, a 5-9 point guard from Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., were rated 26th and 40th, respectively, by Blue Star Basketball.

QUICK PLAYER BIOS:

• Amanda Barksdale has seen action in all 16 contests … she scored her first career points against Michigan State when she made two of her three field goal attempts for four points … had two points and a career-high three rebounds against Valparaiso … has 11 blocked shots on the season.
• Imani Dunbar earned starts against Butler, North Carolina, Liberty, Purdue and Marquette and has played in all 16 games … earned first career start versus the Bulldogs … played a career-high 23 minutes against USC and registered personal bests of eight assists, five rebounds and three steals … third on the team in assists with 39.
• Danielle Green has started the last four games and has been in double figure scoring in seven of the last nine games and in eight games overall … had a stretch in which she scored in double figures in six consecutive games … has started five of the 13 games she has played … had 14 in recent outing against Syracuse … scored a season-high 16 points and grabbed seven rebounds coming off the bench in the season opener at Toledo … netted 15 points and grabbed five rebounds versus Marquette … grabbed a season-high eight rebounds against Valparaiso … missed three games (Butler, North Carolina and Liberty) due to a disciplinary suspension … averaging 10.5 points and 2.8 rebounds.
• Ericka Haney has started eight games this season and has played in all 16 contests … first career start came against Toledo in the season opener … scored in double figures in five of Notre Dame’s first seven games, but has failed to reach double figures in last eight contests … recorded first career double-double with personal bests of 18 points and 14 rebounds against North Carolina … tallied a season-high 11 points against Butler and also added five rebounds and three assists in the game … grabbed six rebounds in the Valparaiso game … scored 10 points in her first collegiate start in the season opener at Toledo … averaging 7.6 points and 4.4 rebounds.
• Julie Henderson has been in the Irish starting lineup in 12 of Notre Dame’s last 14 games … has started all but four games this season after coming off the bench in the first two contests of the season … has had season-highs of six points in five games this season versus North Carolina, Liberty, Michigan State, USC and Seton Hall … grabbed a season-high eight rebounds against Purdue, one shy of her career best… had four rebounds against the Tar Heels, five versus Florida International and six versus the Spartans and Women of Troy … grabbed five rebounds versus Valparaiso … averaging 4.2 points and 3.9 rebounds.
• Monique Hernandez played in the first seven games of the season and has seen action in 15 contests … scored a career-high six points against West Virginia and Seton Hall … had five points, four rebounds and two assists against Valparaiso … played a season-high 15 minutes in both the Butler and North Carolina contests … scored four points and grabbed four rebounds against Butler … also netted four points in win over Marquette.
• Niele Ivey started the first 13 games of the season, but was not in the starting lineup against Marquette … scored a season-high 22 points against Syracuse … 18 of those 22 points came from three-pointers as she made a career-high six in the contest … is averaging 11.4 points, 3.4 rebounds and 7.1 assists … has registered four double-doubles, most recent was against Seton Hall as she scored 14 points and dished off 10 assists … has eight career double-doubles and has dished off 10 or more assists in eight games … registered a season-high 19 points and dished off 12 assists in win over Marquette for her seventh career double-double …?had first double-double of the season against North Carolina as she scored a then season-high 17 points and dished off a career-best 13 assists versus North Carolina in the Wachovia Women’s Invitational Tournament … the 13 assists in the game also marked a tournament record … has scored in double figures in five games this season … had 14 points and 11 assists in win over Michigan State … had solid all-around game against Valparaiso as she scored 13 points, dished off eight assists and made seven steals, tying her career-high, while playing 29 minutes and committing just one turnover … dished off nine assists and had two turnovers in 31 minutes versus Georgetown.
• Meaghan Leahy has come off the bench for the Irish in all 16 games …?averaging 3.2 points and 2.9 rebounds … tied her personal best of nine points against Georgetown … had career-highs of nine points and nine rebounds while playing 24 minutes (also a career-high) against Butler … scored seven points and grabbed seven rebounds in 18 minutes of action against Illinois … grabbed five rebounds against Michigan State and dished off a career-high four assists.
• Alicia Ratay leads the team in scoring (15.3 ppg.) and is second in rebounding (5.1 rpg.) … named game MVP at the Orange Bowl Women’s Basketball Four Four against Florida International … scored 27 points, grabbed five rebounds and made five steals (personal best) in the contest while playing a season-high 39 minutes against the Panthers … turned in only the second 30-point performance by an Irish rookie when she scored 32 points against North Carolina … has scored in double figures in 11 games and has been the team’s leading scorer in eight of those contests … in her collegiate debut, scored a game-high 18 points and grabbed seven rebounds in 33 minutes of action … it was the most points by an Irish rookie in a season opener since 1991 … has earned BIG EAST Rookie of the Week honors three times this season … selected to the all-tournament team at the Wachovia Women’s Invitational Tournament … has had a career-high seven rebounds in three games (Toledo, Butler and Marquette) … had the third 20-plus point performance of her career when she scored 23 points against Georgetown.
• Ruth Riley has been in double figures scoring in 14 of 16 games and has posted double-doubles in three of the last four games … her most recent double-double was against Pittsburgh as she scored 12 points and grabbed a season-high 14 rebounds … posted back-to-back double-doules against Georgetown (18 points, 13 rebounds) and Seton Hall (17 points, 13 rebounds) …has 24 career double-doubles … had the third 30-plus outing of her career when she scored 32 points against Liberty in the championship game of the Wachovia Women’s Basketball Invitational … second on the team in scoring as she is averaging 15.1 ppg. … tops the rebounding list with 122 (7.6 per game) … scored her 1,000th career point against Florida International and finished with 20 for the game on nine-for-11 shooting from the field … blocked a season-high seven shots versus Butler and Seton Hall … was the only player in double figures against Illinois with 16 points in 18 minutes of action … one of just two players who has started all 16 games.
• Kelley Siemon had her best outing of the season against Pittsburgh as she scored a season-high 14 points against Pittsburgh … has been in the starting lineup in three of the 16 games she has played … her only other double figure outing of the season was against North Carolina as she scored 12 points … had a season-high seven rebounds against Toledo … scored eight points and grabbed six rebounds versus West Virginia … scored nine points and grabbed five rebounds in earning start against Georgetown… grabbed five rebounds against Seton Hall and six in win over Syracuse … averaging 6.1 points and 4.1 rebounds.
• Karen Swanson is a walk-on freshman who has played in 13 games … tallied her first career basket against USC … registered her first career three-pointer against Vaparaiso.