Irish Briefs: Utah Jazz sign former Notre Dame forward Jack Cooley
Jack Cooley fielded a pretty important phone call Monday afternoon.
The former Notre Dame power forward was summoned to sign a 10-day NBA contract with the Utah Jazz. An undrafted free agent coming out of college who played professionally in Turkey last season, Cooley was playing this season with the Idaho Stampede, Utah’s affiliate in the NBA Development League.
Cooley missed time earlier this year with a right thumb injury, but was averaging 15.5 points and 10.6 rebounds in 29.1 minutes for Idaho. He was shooting 55.2 percent from the field, 17.6 percent from 3 and 68.8 percent from the free throw line in 16 games with 14 starts.
Cooley’s work over the last week likely boosted his chance of earning a look with the Jazz. In Wednesday’s game against the Austin (Texas) Toros, Cooley scored 25 points with 20 rebounds in 33 minutes. On Saturday against the Bakersfield (Calif.) Jam, Cooley had 23 points and 15 rebounds in 38 minutes.
A former first team Big East selection as a senior and the league’s most improved player as a junior, Cooley was among the final players released by the Jazz in preseason. He is the only former Irish currently playing in the NBA.
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Loyd best in ACC
Notre Dame junior guard Jewell Loyd became just the second player in the program’s 38-year history to earn four conference player-of-the-week awards in one season, collecting her fourth ACC Player of the Week citation on Monday. Loyd joins Jacqueline Batteast as Notre Dame’s only four-time recipients, with Batteast earning the last of her four Big East honors on Feb. 14, 2005.
Last week, Loyd averaged 26.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists, shooting .455 from the 3-point line and .895 from the free-throw line in a pair of Notre Dame wins.
Loyd leads the ACC and ranks 17th in the nation in scoring (21.1 points per game). She also ranks fourth in the conference in free-throw percentage (.842), 10th in assist/turnover ratio (1.39) and 10th in assists (3.3 assists).
HOCKEY
Petersen honored
Notre Dame freshman goaltender Cal Petersen has been named Hockey East’s Warrior Hockey Player of the Week.
Petersen stopped 78 of 82 shots at No. 2/3 Boston University, helping Notre Dame become the only team this year to take points from the Terriers twice. Petersen stopped a career-high 44 shots in a 3-2 win on Saturday night and blocked 34 shots in Friday’s 2-2 tie.
Petersen has stopped 191 of the 199 shots he has faced in February, a .960 save percentage that is second in the nation since Feb. 6.
The Irish host No. 9 Boston College at the Compton Family Ice at 7:35 p.m. on Friday night and 6:05 p.m. on Saturday night.
BASEBALL
ND’s Biggio top player
Notre Dame sophomore second baseman Cavan Biggio became the first Irish player to be named Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Week.
In Notre Dame’s four-game sweep this past weekend at the Irish Alamo Invitational, Biggio hit .533, drove in six and coaxed five walks.
Biggio, who is first or tied for first in the ACC in average (.516), hits (16), triples (2), doubles (6) and runs (11) and second or tied for second in total bases (26), on-base percentage (.625) and slugging percentage (.839), has been a big catalyst in Notre Dame’s 7-1 start.
GOLF
Irish 3rd in tourney
Notre Dame’s women’s golf team finished tied for third in the Westbrook Spring Invitational at the Westbrook Village Golf Club in Peoria, Ariz.
Tennessee won with an 851 total. Notre Dame’s total was 868.
Notre Dame’s Ashley Armstrong finished tied for 10th in the 84-player field and matched her career high in the process, firing a 1-under par 215 (71-72-72). Jordan Ferreira was 12th at even-par 216 (74-72-70) and Talia Campbell tied for 16th at 1-over 217 (73-73-71).
