NOTRE DAME (33-2) vs. PURDUE (31-6)

STARTING LINEUPS

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NOTRE DAME PURDUE

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No. Player Ht Cl Pos No. Player X Ht Cl 3 Ericka Haney 6-1 Jr Forward 50 Shereka Wright 5-10 Fr 50 Kelley Siemon 6-2 Sr Forward 44 Shalicia Hurns 6-3 Fr 00 Ruth Riley 6-5 Sr Center 42 Camille Cooper 6-4 Sr 22 Alicia Ratay 5-11 So Guard 32 Katie Douglas 6-1 Sr 33 Niele Ivey 5-8 Sr Guard 3 Kelly Komara 5-7 Jr

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KEY RESERVES

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No. Player P Ht Cl No. Player P Ht Cl 5 Jeneka Joyce G 5-9 Fr 11 Shinika Parks G 5-9 Sr 23 Monique Hernandez G 5-9 So 33 Erika Valek G 5-6 Fr 31 Amanda Barksdale F 6-3 So 31 Candi Crawford F 6-1 Sr 44 Meaghan Leahy F 6-4 Sr 55 Mary Jo Noon C 6-5 So

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COACHES

Notre Dame Muffet McGraw

Purdue Kristy Curry

KEYS TO THE GAME

* STYLE OF PLAY: Purdue will have 6-foot-1 Katie Douglas to help out inside when it needs a rebound edge, but will also send her outside to help Kelly Komara at the point. Opponents are often tempted to trap Douglas when she brings the ball up. Purdue prefers to set up in the half-court, operating off Douglas’ perimeter passing and shooting. As for Notre Dame, few teams in the country have its inside-out balance. Ruth Riley, at 6-5, is a first-rate low-post player and thought to be a top-three pick in this month’s WNBA draft. She has a soft shot, is a good passer in traffic, rebounds with the best and despite her disarming smile, challenges everyone physically. The outside threat is Alicia Ratay, who led the NCAA in the regular season with 53.8% shooting from three-point range. Ratay made five of eight three-point shots when Notre Dame defeated Purdue, 72-61, on Dec. 9.

* MATCHUP TO WATCH: Senior centers Riley and Purdue’s Camille Cooper. “Ruth and I have played each other in high school, we were recruited by the same schools and this is our last college meeting and I look forward to the challenge,” Cooper said. Cooper had eight rebounds and 11 points before fouling out against Notre Dame in December. Riley had seven rebounds and 15 points. Riley is probably the most improved of the two--having learned to avoid foul trouble yet remain a defensive force.

* INTANGIBLES: Notre Dame point guard Niele Ivey’s left ankle. Ivey went to the floor in pain after injuring the ankle with 5:47 left in Friday’s 90-75 victory over Connecticut, but returned two minutes later. She didn’t practice Saturday but is expected to start tonight. As for Purdue, this will be the second championship game appearance for Douglas and Cooper, who helped the Boilermakers win the national title in 1999.

* MAGIC NUMBER: If Purdue is in the position of having to foul, Kelley Siemon will be the player. She has made only 44.3% of her free throws.

* FINAL ANALYSIS: With Riley inside and Ratay outside, Notre Dame will pull Purdue in both directions. Also, Ivey--with much to prove playing in her hometown of St. Louis--could pick up her performance. If Riley bests Cooper inside and Ratay makes four or five three-point shots, Notre Dame should win by double figures.

TEAM COMPARISON

ALL GAMES

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ND PUR. Points Per Game 77.4 76.4 Opp. Points Per Game 55.5 62.2 Margin 21.9 14.2 Field-Goal Pct. .497 .475 Opp. Field-Goal Pct. .335 .401 3-Point Shooting Pct. .474 .365 Opp. 3-Point Shooting Pct. .247 .318 3-Point Baskets Per Game 4.9 3.9 Opp. 3-Point Baskets Per Game 4.3 4,1 Free-Throw Pct. .678 .675 Rebound Margin 6.6 3.6 Turnover Differential 1.1 4.2 Steals Per Game 8.4 10.6 Blocked Shots Per Game 6.2 4,8

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