Tag Archives: Coach P

Blue Devils wallop Cavaliers by a score of 76-53 in their ACC Tournament opener

Abby addresses the media - BDN Photo
Abby addresses the media - BDN Photo

The Duke Blue Devils used a suffocating defense to smother Virginia from the very start of their opening round game of the ACC Tournament.  Holding the Cavaliers to just 36.4% from the field the Blue Devils recorded a surprisingly easy 76-53 win.

It certainly helped that Duke hit a season high 56% from the field, led by Abby Waner who went 4 of 6 from the three point stripe on her way yo 16 points.  Chante Black and Joy Cheek were the only other Dukies to score in double figures, tallying 12 points apiece.

Duke played 12 players in the game and had contributions  from many.  In fact just two Blue Devils failed to score in the game.  The Duke bench outscored their opponent 32-16.

While Duke was outrebounded for just the eighth time this season, they controlled the paint on the offensive end outscoring the Cavs 36-20.  Duke also boosted their all time tournament record in Greensboro to 22-4.

Waner went 6 of 9 from the field to lead Duke over Virginia - BDNP
Waner went 6 of 9 from the field to lead Duke over Virginia - BDNP

Duke now stands at 25-4 for the season and will try to avenge an overtime loss to Florida State, the second seed at 3:30 tomorrow.  Florida State comes in at 25-6 and is 13-2 against conference opponents.

All four top seeds made the semi finals and all four teams are ranked in the top twelve teams in America.  UNC will face Maryland in the days opener.  With such great competition, all fans who can make it over to Greensboro Coliseum.

Duke picks up a “Big Monday” win over Tennessee

Jasmine, pictured here versus UNC, came up with some big buckets to help Duke go to 4-0 in Knoxville
Jasmine, pictured here versus UNC, came up with some big buckets to help Duke go to 4-0 in Knoxville

Big win for Coach P and the program -

Duke closed out the series with Tennessee with a win and a 5-4 overall lead.  This is the kind of victory you point to on the recruiting trail.  This game also looks good on your resume when seedings are announced.

Momentum is back and so is the defense, but rebounding is the key word -  Duke lost a bit of their momentum is a very disappointing loss to UNC in Chapel Hill, but came back to throttle Clemson at home.  Coach P was preaching rebounding in the post game conference and that carried the Blue Devils had another good game on the glass.  The Duke defense locked down the Vols for most of the night.

Jasmine Thomas - Jasmine hit some key shots when Duke needed a basket.  Thomas has taken her game to another level this season and the Blue Devils will need that to continue.

Next play - Virginia Tech at home on Thursday.  The game starts at 7:00 and is the second to last home game of the season.

Back to ACC play- The tournament atmosphere in Knoxville could well help the Devils during the stretch run.  After the aforementioned Hokies, Duke will then travel to Maryland and Wake Forest before a season ending game with North Carolina.  Needless to say, all the games are important in terms of seeding for the ACC Tournament which runs March 5th through the 8th in Greensboro.

The following is courtesy of Duke Sports Information (visit GoDuke.com for complete game coverage) -

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Seventh-ranked Duke did something only two other teams in NCAA history have done -- defeat 13th-ranked Tennessee three straight times at Thompson-Boling Arena -- on Monday night in front a national television audience as the Blue Devils posted a 62-54 victory.

Jasmine Thomas scored a game-high 19 points and Chante Black added 18 points for the Blue Devils.  Duke will next host Virginia Tech on Thursday, Feb. 19 at 7:00 p.m.

For a full recap, click on www.GoDuke.com <http://www.goduke.com/>

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Blue Devil Postgame Notes   *  Duke at Tennessee *  February 16, 2009

With The Duke Victory:
*       Improved to 21-3 overall and 6-2 against ranked opponents.
*       Won its third straight contest at Tennessee in the Thompson-Boling Arena and became only the third program to ever defeat the Lady Vols at home three straight times (Texas and Louisiana Tech)
*       Moved to 6-5 in the series against Tennessee.
*       The home team in the Duke/Tennessee series moved to 1-5.
*       Head Coach Joanne P. McCallie moved to 2-2 all-time against Tennessee.
Senior Chante Black
*       Registered double-figure scoring for the 25th straight game to open the season and remains the only player in the ACC to score double-digits in all of her team's games this year.
*       Her streak of 25-straight games to open the season in double-figures is now tied for third all-time at Duke (Sue Harnett -25).
*       Finished with 18 points and a season-low two rebounds.
*       Fouled out for only the second time this season and the fourth time in her career.
*       Hit 8-of-11 field goals.
Senior Abby Waner
*       Posted five assists marking the ninth time this season she has dished out five or more assists.
*       With her five assists, moved into eighth place on Duke's all-time assist charts with 411.
Senior Carrem Gay
*       Pulled down six rebounds in only 16 minutes.
Senior Carrem Gay
*       Came off the bench to notch nine points, nine rebounds and one assist.
Junior Bridgette Mitchell
*       Made her second straight start and the eighth start of her career.
*       Registered eight rebounds in 19 minutes of action, while notching three steals and one blocked shot.
*       In her two games started, she has pulled down nine and eight rebounds.
Sophomore Karima Christmas
*       Played for the first time after suffering a concussion a week ago at North Carolina on Feb. 9.  She returned to full-contact practice on Sunday.
*       Saw action in only seven minutes and had two rebounds and one steal.
Junior Keturah Jackson
*       Came off the bench to register six points, four rebounds, three steals and two assists in 22 minutes.
Sophomore Jasmine Thomas
*       Notched double-figure scoring for the fifth time out of the last seven games and a total of 10 times this season.
*       Led Duke with 19 points and a season-high seven rebounds.
Sophomore Krystal Thomas
*       Pulled down five rebounds in only nine minutes.
Other Duke Notes:
*       Wore road blue uniforms with pink and white trim for the "Pink Zone" game.
*       The Blue Devils dropped to No. 7 in the AP Poll that was released on Monday afternoon.
*       Outrebounded Tennessee 49-36 and now has outrebounded the last two opponents by a combined 32 boards.
*       Duke committed 22 turnovers but Tennessee registered only 12 points off those turnovers.
*       Its bench was outscored for the third straight game.
*       Improved to 29-3 under Coach P when holding opponents to under 40.0 percent from the field.
*       Held Tennessee to only 54 points and Duke's defense has now held 18 out of 24 opponents to 58 points or under.
*       Played its third road game out of the last four games.
*       Duke will next return home to face Virginia Tech on Thursday, Feb. 19 as the Blue Devils host the Hokies at 7:00 p.m.

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Official Basketball Box Score -- Game Totals -- Final Statistics
#7/10 Duke vs #13/18 Tennessee
2-16-09 7:33 p.m. at Thompson-Boling Arena, Knoxville, Tenn.
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VISITORS: #7/10 Duke 21-3, 8-2 ACC
                         TOT-FG  3-PT         REBOUNDS
## Player Name            FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF  TP  A TO BLK S MIN
15 Bridgette Mitchell.. f  1-4    0-0    2-2    6  2  8   2   4  0  1  1  3  19
30 Carrem Gay.......... f  0-3    0-0    0-0    1  5  6   2   0  1  1  1  1  16
11 Chante Black........ c  8-11   0-0    2-5    0  2  2   5  18  1  6  1  1  32
04 Abby Waner.......... g  2-10   0-5    1-2    1  3  4   2   5  5  7  0  0  35
05 Jasmine Thomas...... g  6-9    1-2    6-8    2  5  7   3  19  2  5  0  2  36
13 Karima Christmas....    0-1    0-0    0-0    2  0  2   2   0  0  1  0  1   7
21 Joy Cheek...........    3-8    0-0    3-7    5  4  9   4   9  1  0  1  0  24
31 Keturah Jackson.....    3-4    0-0    0-3    2  2  4   0   6  2  1  0  3  22
34 Krystal Thomas......    0-5    0-0    1-2    1  4  5   1   1  0  0  1  0   9
  TEAM................                         1  1  2
  Totals..............   23-55   1-7   15-29  21 28 49  21  62 12 22  5 11 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 12-29 41.4%   2nd Half: 11-26 42.3%   Game: 41.8%  DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half:  1-5  20.0%   2nd Half:  0-2   0.0%   Game: 14.3%   REBS
F Throw % 1st Half:  3-4  75.0%   2nd Half: 12-25 48.0%   Game: 51.7%    4
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HOME TEAM: #13/18 Tennessee 18-7, 7-3 SEC
                         TOT-FG  3-PT         REBOUNDS
## Player Name            FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF  TP  A TO BLK S MIN
02 Alex Fuller......... f  3-9    0-2    0-0    3  3  6   3   6  2  1  0  1  29
52 Kelley Cain......... c  4-6    0-0    2-6    1  5  6   4  10  0  0  2  1  24
05 Angie Bjorklund..... g  2-13   1-7    3-4    3  0  3   2   8  3  1  0  3  36
15 Alicia Manning...... g  1-2    1-2    0-0    1  2  3   5   3  1  2  0  2  17
40 Shekinna Stricklen.. g  2-10   0-3    2-2    0  3  3   5   6  1  4  0  1  28
01 Briana Bass.........    3-4    2-2    6-6    0  2  2   1  14  1  1  0  0  24
10 Amber Gray..........    0-0    0-0    0-0    0  1  1   0   0  0  1  0  0   5
20 Sydney Smallbone....    0-0    0-0    0-0    0  0  0   0   0  0  0  0  0   4
25 Glory Johnson.......    0-6    0-1    1-2    1  2  3   2   1  0  3  0  2  16
33 Alyssia Brewer......    3-6    0-0    0-5    3  2  5   1   6  1  3  2  0  17
  TEAM................                         3  1  4             1
  Totals..............   18-56   4-17  14-25  15 21 36  23  54  9 17  4 10 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half:  8-26 30.8%   2nd Half: 10-30 33.3%   Game: 32.1%  DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half:  2-7  28.6%   2nd Half:  2-10 20.0%   Game: 23.5%   REBS
F Throw % 1st Half:  5-7  71.4%   2nd Half:  9-18 50.0%   Game: 56.0%    6
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Officials: Dee Kantner, Bryan Enterline, Eric Brewton
Technical fouls: #7/10 Duke-None. #13/18 Tennessee-None.
Attendance: 16990
Score by Periods                1st  2nd   Total
#7/10 Duke....................   28   34  -   62
#13/18 Tennessee..............   23   31  -   54
UT's #40 fouls out @ 4:02/2 DU's #11 fouls out @1:31/2
UT's #15 fouls out @ 39.8/2

Points in the paint-DUKE 28,TENN 24. Points off turnovers-DUKE 14,TENN 12.
2nd chance points-DUKE 11,TENN 15. Fast break points-DUKE 6,TENN 2.
Bench points-DUKE 16,TENN 21. Score tied-2 times. Lead changed-0 times.
Last FG-DUKE 2nd-01:41, TENN 2nd-00:47.
Largest lead-DUKE by 16 2nd-08:51, TENN None.

Duke Women travel to Tennessee – ESPN 2 Big Monday Match up

Much like the Duke Men's team, the Duke Women are losing out the 2009 season with a very challenging schedule.  Coach P and Duke righted the ship versus Clemson after a bitter defeat to the hands of arch rival UNC.  But tonight they face dsc08898one of the traditional powers in Tennessee.  Duke will travel to Knoxville for a "Big Monday" game with the Vols, one which will be played in front of a national audience on ESPN 2.  The Duke Women will wear blue and pink uniforms to honor Kay Yow and breast cancer awareness.  Tonight's game will further prepare the Blue Devils for the upcoming post season and they have an opportunity to compete against the best.  Be sure to tune in and support the Duke Women's team as they embark on a brutal stretch run to close the season.

 

Game note provided by Duke Sports Information -

No. 4 Duke Travels To No. 15 Tennessee For Big Monday On ESPN2...
     In its second straight "Big Monday" game on ESPN2, the fourth-ranked Duke women's basketball team (20-3, 8-2 ACC) will travel to Knoxville, Tenn., on Monday, Feb. 16 for a 7:30 p.m., contest against 15th-ranked Tennessee (18-6, 7-3 SEC) in the Thompson-Boling Arena and Assembly Center.
     The game will be aired live on ESPN2 with Pam Ward (PXP), Carolyn Peck (Color) and Rebecca Lobo (Color) calling the action.  Fans can also hear the Blue Devils live on the radio on WDNC AM 620 with Steve Barnes (PXP) and Morgan Patrick (Color) on the air.
     Monday's game is Tennessee's "Pink Zone" game and the Blue Devils will wear blue and pink uniforms for the first time.  The Blue Devils are in a stretch where they are playing four ranked opponents in six games and three out of four road contests.  In the rankings, Duke is listed No. 4 in the Associated Press and No. 10 in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches Polls, while Tennessee is No. 15 and No. 18, respectively.

Media Info

What: Duke at Tennessee
Date:  February 16, 2009
Location: Knoxville, Tenn.
Venue: Thompson-Boling Arena (21,678)
Tipoff:  7:30 p.m.
Radio:  WDNC 620 AM
Radio Talent:  Steve Barnes (PXP),             Morgan Patrick (Color)
TV:  ESPN2
TV Talent:  Pam Ward (PXP), Carolyn Peck (Color), Rebecca Lobo (Sideline)
Livestats:  www.GoDuke.com

Noting Duke...
       Chante Black is the only player in the ACC to score double-figures in all of her team's games ... 10-of-12 Duke players have hit at least one three-pointer ... seven different Duke players have led the team in scoring on the year ... the Blue Devils have won 56 out of their last 60 home ACC regular season contests ... senior Carrem Gay leads Duke with 11 charges taken on the season and 29 for her career ... Duke holds a 840-463 points in the paint advantage on the year.

A Look At Tennessee...
     Tennessee enters the contest with an 18-6 overall and 7-3 record in the Southeastern Conference (SEC).  The Lady Vols have been led by Shekinn Stricklen (13.2 points, 6.0 rebounds, 24 treys), Angie Bjorklund (12.0 points, 2.8 rebounds, 40 treys), Glory Johnson (11.8 points, 7.7 rebounds) and Alex Fuller (7.7 points, 6.1 rebounds).
     So far this year, Tennessee has registered an 11-1 record at home with the lone loss coming against Virginia, who is also in the ACC.

The Series With Tennessee...
     Duke and Tennessee enter Monday with a 5-5 series record, but Duke has won three out of the last four meetings. The first five contests between the Blue Devils and Lady Vols were all at neutral sites prior to the two schools starting a home and home series in 2004.  This year's contest will mark an end of the regular season series for right now.
     Since the series began in 2004, the home team has won only one of the five contests, which was the Blue Devils in 2006.  Duke has notched a 2-0 record all-time in Knoxville, Tenn., winning in 2004 and 2007.
     The first five contests that were at neutral sites were --   Dec. 6, 1998, in the Disney Honda Elite Four as Tennessee won 74-60; on March 22, 1999, in the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight as Duke won 69-63; on Dec. 27, 2001, in the ACC/SEC Shootout as Tennessee won 89-68; on Nov. 24, 2002, in the Jimmy V Women's Basketball Classic as Duke won 76-55 and on Apr. 6, 2003, in the NCAA Final Four as Tennessee won 66-56 in Atlanta, Ga.
     Duke Head Coach Joanne P. McCallie owns a 1-2 overall record against Tennessee.  Last year in her first year with the Blue Devils, Coach P fell, 67-64.  In 2005, her Michigan State team lost, 83-55, in the Paradise Jam to the Lady Vols.  In her first meeting, McCallie's Michigan State team upset third-ranked Tennessee, 68-64, in the NCAA Final Four.

Blue Devils Look To Continue Streak At Thompson-Boling Arena...
       Duke has won its only two contests against Tennessee in the Thompson-Boling Arena in 2004 and 2007.  If the Blue Devils win on Monday, they will become only the third program to ever win three straight games at the Thompson-Boling Arena -- Texas (1983-84, '85-86 and '87-88) and Louisiana Tech (1981-82, '83-84 and '85-86).
     In the Blue Devils two victories at Tennessee, the margin of victory has been by a total of six points -- 59-57 in 2004 and 74-70 in 2007.  In the last game in Knoxville, Duke got off to an excellent 19-0 start and held the Lady Vols without a field goal until the 14:10 mark.  The Blue Devils held a 38-27 lead at the half and ended up winning 74-70.

Storylines/Other Blue Devil Notes...
     * Both Tennessee and Duke each had two members on the 2007 U19 World Championship team that picked up a gold medal in Bratislava, Slovakia. Jasmine Thomas and Krystal Thomas from Duke and Vicki Baugh and Angie Bjorklund from Tennessee each led the squad to a perfect 9-0 mark and a gold medal.
     * The Blue Devils own an 8-3 overall record in road and neutral games this season.  Two of the losses came at Florida State and North Carolina.
     * Duke freshman Shay Selby and Tennessee freshman Glory Johnson each played on the Blue Team during the 2007 USA Basketball Developmental Festival.  The squad notched a 2-3 record as both Selby and Johnson started four games each.  Johnson averaged 11.6 points and Selby averaged 10.6.
     * Sophomore Jasmine Thomas tied a career high with six assists against Clemson in the last game and her six assists was a season high.
     * Senior Abby Waner has hit two or more three-pointers in six out of the last seven games.
     * Jasmine Thomas is averaging 12.0 points, 3.2 assists, 2.7 rebounds and 2.2 steals over the last six games.  She has registered double-digit scoring in four of the six games, including matching a career high with 22 points at Virginia.  She hit a career-high 10 field goals in the victory.
     * Joy Cheek's father, Boris, officiated his second NFL Pro Bowl in Hawaii recently.
     *  In the last game, sophomore Krystal Thomas came off the bench to register 16 points, nine rebounds and three blocks in 19 minutes.  She hit a career-high eight free throws and attempted a career-high 11.
     *  Over the last three games, Joy Cheek has averaged only 5.7 points and 4.3 rebounds, while hitting only 26.1 percent of her field goals (6-of-23).
     * Duke owns a 93-11 record in ACC regular season action since the 2001-02 campaign.
     * Duke registered a season-high 50.8 percent shooting at Virginia on Feb. 5, which marked the fourth time under Coach P the Blue Devils have shot over 50.0 percent from the field in two years (2nd this season).
     * If Chante Black keeps on her current average of 8.7 rebounds a contest, she could become only the third player in ACC history to notch over 1,300 points, 1,000 rebounds and 200 blocks.  Black currently owns 1,322 points, 916 rebounds and 243 blocks.  Only UNC's Dawn Royster and Clemson's Peggy Caple have accomplished these types of numbers.
     *  The 29.3 percent shooting at North Carolina was the second-worst field goal percentage of the season and only the second time the Blue Devils have shot under 30.0 percent this year (Hartford - 26.6).
     * Sophomore Karima Christmas is averaging 10.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.8 steals and0.8 assists in ACC action.  She has hit 55.7 percent of her field goals, which ranks second in the ACC.
     *  Since kicking off ACC play, Duke's bench players have hit 13-of-30 three-pointers for a 43.3 percentage.  Seven different Blue Devils have hit treys in those games -- Jackson, Gay, Cheek, Scheer, Selby, Mitchell and Christmas.
     * With Karima Christmas scoring 21 points against Miami on Jan. 9, Duke has now registered four different players with 20+ points in a game this season.
     *  WithDuke's win over No. 3 Stanford on Dec. 16, Coach P won her third contest against a top-five ranked team in just her second season with the Blue Devils.  McCallie has notched victories against Stanford while the head coach at Maine, Michigan State and Duke.
     *  Duke has five different players who have blocked 10 or more shots this season.

Christmas Recovering From Concussion...
     Duke sophomore KarimaChristmas suffered a concussion in the second half of the North Carolina contest on Feb. 9.  She passed her IMPACT concussion test on Friday, Feb. 13 but was not cleared for contact and did not play against Clemson.
     She is expected to return to full contact practice on Sunday, Feb. 15 and will be a game-time decision at Tennessee.
     Over the last nine games, Christmas has averaged 10.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.8 steals and hit 55.7 percent of her field goals.
     She registered 21 points against Miami, 17 at N.C. State and 18 points at Virginia during that stretch.

Waner Nets School Record...
     With her three-pointer made at the 14:24 mark of the first half against Clemson, senior Abby Waner became Duke's all-time leader in three-point field goals made.
     She now owns 204 treys breaking Georgia Schweitzer's mark of 202, who played for Duke from 1998-2001.  Waner also moved into 14th place on the ACC career three-pointers made list.

Duke Players Vs. Tennessee...
       In three games against Tennessee, senior Abby Waner has averaged 14.0 points, 3.7 rebounds and 4.0 assists, while hit 9-of-18 three-pointers.  In one of her best performances of her career, she  scored 21 points on 5-of-5 shooting from long range in the first half in 2007 at Tennessee.  She finished with 24 points and six treys.
     Over the last two games against the Lady Vols, Chante Black has averaged 11.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals.  She has hit 11-of-17 field goals in those games for a 64.7 percentage.
     Last year as a freshman, Jasmine Thomas notched 13 points, three steals and one rebound in 30 minutes against the Lady Vols.  She hit 3-of-4 from downtown and 5-of-10 from the field.

Duke-UNC Women take the stage first – Coach P talks of the game and more –

The following is a barrage of information was provided by Duke SID, Lindy Brown.  The Blue Devil Nation will be on hand to cover the battle and will bring you pics and opinions from the game late this evening.

Tobacco Road Showdown On Monday; No. 4 Duke At No. 8 UNC...
 In a clash of top-10 foes, the fourth-ranked Duke women’s basketball team (19-2,

Duke seniors travel to Chapel Hill one last time
Duke seniors travel to Chapel Hill one last time

7-1 ACC) will travel to Chapel Hill, N.C., on Monday, Feb. 9 for a 7:30 p.m., contest at eighth-ranked North Carolina (20-3, 5-2).  The game will be aired live on ESPN2 with Pam Ward (PXP), Kara Lawson (Color) and Rebecca Lobo (Sideline) calling the action as part of “Big Monday.” Fans can also hear the Blue Devils live on the radio on WDNC AM 620 with Steve Barnes (PXP) and Morgan Patrick (Color) on the air. 

Duke will play its second straight road game against a ranked opponent (at No. 17 last Thursday).  The Blue Devils are in a stretch where they are playing three ranked opponents out of four games.

In the rankings, Duke is listed No. 4 in the Associated Press and No. 8 in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches Polls, while North Carolina is listed No. 8 and No. 9, respectively.

MEDIA INFO

What: Duke at North Carolina
Date:  February 9, 2009
Location: Chapel Hill, N.C.
Venue:  Dean E. Smith Center
Tipoff:  7:30 p.m.
Radio:  WDNC 620 AM
Radio Talent:  Steve Barnes (PXP),  Morgan Patrick (Color)
TV:  ESPN2
TV Talent:  Pam Ward (PXP), Kara Lawson (Color), Rebecca Lobo (Sideline)
Livestats:  www.GoDuke.com
   
Noting Duke...
 Chante Black is the only player in the ACC to score double-figures in all of her team’s games ... 10-of-12 Duke players have hit at least one three-pointer ... Duke had its 21-game streak with at least one three-pointer made come to an end on Thursday at Virginia going 0-of-10 ... the Blue Devils have won 55 out of their last 59 home ACC regular season contests ... senior Carrem Gay leads Duke with nine charges taken on the season and 27 for her career ... Duke holds a 772-410 points in the paint advantage on the year ... Abby Waner needs one assist for 400 in her career.

A Look At North Carolina...
 North Carolina enters Monday with a 20-3 overall and 5-2 league mark under Head Coach Sylvia Hatchell.  On the year, the Tar Heels have been led by Rashanda McCants (13.7 points, 6.5 rebounds), Jessica Breland (13.5 points, 7.5 rebounds), Italee Lucas (13.3 points, 44 treys) and Cetera DeGraffenreid (10.8 points, 97 assists).  UNC owns a 14-1 record at home and have won three straight games since losing three in a row. 
 
The Series With North Carolina...
 The Blue Devils and Tar Heels will meet for the 75th time on Monday with North Carolina leading the overall series 44-30.  Duke has won 17 of the last 26 games. 
 As of late, it has been a series of streaks since 2000 -- Duke won 12 in a row, UNC won five in a row, Duke won two in a row and UNC has won three in a row.  In games played in Chapel Hill, N.C., the Blue Devils own a 9-23 overall record and have lost three out of the last four contests. 

 Blue Devil Head Coach Joanne P. McCallie will face North Carolina for the sixth time over her 17 years as a head coach.  McCallie has a 0-5 record against the Tar Heels.  She lost two of those contests while as head coach at Maine.  McCallie’s squad faced North Carolina in the 2000 NCAA Tournament in Santa Barbara, Calif., and fell 62-57 on March 18.  The Black Bears also lost, 68-52, on Dec. 28, 1996 on a neutral site.  In her first year against UNC as the Duke head coach, McCallie’s squad lost all three games in 2007-08.

Duke/UNC In The Dean E. Smith Center...
 Duke and North Carolina will battle in the Dean E. Smith Center for only the fourth time in school history.  The Blue Devils own a 1-2 record in those games with the most recent contest coming on Jan. 24, 2005 with 12th-ranked North Carolina upending third-ranked Duke, 56-51.  The other games came on Feb. 14, 2004 with Duke notching an 89-79 victory and Feb. 20, 1988 with the Tar Heels winning, 68-64. 

In those three games, the Blue Devils have registered three excellent individual performances.  During the 1988 contest, Chris Moreland registered 29 points and 20 rebounds in 35 minutes for Duke.  Alana Beard had 31 points and six rebounds in 2004 and in the 2005 game, Monique Currie rang in 24 points and nine boards.

Storylines/Other Blue Devil Notes...
 • Duke and North Carolina will play for the 13th time when both squads are ranked in the top 10 nationally.   UNC leads those contests with a 7-5 record.
 • When Duke is the high-ranked team in the series with UNC, the Blue Devils own a 18-8 record (69.2 percent).  UNC owns a 19-4 record when it is ranked higher.  The higher ranked team has won 37 of 49 games.
 • Sophomore Jasmine Thomas will go up against her former AAU teammate, Chay Shegog.  Thomas is from Fairfax, Va., while Shegog is out of Stafford, Va., and they played for the Fairfax Stars.
 • Senior Abby Waner had a streak of hitting two or more three-pointers in five straight games come to an end at Virginia (0-of-5).  Her previous best was four in a row at the end of her freshman campaign.
 • Jasmine Thomas is averaging 14.0 points, 2.8 assists, 2.5 rebounds and 2.5 steals over the last four games.  She has registered double-digit scoring in three of the four games, including matching a career high with 22 points at Virginia.  She hit a career-high 10 field goals in the victory.
 • In the last game at Virginia, Chante Black became only the third player in school history to notch over 900 rebounds in her career (902).
 • Joy Cheek’s father, Boris, will officiate his first NFL Pro Bowl in Hawaii over the weekend.
 • Two of the four ACC road contests this season have gone to overtime.
 • Duke ranks second nationally in steals per game 13.7, while North Carolina is fourth (13.0).
 • The Blue Devils had a streak of 21 straight games with at least one three-pointer come to an end at Virginia as Duke went 0-of-10 from downtown.
 • Duke owns an 92-10 record in ACC regular season action since the 2001-02 campaign.
 • After missing her first seven three-pointers of the season, junior Keturah Jackson hit her first of the season and third of her career against Boston College.
 • Duke registered a season-high 50.8 percent shooting at Virginia, which marked the fourth time under Coach P the Blue Devils have shot over 50.0 percent from the field in two years (2nd this season).
 • If Chante Black keeps on her current average of 8.8 rebounds a contest, she could become only the third player in ACC history to notch over 1,000 points, 1,000 rebounds and 200 blocks.  Black currently owns 1,293 points, 902 rebounds and 240 blocks.  Only UNC’s Dawn Royster and Clemson’s Peggy Caple have accomplished these types of numbers.
 • With Abby Waner missing the Virginia Tech contest due to an illness, she became the third Blue Devil this season to miss a game due to being sick -- Shay Selby & Kathleen Scheer missed the Quinnipiac game, while Scheer recently missed the Georgia Tech game as well. 
 • Sophomore Karima Christmas is averaging 11.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 0.9 assists in ACC action.  She has hit 32-of-51 field goals (62.7%) and 4-of-11 treys (36.4%) from the field.  Her 62.7 field goal percentage is second in the ACC.
 •  Since kicking off ACC play, Duke’s bench players have hit 12-of-26 three-pointers for a 46.2 percentage.  Seven different Blue Devils have hit treys in those games -- Jackson, Gay, Cheek, Scheer, Selby, Mitchell and Christmas.
 • With Karima Christmas scoring 21 points against Miami on Jan. 9, Duke has now registered four different players with 20+ points in a game this season.
 •  With Duke’s win over No. 3 Stanford on Dec. 16, Coach P won her third contest against a top-five ranked team in just her second season with the Blue Devils.  McCallie has notched victories against Stanford while the head coach at Maine, Michigan State and Duke.

Offense Picking Up...
  Over the last four games, the Blue Devils have turned in three of the top shooting contests of the season as Duke shot a season-high 50.8 percent at Virginia, 50.0 percent against Georgia Tech and hit 49.2 percent at Florida State.  Against Boston College, Duke hit 43.3 percent from the field. 

 Duke’s current stretch of four straight games shooting over 40.0 percent is a season high. 

 When looking at the numbers closer, Duke has hit 48.2 percent from the field, 16-of-48 from downtown for a 33.3 percentage, hit 71.1 percent of their free throws,  notched 12.3 steals and 7.0 blocks in the four games.

Three different Blue Devils have averaged double-figures -- Jasmine Thomas (14.0), Chante Black (13.0), and Abby Waner (11.8) in the four-game stretch.

Duke Players Vs. North Carolina...
 Over the last three games against UNC, Chante Black has averaged 15.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.0 blocks and 1.0 assists, while hitting 16-of-25 field goals (64.0 percent).  In eight career games, Black has averaged 8.6 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.4 blocks.

 Abby Waner has averaged 11.0 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 3.2 steals over her last five games against North Carolina.  In seven career games, Waner has hit only 4-of-37 from downtown.

 In three games last year, Jasmine Thomas averaged 9.0 points, 2.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.3 steals.  She is coming off notching 16 points on 7-of-16 field goals in the ACC Championship. 

Gay Back In Lineup...
  Carrem Gay returned to the starting lineup on Feb. 2 against Boston College and made her presence felt early as she scored 10 of her 14 points in the first half. 
 For the game, Gay matched a season high with 14 points to go along with three assists and two rebounds.  She hit her first seven field goals and finished the game hitting 7-of-8 field goals.

 She came back and notched eight points, four rebounds, one assist and one block in a start at Virginia.
 In the two straight starts, she has hit 10-of-14 field goals.  Gay has started 61 career games and 16 this season.

Approaching 20 Wins...
 With one more victory, the Blue Devils will reach their 12th consecutive 20-win season and the 14th out of the last 15 years.  Head Coach Joanne P. McCallie is approaching her 13th different 20-win season over her 17-year coaching career and sixth straight.

 The ACC record for most consecutive 20-win seasons is 14 by Virginia and the second-best streak is Duke’s current 11-year mark.  N.C. State’s streak of eight ranked third.

Coach P talks to the media about UNC -

On coaching her second game against Carolina in Chapel Hill:

"I feel like I knew about that rivalry last year and I know about it this year and at the same time, as a coach, attack it the same as any other game.  I'm certainly aware of the great rivalry, I'm aware of the great opinions."

On Carolina's rebounding ability:


"North Carolina is an excellent rebounding team, they are very athletic, they have multiple people who come from multiple spots and there is no question that transition defense and rebounding will be the critical key to this game.  We practiced some of that against Virginia, transition defense and rebounding, but North Carolina has more people.  They have more depth and more ability to run and more ability to rebound."

On Abby's Waner's characterization of Carolina as "organized chaos:"


"I just think Carolina is a very good team.  I don't know if I would use that term. I think they are a good team.  They can press, they can run, they can rebound, they can shoot, they have depth and quickness.  I just think they are a very good basketball team.  Basically you tackle very good basketball teams the same way, which is you really focus on what we do well and you really focus on Duke basketball and what we want to bring to the table and try to impose that as much as possible.  But I just think they are a very good team."

On Duke's ability to fight back going into a hostile environment:

"I think this team has been pretty consistent with the ability to fight back.  If you go back to the game against Oklahoma State, our first home game, if you go back to USC, being down what seemed like a million at the time, when this team stays focused and when we stay together and really focus on what we have been doing on the floor I think that we have had really good success coming back.  But I agree with you, I think the preferred way to play the game is to dictate from the beginning all the way through.  But runs are an interesting thing in the game."

On any of Carolina's  personnel advantages which Duke must overcome:


"Well, they have got three players that are a lot alike that are so dangerous.  I don't know too many teams which have a [Rashanda] McCants, a [Jessica] Breland, and a [Iman] McFarland.  I mean, that's what you call depth.  The size of those players and the quickness of those players, and you know [Chay] Shegog is doing a great job for them to give them a bigger presence.  I think that's a concern; you've really got to find a lot of people.  Those three are some of the best rebounders out there in terms of getting to the glass really hard and they are very mobile players and I am concerned about the guards who are very good as you know, but those three are sort of the whole key to Carolina."

On the importance of tempo:


"I think tempo is always very important in any game that we play.  And I think that we did a very good job controlling the tempo last night and I think that was good to do.  We took hold of that tempo, and even though there were runs which favored Virginia, I still think we had the tempo for most of it.  I think a team that does control the tempo keeps their composure, focuses hard and just continues to play their game; I think that is a team that can be successful."

On emotions and maturity in a game like Carolina:


"I think our team knows the maturity that you need to have. I mean you can't ride emotion to victory.  You can have some emotional runs in the game, but you've got to stay composed and focused.  There is just a certain place you go, a certain inner place to keep that focus because absolutely nothing can rattle an excellent team.  You just have to stay with it, stay focused, and really stay composed with your teammates.  I think whatever we have done in the past is the past and we have learned lessons from that.  But this is the present and this is a great opportunity for us, and it's a great opportunity to bring Duke basketball.  That's really fun; bring Duke basketball to Chapel Hill.  That's what you want to do, and so you have to stay in the moment.  All that matters is the moment, which is preparation, we've got two practices, and then we go into that game and that is what matters the most."

Duke Women run over Georgia Tech for 15th straight win

DURHAM, N.C. – The fourth-ranked Duke women’s basketball team used a stellar defensive effort on Sunday afternoon to down Georgia Tech, 60-34, to win its 15th straight game this season and 29th straight contest against the Yellow Jackets.  The Blue Devils held Georgia Tech to its second-worst single-game output in school history, while holding the Yellow Jackets to only 25.5 percent shooting.
 
Abby Waner scored 14 points, while Chante Black and Jasmine Thomas each added 10 points for the Blue Devils.
 
For a full recap, click on www.GoDuke.com