No. 5 Irish head into battle against No. 8 Knights
By KERRY SMITH
Assistant Sports Editor
Big East action heats up this weekend when the Irish travel to Rutgers to take on the Scarlet Knights Saturday.
The No. 8 Knights will be the toughest competition the Irish have faced so far this season.
But the Irish are up for the challenge.
The Irish proved Wednesday that they are more than ready for the last leg of the regular season with an 18-point win over the Villanova Wildcats.
"It was a great test to play a very challenging team," said point guard Niele Ivey. "We came out very aggressive and were ready to play. Everyone knew their role and played accordingly."
Villanova, which has proved to be a menace in the Big East this season with big upsets over ranked teams like Boston College and Rutgers, didn't have the strength to counter the powerful Notre Dame squad.
Like the Wildcats, the Knights play the slowdown game. Fronting a low-scoring and patient offense, the Knights have worked their way to a 17-5 record and the third spot in the conference rankings.
"We have to focus hard and prepare for Rutgers," said Ivey. "Rutgers is such a great team. We've been making everything more intense in practice. The team is focusing more and getting excited for the game."
The slowdown game can hurt the Irish, a team that likes to run the floor and capitalize on the fast break, so the Irish plan to set the pace of the game from the opening tip off Saturday.
Both the Irish and the Knights like to give the ball to the post.
Irish center Ruth Riley will find her match in the Knight's Tammy Sutton-Brown. The junior went 11-15 from the field, scoring a game-high 22 points in the Knight's last outing against Syracuse Tuesday.
With a stingy defense, the Knights have held 12 of their opponents to 51 points or less this season.
The Irish plan to spread their scoring power under the basket and behind the arc. Along with Riley, Kelley Siemon has stepped up this season to help the Irish in the paint. The junior forward averages over seven points and five rebounds a game.
In the Irish backcourt, the trio of Niele Ivey, Danielle Green and Alicia Ratay have dominated opponents all season with sharp shooting and tough defense.
All three average double-digit scoring for the Irish.
With their eyes on the Big East tournament and beyond, the Irish are set for a tough set of games beginning with Rutgers and ending with Connectitcut next weekend.
"There are a lot of competitive teams and we're excited for the challenge," said Ivey.
The Knights hold a 6-5 edge in their series with the Irish. The Irish have come away with a victory only once out of five contests with the Knights at Rutgers.
All Sports Stories for Friday, February 18, 2000
