Borton is perfect from the floor and the line as Irish win
By JOE HETTLER
Associate Sports Editor
Teresa Borton made her first shot 10 seconds into the game, her last one with less than a minute remaining and didn't miss any in between.
The sophomore center scored a game-high 20 points, shooting 8-8 from the field and 4-4 from the free throw line to lead Notre Dame's to a 87-50 exhibition win over the Houston Jaguars Monday night.
"I was happy with my play," said Borton, who also added nine rebounds. "It upped my confidence. I've had a year underneath my belt and that's helped, but I'm still a little weary because I know there are so many great players."
Coach Muffet McGraw was also satisfied with Notre Dame's performance.
"I was pleased with our defensive effort and I thought we did a good job on the boards," McGraw said. "I think it was a good test for us to see where we are right now. We have some things to work on, but I think there were a lot of positives."
The Irish held the Jaguars to a dismal 1-of-22 in three-point shooting and only allowed them to make 24.2 percent of their shots all game. No Houston player scored in double figures.
Freshman Courtney LaVere had an impressive debut, scoring 12 points while senior La'Tania Severe had 15 for the Irish.
"I thought both [Borton] and [LaVere] played very well. They played well together. They played a great game," McGraw said.
Notre Dame's top two scorers from last season, Alicia Ratay and Jacqueline Batteast, both struggled to score. Ratay went 0-7 from the field, missed all four of her three-point attempts and hit only one of four free throws to finish with one point. Batteast was 3-16 shooting and had 11 points. However, she led the team with 15 rebounds and added seven assists, four steals and three blocks.
McGraw wasn't concerned with her stars play, especially Ratay's.
"I'm encouraged by [her poor shooting] because we scored 87 points without her and we wouldn't have been able to do that last year," McGraw said. "I think that's a great sign for the rest of the team. That we do have someone ready to pick up the slack on any given night."
Notre Dame's other freshman Megan Duffy did a solid job of running the offense and scored six points and added seven rebounds.
"She's got a great presence on the court," McGraw said. "She's vocal and for a freshman you don't always expect that. I think she played with a lot of intensity. I think she motivated her teammates and got to the right spots [on the court]. I was really pleased with her effort."
Sophomore Kelsey Wicks started the game but did not play the second half due to a minor knee injury. McGraw said the injury is not serious and Wicks isn't expected to miss any practice or games. The Irish don't play again until Nov. 19 when they face the Ohio Girls Basketball Magazine All-Stars in the second and final exhibition.
All Sports Stories for Tuesday, November 5, 2002
