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At 6-foot-5, Ruth Riley can dominate a game in the paint on both ends of the floor. Keeping her in the game so she can dominate them is another story.
While blessed with size and skill, Riley is sometimes cursed with a tendency to foul. Riley's ability to cut down on cheap fouls may be the biggest key to the Notre Dame's season.
Case in point. The Fighting Irish went 27-5 a year ago with Riley fouling out in four of the five losses. Perhaps the most notable and stinging defeat was the 69-65 loss to Texas Tech in the NCAA Midwest Regional semifinals -- one of the games Riley fouled out of in the final minutes.
When she is on the floor, Riley makes here presence felt. She averaged 16.2 points and 7.3 rebounds last season and tied for fourth nationally in blocked shots per game. She is Notre Dame's career leader in field-goal percentage (.634) and blocked shots (257).
The Irish hope Riley's numbers go up this season, along with her playing time.
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