March 23, 2003
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By CHUCK SCHOFFNER
AP Sports Writer
MANHATTAN, Kan. - Alicia Ratay scored nine of her 20 points in a 15-0
second-half run that sent 11th-seeded Notre Dame to a 59-47 victory over
Arizona on Sunday night in the first round of the East Regional.
Notre Dame (20-10) frustrated sixth-seeded Arizona and its 6-foot-5 freshman
center, Shawntinice Polk, with a collapsing zone defense and moved into a
second-round game Tuesday night against the Kansas State-Harvard winner.
Courtney LaVere added 15 points for the Irish, who survived a poor game by
season scoring leader Jacqueline Batteast. Batteast never got untracked and
scored only three points on 1-for-16 shooting.
Arizona (22-9) shot a season-low 23.3 percent (17-of-73) and that played
right into Notre Dame's hands. The Irish didn't have to extend their defense
and were able to keep two or three defenders around Polk, who had 14 points and
16 rebounds but was only 4-of-14 from the field.
Krista Warren led Arizona with 17 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, not enough
to keep coach Joan Bonvicini from losing in the first round for the first time
in 14 NCAA tournament appearances.
Notre Dame was struggling to score and trailed 37-34 with 12 minutes left
when Ratay, who had been scoreless in the Irish's last game, got her team
going.
Ratay hit a 3-pointer from the left side to tie it, then made a free throw
to put the Irish ahead and the lead grew from there. Ratay nailed a 3 from the
right side, Teresa Borton scored on a hook in the lane and Ratay sank two free
throws.
Two straight baskets inside by LaVere made it 49-37 with 4:48 left and
finished the run. Arizona went scoreless for 8½ minutes and never got closer
than nine the rest of the way.
Arizona had last played on March 10 and Notre Dame had been idle since March
9. The effects of the long layoffs showed as both teams shot poorly, were
careless with the ball and generally were ineffective on offense for long
stretches.
Much of the game was a series of wild misses from point-blank range and
airballs from the perimeter. Arizona's frustration came to a head late in the
game when Dee-Dee Wheeler, who was 3-for-20, had to hoist up a 40-footer that
fell well short to try to beat the shot clock.
Notre Dame scored the final six points of the first half to take a 23-21
lead, but Arizona went back ahead at 25-23 on rare baskets by Wheeler and Polk
early in the second half. There were four more lead changes before Ratay, who
had only four points at halftime, started her surge.
