ND WOMENS BASKETBALL: Irish defeat Georgetown
By KATIE McVOY
Associate Sports Editor
Wednesday night, the Irish made it 5,207.
With a second half of play that rivaled Notre Dame's top-notch performance against Arizona State during the opening weeks of the season, the Irish guaranteed they would add one more day to the total number since Georgetown beat them in 1989, as the Irish defeated the Hoyas, 74-49.
At the half, the Irish were down three, were being outrebounded by the Hoyas and were only shooting 28.6 percent from the field. But, after Georgetown went on a small 7-3 run in the opening minutes of the second half, Notre Dame turned on the heat and burned out any Hoya hopes of victory.
"That might have been the best half of basketball we've played all year," Irish coach Muffet McGraw said. "I feel really good about the team's performance in the second half. We were down three, we were missing a lot of easy shots in the first half and we didn't put our heads down."
Sparked by a three-point play by Teresa Borton with 17:49 remaining, the Irish went on a 23-0 run in the next seven minutes that landed them with a 16-point lead and the confidence to win the game. That 23-point run showcased four of the five Irish players to hit double digits in scoring during the game, finally giving McGraw what she has been looking for all season — a team effort.
"We got a lot of contributions from a lot of people," McGraw said. "That's what we're going to need for us to be successful."
Successful as the team performance was, it was still highlighted by some career-setting individual performances.
Katy Flecky, who has been battling a back injury all season, finally found her groove and showed clear signs that she was really back for the season. The sophomore post player worked her way inside for 12 points and a career-high 12 rebounds, marking the second double-double in her career.
"The beginning couple of games were good for me and I think I haven't felt this way until this game," Flecky said. "I'm mentally back in it, I feel confident."
On the defensive end, Le'Tania Severe, who McGraw refers to as the glue of her team, was doing her best to make sure the Hoyas fell apart. Severe nabbed a career-high eight steals while dishing out four assists and hitting 12 points herself.
"The defense was outstanding," McGraw said. "I thought Le'Tania had just a fantastic defensive game."
Borton added some depth to that defensive effort, blocking a career-high five shots. The end result of Notre Dame's efforts to shut down the Hoyas was a 23.5 percent shooting percentage in the second half, resulting in only 24 points as compared to Notre Dame's 52.
Led by Jacquleine Batteast's game-high 20 points, those 52 second half points were the most the Irish scored in a single half since they recorded 61 points in the first half against Cleveland State on Nov. 26.
"Everyone started to crash the boards and was dedicated to defense and we got the ball back so quickly and were able to score, that's when it got fun," Batteast said. "… I'm glad everyone came out in the second half with that determination."
If the Irish took off in the second half, the Hoyas gave up. Georgetown, who had been controlling Notre Dame with its defense, could not stop the Irish from taking shots or complete any themselves. Their dismal 23.5 percent from the field allowed the Hoyas to finish the game with 15 more rebounds than the Irish, but with only six second-chance points to show for it.
"We missed enough shots, somebody's got to get them," Hoya coach Patrick Knapp said.
The Hoyas took an early 6-2 lead on three shots by Carmen Bruce, who led the Hoyas with 14 points. They traded leads with the Irish for the remainder of the first half, leading in the first two minutes of the second half. But the 23-0 Irish run shut out any more chances for a Hoya lead.
Notes:
--Alicia Ratay scored 13 points in the game, tying her for fourth place in all-time scoring at Notre Dame with 590.
--Prior to Wednesday night's contest, freshman Courtney LaVere tested negative for mononucleosis. LaVere still played six minutes.
--All 10 Notre Dame players saw playing time Wednesday night. It was the first time junior transfer Anne Weese saw playing time for the Irish.
Contact Katie McVoy at mcvo5695@saintmarys.edu
All Sports Stories for Thursday, February 6, 2003
