Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/79477
J BY LOU SOMOGYI national runner-up last year, but it is 6-2 fifth-year senior Devereaux Peters who has become the program's Chair- woman Of The Board(s). In a remarkable three-game, nine- unior All-American guard Sky- lar Diggins has become the face of Notre Dame's No. 2 women's basketball team, which was the day stretch against ranked opponents Tennessee (Jan. 23), St. John's (Jan. 28) and Rutgers (Jan. 31), Peters stuffed the stat sheet — particularly with re- bounds — at a remarkable clip: • Against No. 9 Tennessee, she Fifth-year senior Devereaux Peters is a vital element to Notre Dame's championship drive Above Boards scored 16 points (8 of 13 from the floor), grabbed 16 rebounds, handed out six assists, blocked three shots and recorded two steals in a 72-44 romp. • At St. John's, she tallied 18 points (8 of 12 from the floor), pulled in 15 re- bounds, blocked five shots and added four steals in a 71-56 conquest. • Versus No. 13 and traditional power Rutgers, Peters paced the 71-41 Irish romp with a career-high 17 re- bounds to go with 10 points, four as- sists and two blocked shots. Notre Dame's media relations de- partment had to go all the way back to Notre Dame's AIWA Division III era to find the last time an Irish women's player grabbed at least 15 rebounds in three consecutive games. Jane Politiski did it in four straight from Feb. 16-24, 1979. For good measure, in a 74-55 win Chicago, Peters has been described by 25th-year Notre Dame head coach Muffet McGraw as potentially the best all-around basketball player she's ever coached with her ability to play in the low post or run with the guards. After Peters underwent two knee surgeries earlier in her college career, her full skill sets are coming to fruition for the powerful Irish team that had won 21 straight games through Feb. 7, eight against ranked foes, and lost only to No. 1 Baylor in November. Peters has averaged 12.3 points and a team-high 8.6 rebounds for the 24-1 Irish (11-0 in Big East) while playing only 22.1 minutes per game. Furthermore, in Notre Dame's regu- lar four-guard, perimeter-oriented at- tack, her presence underneath often makes her the catalyst that had the Irish leading the nation in scoring. 72 MARCH 2012 at Syracuse Feb. 7, Peters scored 21 points and grabbed 16 rebounds. A McDonald's All-American from Peters was averaging 12.3 points and a team-high 8.6 rebounds per game for the Irish, as of Feb. 7. PHOTO BY JOE RAYMOND guards scored a lot of points early in the year because of that," McGraw added. "She was content to be a re- bounder and score a little bit when she had the opportunity. We're giving her more opportunities to score and she's doing some great things … she's had a greater sense of urgency and a feeling of, 'I can contribute more.' " In the Feb. 5, 90-70 victory over yet fense without Dev with her blue-collar work, the outlet passes, the inside pres- ence," said Diggins, who has known Peters since competing with her in a Chicago tournament eight years ago. "She's just so unselfish and our "We can't do the things we do on of- I will probably vote for All-Big East," Bruno said. "And I think they are one of the four teams that have a chance to win the national championship." "Notre Dame has five players that NCAA title game last year when it was supposed to be "a year away," ESPN listed Peters as Notre Dame's X-factor on how far the Irish could go. Peters recorded three double-dou- Prior to Notre Dame's run to the AN 'X FACTOR' AGAIN? another ranked foe, DePaul, Peters had a less glittering 11 points, seven rebounds, three blocked shots, with two steals and two assists. However, she and the Irish made a huge impres- sion on longtime Blue Demons head coach Doug Bruno. bles in the NCAA Tournament, in- cluding 21 points and 11 rebounds in the championship game won by Texas A&M, but she said it was the Irish guard play that helped carry her when she often found herself in foul trouble. "Last year, I definitely did not live BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED up to that title at all," she said of ESPN's billing. "The guards took over