University of Notre Dame - Dome Yearbook (Notre Dame, IN)

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Making the Shots Surviving a Bumpy Ride Dougherty was not alone in the backcourt, as point guards Denise Basford and Vonnie Thompson split their playing time effectively. Basford placed second on the team in assists, including a record-breaking performance at Detroit where she dished out 13. The freshman Thompson led the Irish in assists, earning a starting berth early in the year. Forward Trena Keys completed the starting line-up. Averaging over nine points a game, Keys played a crucial role in Notre Dame ' s victory over arch-rival DePaul, scoring 21 points and hauling down five rebounds. Key reserves for the Irish were forwards Ruth Kaiser, who averaged six points a game and freshman Lavetta Willis, who came on strong at the end of the season to finish third on the team in rebounding. Depth at the guard slot was offered by Lynn Ebben, whose seven points a game gave Mary Di a valuable weapon off the bench. Overall, Notre Dame ' s first season in the North Star Conference was disappointing, but not disastrous. The Irished finished 6-4, tying for second place in the league. Hope springs eternal for DiStanislao that next season will be a smoother ride than this year. -Chuck Freeby FAST BREAK. Irish guard Denise Basford goes up for two in a big game against the UCLA Bruins. A LITTLE HELP? Sophomore Lynn Ebben desperately looks for a friendly face to inbound the ball. 160 Women ' s Basketball

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GRUBBY PAWS. Junior center Carrie Bates goes up for a shot and meets with a defender ' s paws. Making the Shots A Bumpy Ride You couldn ' t blame women ' s basketball coach Mary DiStanislao if she didn ' t want to visit any amusement parks this summer. The roller coaster ride her Fighting Irish cagers gave her this year should be enough to last her for awhile, as Notre Dame hit peaks and valleys all season long en route to a 14-14 record. The Irish never seemed to be able to get any consistency as a team, as their longest winning streak of the season was a mere three games. A quick look at the results gives two reasons for the team ' s inability to put together some momentum. First, Notre Dame played five top-twenty Division I teams during the season and also defeated the top-ranked Division II team in the country. Secondly, the Irish were snakebitten in close games, losing eight contests by five points or less. Despite the inconsistency of the team, there were some outstanding individual performances. Junior Carrie Bates paced the Irish in scoring with a 12.0 points per game average. The 6-1 forward garnered honors as North Star Conference player of the week WOMEN ' S BASKETBALL, (front row) Dava Newman, Mary Borkowski, Laura Dougherty, Lavetta Willis, Mary Beth Schueth, Teresa Mullins, Jenny Klauke, Denise Basford, Lisa Brown, Vonnie Thompson; (baclc row) Coach Jill Jeffrey, Head Coach Mary DiStanislao, Coach Mary Murphy, Lynn Ebben, Mickey Skieresz, Carrie Bates, Trena Keys, Ruth Kaiser. Maria Fiore, Janice Monagle, Diane Patnande. after she pumped in 18 points and 18 rebounds in a 70-61 upset of UCLA. Right behind Bates in the scoring column was center Mary Beth Schueth. Schueth collected 11.0 points an outing, while pacing the Irish in rebounding with seven per game. Schueth also led the assault on the Notre Dame record books, establishing new career marks for consecutive games started, free throws made and free throws attempted. However, the front court players were not the only ones doing the work, as the backcourt carried their share of the burden. Junior guard Laura Dougherty averaged nearly 10 points a game, while gaining national attention during the season as one of the country ' s top free throw shooters. Dougherty also put her name in the record books, as she established a new career mark for assists. - Chuck Freeby KEY OFFENSE. Sophomore Trena Keys puts the move on her Lady Vol defender during the Thanksgiving Classic. Women ' s Basketball 159

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DEEP DISH. Junior guard Laura Dougherty dishes off around her stubborn Tennessee defender. ALL THE WAY. Sophomore Trena Keys goes up for a jumper for the Irish, despite the Terapin challenger. IRISH GUARD. Freshman Vonnie Thompson drives up the middle for the Irish against the Tennessee Volunteers. Women ' s Basketball 161