March 12, 2002

NOTRE DAME, Ind. -The University of Notre Dame announced Tuesday that its first-round game in the 2002 NCAA Women?s Basketball Championship will be televised live in the South Bend area on WHME-TV (Channel 46). The defending national champion Irish (19-9) are seeded seventh in the Midwest Region and will begin their quest for another title Friday at 6:06 p.m. (EST) against Mountain West Conference runner-up and 10th-seeded New Mexico (22-8) at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tenn.

Notre Dame is making its ninth NCAA Tournament appearance, and its seventh in as many seasons. The Irish have won their last six NCAA openers, and with a win over New Mexico, they would face either No. 2 seed Tennessee or No. 15 seed Georgia State Sunday at 7:06 p.m. (EST) in Knoxville. That second-round game will be televised live on ESPN2.