Orono, Maine -Joanne P. McCallie's return to Maine was full of turnovers and pressure. Just the way she likes it.
Karima Christmas and Bridgette Mitchell each scored 16 points and No. 8 Duke cruised past Maine 75-34 on Monday night, giving coach McCallie a victory in her return to Alfond Arena.
Duke's full-court trap forced a season-high 34 turnovers and held Maine (2-7) to 30 percent shooting. The Blue Devils (9-2) pulled away with a 24-4 run in the first half.
"We're a pressure team, an up-tempo team," McCallie said. "We're going to use every aspect of our team to our advantage."
Before the game, McCallie received a standing ovation from the crowd of more than 3,700 and was lauded for her time with the Black Bears, an eight-year stretch highlighted by six straight NCAA tournament appearances (1995-00), four conference crowns and a 167-73 record.
Maine coach Cindy Blodgett won two NCAA scoring titles while playing for McCallie in Orono.
"I liked that our team came out ready, in attack mode," Blodgett said. "There were some things that we can certainly build on, and I liked the way we fought."
DURHAM, N.C. – It felt like old times again at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Duke had Lindsey Harding in the house, an Allison dominating the paint and a highly ranked team in deep trouble.
Jasmine Thomas scored 24 of her career-high 29 points during the second half and the 11th-ranked Blue Devils routed No. 3 Ohio State 83-67 on Thursday night in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge.
Duke (6-1) outscored the Buckeyes 24-8 during a 6-minute stretch of the second half, then led by 19 while pulling away late and turning its 18th straight home victory into an unexpected blowout.
"Everything about the second half was much more aggressive," coach Joanne P. McCallie said.
Jantel Lavender had 20 points and 18 rebounds for Ohio State (8-1), which beat its first eight opponents by an average of 27 points but was held to fewer than 83 points for the first time this season.
These kinds of punishing performances became commonplace at Cameron three years ago when Harding ran the show and led Duke to a 30-0 start and a No. 1 ranking.
This time, Harding watched from the stands while her protégé, Thomas, put on a show and Allison Vernerey — a 6-foot-5 freshman who wears the same No. 43 jersey that star center Alison Bales wore during Harding's era — teamed with 6-4 Krystal Thomas inside. Vernerey finished with a season-high 13 points in her first home game of national significance.
"That's the kind of game I came for," Vernerey said. "You don't come for easy games."
There isn't much about the remaining schedule that's easy for Duke, the only team to face the top three schools in The Associated Press Top 25. But the Blue Devils can't help but like their chances against No. 1 Connecticut and No. 2 Stanford if their junior point guard keeps playing like this.
"I just decided to attack the basket more," Jasmine Thomas said. "I really didn't get anything inside in the first half, so that was just a change in my mentality."
Thomas, who had a triple-double last time out against Marquette, started the decisive burst with a 3-pointer, scored 10 points during the run and went coast-to-coast for the layup that gave the Blue Devils their first double-figure lead, 59-49, with 11 minutes left.
"We should have made her take some tougher shots," Buckeyes coach Jim Foster said.
After Bridgette Mitchell's jumper capped the burst and made it 61-49 with 10½ minutes left, Ohio State didn't get closer than five the rest of the way.
Karima Christmas had 10 points and Krystal Thomas finished with 13 rebounds to help the Blue Devils win their fifth straight.
Tayler Hill scored 13 points, Brittany Johnson and Sarah Schulze had 11 apiece and Samantha Prahalis finished with 10 points for the Buckeyes. But the Buckeyes led twice for a total of about 3½ minutes, turned it over 21 times, were outscored 46-10 in the paint and got just two points from their bench.
"I just think they came at us, with just an attitude, like, 'We were going to win this game,'" Prahalis said. "For whatever reason, we didn't come back at them."
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Georgia Southern (1-0) at Duke (1-1)
Nov. 19, 2009 • Durham, N.C. • Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314)
Media Information
Tip-off: 7:00 p.m. (EST) TV: None Radio: Duke ISP Network - 620 The Buzz with Steve Barnes (PBP), Morgan Patrick (Color) Twitter: DukeWBBSID & CoachPDuke Facebook: Official Duke Women's Basketball Group Rankings: Duke (No. 11 - AP, No. 12 - ESPN/USA Today) Series: Tied 1-1 Head Coaches: Duke:Joanne P. McCallie (369-165, 18th Season) Georgia Southern: Rusty Cram (201-178, 14th Season)
Blue Devils to Host Georgia Southern on Thursday in Home Opener...
After opening the season with two road contests, the 11th-ranked Duke women's basketball team (1-1) will host Georgia Southern (1-0) at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 19, in the 2009-10 home opener at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The first 1,000 fans in attendance on Thursday will receive a free women's basketball schedule magnet.
Duke is ranked No. 11 in the Associated Press and No. 12 in the ESPN/USA Today Division I Coaches Polls.
The Blue Devils will remain at home against Charlotte on Monday, Nov. 23 at 7:00 p.m., before traveling to Cancun, Mexico for the Caribbean Challenge from Nov. 26-27.
Noting Duke...
The Blue Devils return two starters off a squad which posted a 27-6 overall record and received a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament a year ago ... Duke returns five student-athletes who started at least two games in 2008-09 ... Duke returns 58.5 percent of its scoring and 63.3 percent of its rebounding from a year ago ... junior Jasmine Thomas returns as Duke's top three-point shooter as she hit 28 treys ... as a team, Duke returns nine players and eight of the nine hit at least one three-pointer last season.
A Look At Georgia Southern...
Georgia Southern enters Thursday with a 1-0 record after defeating Brewton-Parker in the season opener on Nov. 13 by a score of 96-44. The Eagles are coached by Rusty Cram, who enters his 14th year with GSU. He owns an overall record of 201-178. Georgia Southern returns three starters and 10 letterwinners off last year's squad, which posted a 16-14 record.
Returning starters for the Eagles include, Jessica Geiger, Jamie Navarro and J'Lisia Ogburn.
The Series With Georgia Southern ...
Duke and Georgia Southern will meet for the third time in school history on Thursday. The series is tied, 1-1, with the last meeting coming on Dec. 21, 1984.
The meeting in 1984 was in the USF Holiday Classic in Tampa, Fla., with Duke winning 71-65. The other contest came on Jan. 9, 1982 in Statesboro, Ga., with the Eagles winning 64-58.
Storylines/Other Blue Devil Notes...
• Duke is averaging 18.5 steals a game through two contests so far. The Blue Devils are also playing big on the boards outrebounding opponents, 54-33 (+21).
• The 95 points allowed by Duke at Texas A&M on Nov. 15 was the most allowed by a Blue Devil team since the 104 points Connecticut scored on Nov. 13, 1998. The 56.9 field goal percentage by the Aggies on Sunday was the highest allowed by Duke since Florida State shot 57.4 percent on Feb. 4, 2004. The game broke Duke's 51-game ACC winning streak.
• In the season opener on Friday, Duke scored 104 points and won by 69 points at Houston Baptist University. The 104 points was the most scored under a team led by Joanne P. McCallie at Duke and the 69-point win was the largest margin of victory for a McCallie-led Blue Devil squad. The Blue Devils also hit 55.7 percent from the field, which is the second-best field goal percentage for a Coach P led Duke team. The high was 56.0 percent against Virginia on March 6, 2009 in the ACC Tournament.
• The Blue Devils registered 26 steals at Houston Baptist, which was two steals shy of matching the Duke school record. The record is 28, which came against UNC Greensboro on Nov. 18, 2007.
• Sophomore Shay Selby saw her first action of the exhibition season on Sunday, Nov. 8 against Alaska Anchorage. She played eight minutes in the game. Selby is recovering from offseason knee surgery as well as mono in the preseason. She came off the bench to net seven points, two rebounds, two assists and one steal in 10 minutes at Houston Baptist on Friday night.
• Senior Keturah Jackson was cleared for action as the Blue Devils opened the season on Nov. 13. Jackson came off the bench and played 17 minutes at Houston Baptist and was impressive. She scored eight points, had four steals, two rebounds and two steals, while hitting 3-of-4 shots from the field. She had shoulder surgery over the summer and has been going through rehab. Jackson was able to practice the last couple of weeks with light contact.
• The Coach P Radio Show will next take place on Tuesday, Dec. 1 at 6:00 p.m. The show will be stationed at Satisfaction Restaurant in Durham at Brightleaf Square. Make sure you get there early to secure a seat.
• Follow DukeWBBSID on and CoachPDuke on Twitter to get the latest updates on Duke women's basketball. Also, join the "Official Duke Women's Basketball Group" on Facebook to get the latest video, pictures and more. Join both now as they are free! You can win free prizes each week on both Twitter and Facebook so make sure you follow closely.
Home Openers...
Duke has won 18 straight home openers, after falling its first two in 1975-76 and 1977-78.
Thomas Fires Away At A&M...
Junior Jasmine Thomas registered a career-high 26 points at 16th-ranked Texas A&M on Sunday. The Fairfax, Va., product hit a career-high four three-pointers, attempted a career-high and school record 14 three-pointers and attempted a career-high 28 shots.
In the contest, Thomas also pulled down nine rebounds, three assists and three steals in 38 minutes.
Through two games on the year, Thomas is averaging 16.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 4.0 steals. Of the five three-pointers Duke has hit on the season, Thomas has made four of those.
Duke Versus the Southern Conference...
Duke has played against eight teams in the Southern Conference, winning 35 out of 50 games. The last meeting with a Southern Conference team resulted in an 84-39 win for the Blue Devils as they faced UNC Greensboro in Cameron Indoor Stadium on Nov. 18, 2007. Duke owns a 25-game win streak against Southern Conference teams with the last loss coming in 1982, Georgia Southern, 58-64.
Thomas Impressive in First Collegiate Start...
Junior Krystal Thomas made her first collegiate start at center for the Blue Devils on Nov. 13 at Houston Baptist University. A product of Orlando, Fla., Thomas had played in 63 career contests without a start before Friday.
In the game, the 6-5 Thomas registered her fourth career double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds to go along with three blocked shots in 20 minutes. She hit 7-of-10 field goals on the night.
Thomas is hitting a team-best 76.9 percent of her field goals in two games (10-of-13). She leads Duke with six blocked shots and an average of 8.5 rebounds.
Blue Devils Open on the Road...
For the second time in three years under the direction of Head Coach Joanne P. McCallie, the Blue Devils opened the season on the road. During her first year in 2007-08, McCallie and the Blue Devils opened the season with a 57-37 victory at Denver.
Duke also opened with two consecutive road contests for the first time since the 2005-06 campaign when the Blue Devils played at Penn State and at Old Dominion. The Blue Devils came away with a 93-67 win at PSU and a 93-56 victory at ODU.
Thomas Selected Naismith Candidate...
Duke junior Jasmine Thomas has been named one of 50 preseason candidates for the Naismith National Player of the Year trophy.
The watch list was compiled by the Atlanta Tipoff Club's Board of Selectors, which based its criteria on player performances from the previous year and expectations for the 2009-10 college basketball season. The Naismith Trophy presented by AT&T will be awarded at the 2010 NCAA Women's Final Four in San Antonio, Texas.
DURHAM, N.C. - Duke University women's basketball Head Coach Joanne P. McCallie along with recruiting coordinators Samantha Williams and Trisha Stafford-Odom have announced the signing of Haley Peters of Red Bank, N.J., Chelsea Gray of Manteca, Calif., Tricia Liston of River Forest, Ill., Richa Jackson of Midwest City, Okla., and Chloe Wells of Colton, Calif., to a national letter of intent on Wednesday to attend Duke in the fall of 2010 and play basketball.
"Each and everyone one of the players are so phenomenal as people, and each story of them joining the Duke family has been incredible along the way," said McCallie. "So it's hard to wrap my arms around it in terms of how much fun it's been -- in terms of the effort that's put in. Our staff here has been absolutely terrific, certainly Samantha [Williams] and Trisha [Stafford-Odom], spear-heading the entire effort. I can't just single them out because everybody on staff, whether it was Al [Brown], Bobby [Sorrell], Kevin [Lehman], Sarah [Smoak] or Kate [Senger].
The five-member group is ranked No. 1 nationally by ESPN HoopGurlz in the class rankings and is the best recruiting class in Duke's school history with four student-athletes in the top 33 of the ESPN HoopGurlz rankings, including No. 4 Gray and No. 6 Jackson.
"It really is one of those incredible team deals -- everybody coming together, everybody playing their role to recruit these great women," said McCallie. "And then these great women coming on board, being decisive with their decisions, being clear about their time tables, being clear about their passion for Duke, sometimes taking multiple visits at their own expense. It's truly been one of the most amazing and unique experiences I've gone through in recruiting and I think that this class has an opportunity to have an incredible career together."
Here is a closer look at each future Duke student-athlete. The signees are listed in order of when they committed--
Haley Peters
6-3 * Guard/Forward * Red Bank, N.J. (The Peddie School)
Prep:
New Jersey Prep and Mid-Atlantic Prep League Player of the Year in 2009 ... three-time NJ Prep Division First Team All-State ... two-time Mid-Atlantic Prep League First Team All-League ... has totaled 1,028 career points ... averaged 17.8 points, 11. 6 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.1 blocks as a junior ... totaled a career-high 34 points on 17-of-20 field goals against Lawrenceville in just over half a game ... led her squad to a 24-2 record and No. 43 ranking by ESPN Rise ... two-time Sporting News Honorable Mention All-America ... attended the Nike Skills Academy in 2009 ... a 2009 Boo Williams Invitational All-Tournament team selection ... Girls MVP of the 26th Eastern States Invitational ... 2008 Myrtle Beach Holiday Invitational All-Tournament team ... as a sophomore, averaged 12.1 points, 10.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.8 steals ... led Peddie to a 22-4 record ... First Team All-League for the N.J. Mid-Atlantic Prep League ... for her freshman year, averaged 10.0 points, 11. 8 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.5 steals ... team posted a 17-10 overall record ... named New Jersey Prep Rookie of the Year in 2006-07 ... Newcomer of the Year for the N.J. Mid-Atlantic Prep League ... played for the Philadelphia Belles AAU Nike Sponsored team from 2007-09 ... her brother, Casey, is a junior on the Duke men's basketball team.
McCallie on Peters:
"Haley to me is so intelligent, so hard working and yet so prideful in the sense that she wasn't going to just choose Duke because she had a family member here. For Haley, it was about finding her fit and we are so grateful that she found her fit here at Duke. On the court, versatility and toughness are the two things that really frame her. Haley is a fierce competitor -- I've seen her hit tough shots, situation shots. The tougher the situation, the better Haley is going to perform. She'll play the three and the four. Who knows, by the time she's done with Duke she might play some point. I'm very serious about that; she really is a 1 through 4. Her work ethic and competitive nature separates her. She's incredibly committed to Duke, to the whole academic side and the whole athletic side."
Chelsea Gray
5-11 * Guard * Manteca, Calif. (St. Mary's High School)
Prep:
Two-time Parade Third Team All-America ... her St. Mary's squad is preseason ranked No. 1 in the nation by HoopGurlz ... the 2009 Stockton Hall of Fame, California Junior, Comcast Sports and Stockton Player of the Year ... has taken 24 charges in three years, while totaling 1,619 career points ... her St. Mary's squad was the California State Champions and won the Division II CIF Tournament in 2009 ... named Stockton Record Player of the Week seven times ... as a junior, averaged 19.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 4.4 steals ... hit 53.3 percent of her field goals ... 2008 California State Player of the Year ... participated in the Nike Skills Academy in 2008 and 2009 ... played for the Nike AAU Team California Storm and Team Taurasi ... selected the 2008 Farmers Insurance Student-Athlete of the Year by Comcast Television ... Cal Hi Sport First Team selection ... her sophomore year, averaged 17.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 4.9 steals ... 2008 Stockton Player of the Year ... earned Arizona Grand Resort All-Tournament Team honors ... Cal Hi Sport Athlete of the Month selection ... as a freshman, averaged 11.9 points, 2.8 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 3.8 steals ... MVP of the West Coast Jamboree in 2007.
McCallie on Gray:
"Chelsea's strength is incredible -- she is a powerful guard who can play off the bounce on any occasion, can shoot the pull-up jumper, can drop the three and can defend with great savvy. To me she's a point essential point guard, but she can play 1, 2, or 3. The reason why I say she's a point essential point is because having the ball in her hands is a good thing with her incredible passing ability. Her size and athleticism give her great freedom in terms of where to play on the floor. She's also a great rebounding guard with her size and strength. To me she's one of the best guards in the country; Chelsea has truly separated herself."
Tricia Liston
6-1 * Guard * River Forest, Ill. (Fenwick High School)
Prep:
Illinois Gatorade Player of the Year in 2009 ... two-time First Team All-State by the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun Times and Associated Press ... Pioneer Press Player of the Year and Suburban Life Player of the Year as a sophomore and junior ... two-time Eastern Suburban Catholic League Most Valuable Player ... All-Area Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun Times in 2007-08 and 2008-09 ... three-time ESCC All-Conference ... and as a junior, averaged 22.1 points, 2.0 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.3 steals ... hit 38.3 percent from three-point land ... notched 20 or more points in 23 contests, while posting 30 or more points in four contests ... played only 21.0 minutes a game ... totaled a season-high 36 points and eight rebounds against Hinsdale Central ... MVP of the Niles North Thanksgiving Tournament ... two-time All-Tournament selection at the Dundee Crown Christmas Tournament and the Niles North Thanksgiving Tournament ... averaged 21.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists as a sophomore ... her freshman year, averaged 10.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists.
McCallie on Liston:
"Tricia is one of the best shooters I've ever seen in the game of basketball. She has a purity to her shot, a savvy and an IQ in terms of when to take the shot. Tricia does not rush, she's a very patient player -- she plays off the catch a lot, but she can play off the bounce as well. She's more of a two guard, like a 2-3; I don't she her running to much point guard. Tricia is somebody who has great respect for Duke and wanted the opportunity to play at Duke, while wanting to impact our program right away. She was very patient through the process and was very decisive when we got to that point where we were able to offer her a scholarship. She accepted and was very decisive. She is a very fun person, and I'm just really excited to have her coming to Duke."
Richa Jackson
6-1 * Forward * Midwest City, Okla. (Midwest City H.S.)
Prep:
A 2009 Big All-City First Team, Oklahoma Super 5 All-State, First Team All-State Tournament and Jenks Tournament MVP selection ... her Midwest City squad is preseason ranked No. 16 nationally by HoopGurlz ... a two-time Mid-State MVP ... has scored 1,066 career points ... a 2008 Big All-City Player of the Year honoree, while being named Jenks Tournament MVP, First Team All-State Tournament and MVP of the Springfield Tournament ... as a junior, averaged 15.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 3.9 steals ... hit 56.6 percent of her field goals ... led her squad to a 26-1 overall record and was the runner-up at the State Championship ... selected to the Jenks All-Tournament team in 2007 and the Harrah Tournament MVP in 2006 and 2007 ... her sophomore year, averaged 17.4 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.6 steals ... had a field goal percentage of 57.6 ... her team finished with a 25-2 record and advanced to the final four of the State Championship ... as a freshman, averaged 15.3 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.9 steals in only 14 games played ... played for the KC Selects club team in the summer of 2008.
McCallie on Jackson:
"Richa is a power player, a fantastic athletic power player. She is like Joy [Cheek] because she can shoot the three ball with ease - piece of cake for her. She can play off the bounce with ease, she can pull stuff on the block with ease, she can run clear outs, can drop every run to the baseline and go one-on-one against her opponent. I think that's the best way to describe Richa. She can play away from the basket or she can play in the paint. She went through the entire process of recruiting and had lots of visits to take, lots of pressures placed on her by many, many people -- yet all Richa could talk about was her love of Duke and wanting a great education. She mentioned Alana Beard in the process -- somebody who she just admired so much. She handled her recruiting so beautifully considering the pressures put on her. It was amazing to watch her and when she announced Duke that was a very special time for us because she had been through an awful lot; it had been a very long process."
Prep:
The 2008-09 Tri-Eight Player of the Year ... led Apex to a 24-0 record in the regular season before falling in the second round of the playoffs ... as a junior at Apex H.S., averaged 19.1 points a game ... All-Conference First Team selection ... NCPreps.com All-State honoree ... attended A.B. Miller H.S. as a freshman and sophomore ... two-time CIF-SS 2AA, The Press-Enterprise, San Bernardino Sun and San Bernardino Daily Bulletin Player of the Year ... Citrus Belt League MVP as a freshman and sophomore ... led Miller to its first two C.I.F. Conference titles in school history ... two-time All-State and First Team All-C.I.F. selection ... averaged 17.5 points, 5.7 assists, 4.9 rebounds and 4.8 steals her sophomore year ... led A.B. Miller H.S. to a 30-3 overall and 14-0 league record ... posted a triple-double against Redlands with 22 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists ... scored 922 points as a freshman and sophomore ... totaled three other double-doubles on the year ... notched 20 or more points in 10 contests, while registering a season-high 32 points against Redlands East Valley ... as a freshman, averaged 16.2 points, 4.8 steals, 3.4 assists and 2.1 rebounds ... notched eight games with 20 or more points ... led her high school squad to a 33-3 overall record and 14-0 league mark ... won two AAU National Championships and had one runner-up with the team Beyond The Rym ... lettered in golf as a sophomore and track & field as a sophomore and junior ... was All-League MVP in the triple jump as a junior.
McCallie on Wells:
"Chloe has versatility and speaking to her shooting, she's got a long three ball. She truly can be a two in the sense of coming off screens and shooting, shooting, shooting. She's got a natural point guard mentality in terms of her ability to distribute the ball to post players in particular. Her post entry is very good and she is very savvy about how to get the ball in there. Chloe is a strong ball handler, excellent three-point shooter, one of the top guards in the country, and a real scrapper on defense. She is a pick-up person on defense -- somebody who could pick up the ball full court and harass it."
The Blue Devils will lose three seniors following the 2009-10 campaign -- Joy Cheek, Keturah Jackson and Bridgette Mitchell -- but will return nine student-athletes to go along with the group of four signed today. Duke will feature a roster of 13 student-athletes in 2010-11.
"We've got incredible guards in this class," said McCallie. "The group together just speaks of versatility, work ethic, commitment to Duke, excitement for the future in pursuing championships. They all kind of say the same thing."
"Shooting and being able to shoot off the pass, off the bounce, the variety of ways in which to shoot the three is what this class really speaks to," commented McCallie. "Of course you start with Tricia there, but they all can shoot the three ball and all can play multiple positions. I'm not a big fan of boxing people into 1,2,3,4,5. This is a group that can move and with all the four-out work that we do - four people on the perimeter a lot -- there is a lot of places to accent their skills and their talents. And that's going to be one of the exciting things, is meshing that all together with the returning group that we'll have."
We've been really busy with hoops recruiting of late and missed getting a bit of news out there. Here are some releases from Duke Sports Information -
Abby Waner To Participate In The State Farm Three-Point Championship
DURHAM, N.C.
Duke University senior Abby Waner has been selected one of eight senior student-athletes to participate in the 21st Annual State Farm College Slam Dunk and Three-Point Championships at the Palace of Auburn Hills on Thursday, April 2 in conjunction with the NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four.
The contest will take place at 7:30 p.m., and then will air on ESPN from 9:00-11:00 p.m.
Waner, who is a product of Highlands Ranch, Colo., concluded her collegiate career as one of the top three-point shooters in Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) history. A 5-11 guard, Waner registered 222 career treys over four years to rank 12th on the ACC charts and first in the Blue Devil history books. She became the first Duke player and eighth ACC player to register 45 or more three-pointers in four consecutive years. Her 691 career three-pointers attempted ranks seventh in ACC history and first at Duke. Not only did Waner hit three-pointers, but she was a great all-around student-athlete as she became the fifth player in ACC history to notch over 1,400 points, 400 rebounds, 400 assists and 300 steals. Waner was also a two-time ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District selection. A two-time Naismith National Player of the Year candidate, Waner received the 2009 Robin Roberts/WBCA Broadcasting Scholarship and was a finalist for the Lowe’s Senior Class Award in 2009. She is a three-time All-ACC Tournament first team selection. As a senior, Waner averaged 9.7 points, 3.5 assists, 3.1 rebounds and 2.7 steals, while registering 55 three-pointers made.
Season tickets are available by calling the Duke Athletic Ticket Office at 1-877-375-DUKE or by logging on to GoDuke.com.
Duke Athletics Tour Schedule Set
DURHAM, N.C. -- The second annual Duke Athletics Tour featuring head football coach David Cutcliffe has secured eight stops between April 18 and May 21. The 2009 tour includes events in Charlotte (April 28), Asheville (April 29), Greenville (May 5), Richmond, Va. (May 6), Atlanta, Ga. (May 14), Sanford/Pinehurst (May 18), Greenville, S.C. (May 20) and Greensboro/High Point/Winston-Salem (May 21). All events are open to the public and will feature an autograph and photo opportunity with Cutcliffe, food and beverages and door prizes.
Dates for events in both Durham and Raleigh will be announced at a later time. "Last year's inaugural Duke Athletics Tour was a huge success," said Cutcliffe. "We're looking forward to spending time with our alumni and fans once again this spring."
For more information, please visit www.IronDukes.net or call Samantha Kozub (919-613-7554) or Whitney Dunlap (919-613-7557).
2009 DUKE ATHLETICS TOUR
CHARLOTTE, NC April 28
5:30-7:00 pm
Blackfinn American Saloon
210 East Trade (Epicentre)
Charlotte, NC 28202
ASHEVILLE, NC April 29
5:30-7:00 pm
Pack Place - The Forum
2 South Pack Square
Asheville, NC 28801
GREENVILLE, NC May 5
5:30-7:00 pm
Ronald C. Michels Center
2335 Hemby Lane
Greenville, NC 27834
RICHMOND, VA May 6
5:30-7:00 pm
Roslyn Conference Center
8727 River Road
Richmond, VA 23229
ATLANTA, GA May 14
6:00-7:30 pm
Fox Sports Grill
261 19th Street
Atlanta, GA 30363
SANFORD/PINEHURST, NC May 18
5:30-7:00 pm
The Barn
305 Rothney Avenue
Southern Pines, NC 28387
GREENVILLE, SC May 20
5:30-7:00 pm
Wild Wing Cafe
15 West Washington Street
Greenville, SC 29601
GREENSBORO/HIGH POINT/WINSTON-SALEM, NC May 21
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Henderson named All American
Wednesday, April 1
Henderson Named To 2009 Wooden All-American Team
LOS ANGELES - Junior Gerald Henderson was one of 11 players named to the 2009 John R. Wooden Award All-American Team as announced by the John R. Wooden Award Committee on Wednesday. Henderson picks up his third All-America honor of the season as he was also a second team selection by Foxsports.com and an Associated Press third team pick.
Henderson led the Blue Devils to a 30-7 record, the program's 11th ACC Championship and a trip to the NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen. He was tied for the team lead in scoring at 16.5 points per game, while also ranking second in rebounding (4.9 rpg.) and assists (91) and third in blocked shots (28) and steals (46). Henderson scored in double figures 31 times in 2008-09, including 11 games with 20 or more points scored.
A panel of more than 1,000 voters, comprised of sports media members and college basketball experts from around the nation, had until Monday to cast their votes, a long voting period that allowed voters to evaluate players up through games of the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament. Voters selected 10 players from the 24 student athletes listed on the ballot, and ranked them from 1 to 10. Wooden Award Voters were asked to take into account performance during the regular season and postseason through games last Sunday, as well as a player's character and academic performance, essential components of an outstanding player in the eyes of Coach John Wooden.
Because of a tie for 10th place in the voting, this year the Wooden All American Team consists of 11 players. The team in alphabetical order is DeJuan Blair (Pittsburgh), Stephen Curry (Davidson), Blake Griffin (Oklahoma), Tyler Hansbrough (North Carolina), Luke Harangody (Notre Dame), James Harden (Arizona State), Gerald Henderson (Duke), Ty Lawson (North Carolina), Hasheem Thabeet (Connecticut), Terrence Williams (Louisville) and Sam Young (Pittsburgh).
North Carolina and Pittsburgh both had two players selected to the team. The 2009 All American team features three seniors (Hansbrough, Williams and Young) five juniors, and three sophomores. The Big East tops the list with five Wooden All Americans, followed by the ACC with three. The Pac-10, Southern and Big 12 each have one representative.
Additionally, the top vote-getters and finalists for the Wooden Award, are invited to Los Angeles for the Wooden Award gala. The top finalists will be announced on Monday, April 6. The 2009 Award ceremony, which will include the presentation of the Men's and Women's Wooden Award winners, the Wooden Award All American Teams, and the Legends of Coaching Award to Rick Barnes of the University of Texas, will take place at The Los Angeles Athletic Club in Downtown Los Angeles on Friday, April 10th. The winners will receive a contribution from The Los Angeles Athletic Club for their university's general scholarship fund.
Men's 2009 Wooden Award All-American Team DeJuan Blair Pittsburgh
Stephen Curry # Davidson
Blake Griffin Oklahoma
Tyler Hansbrough ! North Carolina
Luke Harangody # Notre Dame
James Harden Arizona State
Gerald Henderson Duke
Ty Lawson North Carolina
Hasheem Thabeet Connecticut
Terrence Williams Louisville
Sam Young Pittsburgh
! - 2008 Wooden Award Winner
# - 2008 Wooden All American Team
04/01/2009 - Associated Press
McDonald's All American Game
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Duke commitments Ryan Kelly and Mason Plumlee showcased their talent at the 32nd annual McDonald’s High School All-American game on Wednesday at the Bank United Center in Coral Gables, Fla.
Kelly, who won the three point shootout on Monday, started for the East squad and helped lead them to a 113-110 victory over Plumlee’s West team. The 6’10” Raleigh native, who attends Ravenscroft School, finished the game with six points and two rebounds.
Plumlee, a 6’11 forward from Warsaw, Ind. currently attends the Christ School in Arden, N.C. He tallied six points, four rebounds, two assists, two blocked shots and one steal for the West squad. Plumlee’s three-point attempt at the buzzer that would have tied the game hit off the rim.
All proceeds from the game will go to the Ronald McDonald House Charities of South Florida. Millions of dollars have been raised since the first Game was played in 1978. Every athlete who participated in the McDonald’s All American Game visited a local Ronald McDonald House in Miami earlier this week to experience first-hand how the games impact the local community.
Coach P's sixth rated Duke Blue Devils women’s basketball team received its 15th straight NCAA Tournament selection and their possible road will be laced with drama. The Blue Devils (26-5) were awarded the number one seed in the Berkeley Region and will play 16th seeded Austin Peay in the first round on Sunday, March 22, 2009 at the Breslin Center in East Lansing, Mich. The game will be televised live on ESPN and will tip off is scheduled for 2:30 p.m.
The Governors won their sixth Ohio Valley Conference championship with a dramatic 69-65 double-overtime victory over Eastern Illinois. The winner will advance to face either Michigan State or Middle Tennessee.
Yes that is a possible match up with Joanne McCallie's former team on their home court. Middle Tennessee State will be considered the slight favorite, but the comforts of home could sway the game in the Spartans favor.
Michigan State comes in with a 20-10 record under Head Coach Suzy Merchant. Should the Blue Devils and Spartans advance, this would be the first time McCallie has faced her former school.
Duke is coming off a heartbreaking 92-89 overtime loss in the ACC Championship to fourth-ranked Maryland. Duke landed in the top spot in the west by plkaying a tough schedule where they had seven wins over the RPI top 25 and eleven wins over the top 50 teams. Duke had resume building victories over second ranked Stanford, fourth-ranked Maryland, eleventh ranked North Carolina, thirtenth ranked Florida State, nintenth ranked Tennessee and two wins against 25th-ranked Virginia.
If Duke makes it past the first two games, they could play Tennessee for a second and if they get to the elite eight final, they could face Stanford again. That's what I call dramatic seeding. Oh! Did I mention a Coach G vs Coach P match up? That's right! Texas is in the Blue Devils bracket as well.
The Blue Devils have advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 each of the last eleven years. They reached the Final Four in 1999, 2002, 2003 and 2006. Duke is one of only three teams, along with the Tennessee and Connecticut, to have advanced to the Sweet 16 the last 11 consecutive years. Duke and Austin Peay will meet for the first time in school history. Duke owns a 3-1 overall record against teams from the Ohio Valley Conference.
Broadcast Notes -For the seventh consecutive year, the ESPN networks will combine to present all 63 games from the NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship. During the first two rounds, ESPN and ESPN2 will present the 48 games within 12 telecast windows in a whip-around format with home market protection. ESPN360.com will offer complete game telecasts of all 63 games, while ESPNU will offer select ESPN and ESPN2 early-round games in their entirety.
Tickets are available in the Michigan State ticket office and can be purchased by visiting www.msuspartans.com or by calling 1-800-GOSTATE. Tickets are $40 for adults, $20 for youth/seniors/MSU Students/Groups 15+ and are for two sessions on Sunday and one session on Tuesday for a total of three games. Single-session tickets are $25 for the general public.
DURHAM, N.C. – Want to follow Duke women’s basketball during the 2009 NCAA Tournament but you’re not always around your computer or at your favorite web site, GoDuke.com? Now the Duke Sports Information Office has made it easy to follow the Blue Devils anytime you want with an exclusive Duke women’s basketball page free on Twitter.
You can find the Duke women’s basketball page on Twitter by searching for “DukeWBBSID” at Twitter.com. The Blue Devils’ Twitter page will be updated throughout the NCAA Tournament with “Tweet” (messages sent via Twitter) that contain news from the team, links to newspaper clippings, links to video clips and other information on Blue Devil hoops that cannot be found anywhere else.
You can receive updates via Twitter through the web at the Duke women’s basketball official Twitter page, on your mobile phone with text messages, via instant messaging (IM) or through e-mail. Whichever way you choose, you will always stay up to date with the Blue Devils!
Blue Devil fans can add the Duke women’s basketball Twitter page to their own blog, Facebook page or other social networking site. More information on how to do this can be found here.
Duke is awaiting the NCAA Tournament selection show on Monday, March 16 at 7:00 p.m., on ESPN.
Duke Women’s Basketball On Twitter
Question: What is it?
Answer: A free micro-blogging service that provides Duke fans with up-to-date info and insights on the Blue Devils.
Question: Where can I find Duke on Twitter and how often will it be updated?
Answer: Head to Twitter.com and search for “DukeWBBSID.” It will be updated throughout the day.
Question: How will I receive the information?
Answer: Via the Web, text messages, instant messages, e-mail, RSS feeds, etc.
Question: What is Twitter?
Answer: Twitter is a free social networking and micro-blogging service that allows its users to send and read other users’ updates (otherwise known as “tweets”), which are text-based posts of up to 140 characters in length.
Question: How do I sign up to follow Duke women’s basketball on Twitter?
Answer: Signing up (called “following” in Twitter lingo) for Duke women’s basketball on Twitter is very easy. Just log on to Twitter.com and search “DukeWBBSID.” Alternatively, you can go directly to the Duke Twitter page by clicking here (http://twitter.com/DukeWBBSID). Either way you go about accessing the Blue Devil Twitter page, you will need to click on the button in the upper-left hand corner of the page that says “Follow.” This will allow you to instantly access up-to-date news about Duke women’s basketball via Twitter.
Question: How is it different from www.GoDuke.com?
Answer: Twitter updates will provide more unique information and quicker information than GoDuke.com. It provides a better source of feedback and discussion. Followers can receive updates any way they choose: at Twitter.com, via cell phone, on Facebook or any other social networking site.
For those that are new to Twitter and have questions, here is a link to a help page.
Orono, Maine - Joanne P. McCallie's return to Maine was full of turnovers and pressure. Just the way she likes it.
DURHAM, N.C. – It felt like old times again at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Duke had 
Coach P's sixth rated Duke Blue Devils women’s basketball team received its 15th straight NCAA Tournament selection and their possible road will be laced with drama. The Blue Devils (26-5) were awarded the number one seed in the Berkeley Region and will play 16th seeded Austin Peay in the first round on Sunday, March 22, 2009 at the Breslin Center in East Lansing, Mich. The game will be televised live on ESPN and will tip off is scheduled for 2:30 p.m.
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