Notre Dame looks for its 14th-straight victory
By KERRY SMITH
Assistant Sports Editor
Two years ago, the Providence Friars traveled to Notre Dame only to suffer a 49-point loss at the hands of the Irish.
Last season, the Irish traveled to Providence and repeated their stellar performance in their series with the Friars with a 38-point victory. Crushing their Big East rival at home, the Irish showed no mercy as they left Rhode Island with a 97-59 win.
This season, the Irish are travelling to Providence again with the same game plan.
Taking the court against the Friars tonight, the Irish are looking for their 14th straight win in an attempt to extend their longest winning streak in nine seasons.
Holding fast to an undefeated conference record, the 17-2 Irish share the top spot in the Big East with the Connecticut Huskies. The Irish will face the Huskies in their toughest test of the season at the end of February, but first they must take on Providence on unfamiliar turf.
Irish guards Niele Ivey and Danielle Green have combined to form a powerful back court duo and have led the Irish all season and will continue to run the offense against Providence. Ivey, at the point, leads the team in steals and assists and Green has stepped up in recent games to become a scoring machine.
Ivey powered the Irish squad in their largest victory of the season Saturday over Georgetown with 18 points and five steals.
Green turned in another top-notch performance against the Hoyas, netting 14 points on the night.
Green has increased her point production in the latter half of the season and has led the Irish in scoring in two of the team's last four outings.
Center Ruth Riley has dominated under the basket all season. Leading the Irish in points and rebounds, the 6-foot-5 junior has outmatched her opponents each time she has stepped on the court.
Even when Georgetown pitted its 6-foot-10 center Suzy Bendegue against Riley, the Hoya's freshman was no match for the All-American candidate, as Riley hustled her way to 12 points, despite sitting out most of the second half in order to give the bench experience on the floor.
Riley's next opponent will be Friar center Monika Roberts. Roberts is Providence's leading scorer, averaging 14.1 points per game, just below Riley's 14.3 average.
The Friars have had a season of ups and downs — each game a different-caliber team takes the court. Saddled with injuries that have left the squad at less than top-strength the entire year, the Friars have struggled to stay at the .500 mark. With a 9-9 overall record, the Friars are split 4-4 in the Big East and remain stuck in the conference's seventh spot.
Suffering in the midst of a four game slide, a win over the Irish would be a perfect way for the Friars to get their season back on track.
Beating No. 5 Notre Dame will be a formidable task for the unranked Providence squad. The Irish hold a 7-0 edge in regular season match-ups with the Friars.
All Sports Stories for Tuesday, February 1, 2000
