Jasmine Thomas went behind her back during a steal and layup, then lofted a perfect alley-oop pass to a teammate. Everything was coming easy for her and for Duke - just as it seemingly always does during NCAA tournament games at home.
Thomas scored 11 of her 13 points during the decisive first half of the Blue Devils' 72-37 rout of Hampton on Saturday in the first round of the Memphis Regional.
Keturah Jackson's 13 points were a career high and Karima Christmas also scored 13 for No. 2 seed Duke (28-5), which dominated nearly every stat category, outscored Hampton 35-6 during the final 15:45 of the first half and cruised into a second-round matchup with No. 7 seed LSU on Monday night.
"Everyone was engaged," Jackson said. "Everyone contributed. And we were all in tune."
Choicetta McMillian had nine points to lead the 15th-seeded Pirates (20-12). The outmanned Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference champions had a season-low point total, were held to fewer than 40 points for the first time since November 2005 and had their six-game winning streak snapped with their most lopsided loss of the year.
The Blue Devils led 40-14 at halftime and were never threatened after that in extending their dominance at Cameron Indoor Stadium, where their only loss since 2008 came earlier this season to top-ranked Connecticut. They've won 13 straight NCAA tournament games here, and the average margin of victory in the first 12 was 27.
Duke shot nearly 46 percent, held a 47-31 rebounding advantage and forced 16 turnovers in winning its fourth straight and 10th in 11 games.
"They were very aggressive. I thought they were going to be aggressive, but they were, like, really aggressive," Hampton forward Quanneisha Perry said. "Once we broke it, I guess we tried to relax. But with their press, you can't really relax. You have to be strong with the ball, take care of the ball and look for the right passes, and we didn't do that at all."
It took the Blue Devils a few minutes to get rolling, but not because they were rusty after being off for two weeks following their first Atlantic Coast Conference tournament title since 2004.
"I think we started out going too fast and rushing some things on offense," Thomas said. "We just settled down and got into the flow of the game."
Once that happened, they started playing like a No. 2 seed - and this one was no contest.
Duke took the lead for good on Allison Vernerey's layup 5 minutes in, Christmas pushed it into double figures to stay with roughly 9½ minutes left and Thomas stretched it into the 20s for good with her highlight-reel steal and layup just inside the 4-minute mark.
That had them well on their way into the second round yet again; the Blue Devils have won at least one game in each of their 16 appearances in the NCAAs.
The undersized Pirates gave themselves a few snapshot moments at one of college basketball's most famous arenas, spending roughly 3 early minutes in the lead. But after Laura Lewis' runner off the glass put them up 8-5 with 16 minutes left, they missed 18 of the 20 shots that followed while turning it over 10 times during the rest of the half.
"You have to take baby steps, and I think this is one of them," coach David Six said. "I think now we know what it's like. I think there were times during the game that we belonged on the floor. I don't think for one second that we were intimidated. We didn't execute well, but we weren't intimidated."
GREENSBORO, N.C. - The final buzzer sounded, and Duke's Joy Cheek flung the ball toward the ceiling before locking fellow seniors Keturah Jackson and Bridgette Mitchell in a long, lasting hug.
Whoop it up, ladies. You've finally got an Atlantic Coast Conference tournament title.
No. 9 Duke captured its first ACC championship since 2004 by beating North Carolina State 70-60 on Sunday behind 18 points from tournament MVP Jasmine Thomas.
Karima Christmas added 13 points for the Blue Devils (27-5), who forced 23 turnovers and outrebounded the Wolfpack 46-32 in claiming their sixth ACC title and first since winning five in a row from 2000-04.
"To have the opportunity to be here again, after having lost those three years, it was just now or never," Mitchell said.
For these Blue Devils' seniors, their final game in Greensboro came with some fitting symmetry. They were freshmen in 2007 when Duke was undefeated, ranked No. 1 nationally and rolling toward an inevitable title when they were upset in the semifinals by an N.C. State team inspired by coach Kay Yow's feel-good midseason return.
Duke made it to the championship in each of the three years that followed under coach Joanne P. McCallie, but the Blue Devils were stopped by powerful No. 1 seeds in both 2008 and '09. This time, the No. 1 seed belonged to them - and they took full advantage.
"We had this goal in mind, because three of us have seen us go to the ACC tournament championship and come up short," Cheek said. "The balloons and the streamers, we had to watch them fall down for someone else. And so we didn't want to have to see that happen again. It was an embarrassing feeling, and we just didn't want to feel like that again."
Nikitta Gartrell had 19 points to lead the sixth-seeded Wolfpack (20-13). They were denied in their bid to become the first team to win four games in four days here and were out for their third upset of a ranked team in eight days.
"I'm extremely proud of our team for so many reasons," first-year coach Kellie Harper said. "But in that locker room ... I was proud of them for wanting more. They're hurt that they didn't win this game, and I am so proud of that."
Cheek had 11 points while Thomas, who averaged 16 points in the tournament, added six rebounds and six assists. Duke took the lead for good by reeling off 14 consecutive points during a 23-7 run midway through the first half, went up by 18 with about 8½ minutes remaining and refused to allow N.C. State to complete a second comeback in two days.
Brittany Strachan hit two 3-pointers in a 34-second span to pull the Wolfpack within 65-56 with just under 3 minutes left, but they couldn't get any closer.
The Blue Devils' reward: A banner to hang at Cameron Indoor Stadium and roughly two weeks off before they make 16th straight NCAA tournament appearance - on their home court, no less.
"It's kind of like the appetizer before the big meal, and it's a very, very good appetizer," said McCallie, the first coach in Division I history to win conference tournaments in four different leagues.
Duke won the first meeting 70-39 on Feb. 11, and while it controlled the rematch throughout, this one was nowhere near that lopsided: The Blue Devils' largest lead came when Cheek's jumper made it 60-42 with 8:18 left.
Bonae Holston added 14 points for the Wolfpack, who reached the title game for the 14th time, but first since the 2007 team's Yow-inspired run.
"Winning is a big part of how we've been acting lately," Gartrell said. "Our confidence and everything has been sky high. We can't drop our heads and let our confidence go away because we have NCAAs to worry about now."
Three years after that unlikely ride, and a year after her death, and the late coach still was never far from anybody's mind. Hanging from the rafters behind one basket was a banner bearing her name in pink, the color of breast-cancer awareness, with an inverted ribbon replacing the "Y'' in her last name. Harper, her replacement, was trying to become the first first-year coach to win the women's tournament.
She helped N.C. State rally from 10 points down to beat Boston College in the semifinals. Early on in this one, Duke's full-court pressure put the Wolfpack in that unwelcome position again.
That aggressive defense wound up proving too much for N.C. State, especially during the first-half run that put the Blue Devils on their way to the title. They forced 15 turnovers in the opening half - 10 during that spurt, and many of those created by the press that continually frustrated the Wolfpack.
DURHAM, N.C. Duke coach Joanne P. McCallie challenged her players to focus on details coming out of Christmas break.
They heeded her advice, playing hard every possession.
Joy Cheek scored 16 points to help No. 8 Duke defeat North Carolina Central 117-28 on Monday night in the biggest rout in school history.
Karima Christmas added 15 points for the Blue Devils (10-2), whose 89-point margin of victory was the sixth biggest in women's Division I basketball over the past 10 years according to STATS.
A school-record nine players scored in double figures for Duke, which posted season-high figures for points, field-goal shooting (58.8 percent), assists (35) and 3-pointers (10).
"I have really never seen a stat sheet like this in my 18 years - or 17 1/2 years - of head coaching, in terms of nine people in double figures," McCallie said. "That's kind of unusual, and I think it's a credit to the team to share the ball like everybody did."
Alexis Rogers had 13 points for Duke, which scored the first 22 points of the game and closed the first half with another 22-0 run. Jasmine Thomas, Krystal Thomas and Kathleen Scheer added 12 points to help the Blue Devils beat their city rival.
The Blue Devils led 65-9 at halftime, setting a school record for biggest halftime lead and tying the school record for points in a first half.
"We hadn't played a game in a few days or a week or so, and we just wanted to come out sharp," Cheek said.
Danielle DeBerry and J'Mia Pollock scored six points apiece to lead the Eagles (1-10), who had more turnovers (45) than field-goal attempts (41).
N.C. Central sputtered without guard Joanna Miller, who served a one-game suspension for violating team rules. Miller had been averaging a team-best 17.7 points and 2.8 assists per game for the Eagles, who are in their third year of reclassification to NCAA Division I.
"I think the kids came out and were a little rattled at the beginning of the game," N.C. Central coach Joli Robinson said. "But they kind of settled down and did some things we were looking for them to do. It lets us know that we've got a long ways to go."
Duke smothered the Eagles from the start, forcing turnovers on N.C. Central's first three possessions. The Blue Devils finished with a school-record 31 steals, converting many of those opportunities into easy baskets.
Duke outscored N.C. Central 66-4 in the lane and owned a 60-1 advantage in points off turnovers.
"Everyone was very efficient with the time on the floor and attacking," McCallie said. "That's really important to us to build our depth and to get better, and I definitely thought we got better tonight."
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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.
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.
Duke advanced to the ACC Tournament Championship game by defeating #2 seed Florida State 75-57. Once again, Duke shot over 50% from the field as they continue to play their best basketball of the season. The Blue Devils avenged an overtime loss in Tallahassee behind a balanced attack which produced four players in double figures.
Jasmine Thomas led the way with 14 points on 6 of 9 shooting. Many of her buckets helped Duke thwart a second half Seminole rally which cut a 22 point half time advantage to just 10 points. Coach Joanne P. McCallie called timeout and the Blue Devils regained their edge as they rolled to an unexpected easy win.
"Just an excellent strong game for us. Our team really worked hard defensively. I thought we played well, very well off each other, defensively and offensively. A good start, and pretty thorough throughout the game despite one small area of giving up a few 3's in transition," said McCallie in her opening statement to the media.
Helping Thomas on the offensive end were seniors Careem Gay with 13 and 11 points . Karima Christmas had 12 points and Abby Waner tallied 9 points.
Jasmine calls the play - BDN Photo
Once again the Blue Devils were able to utilize their bench with nine players 12 minutes or more. Duke played all twelve players in the contest and their bench won the scoring battle 22-12.
As good as the offense has been, this years team relies on it's stingy defense. Florida State managed hot 20 of 59 shots, going 33.9% for the game. And an even more telling stat was the Blue Devils outscored their opponent in the paint 38-14.
After two surprisingly even games, Duke is in for a battle tomorrow against Maryland. The Terps won the most exciting game of the tournament defeating North Carolina 95-84. The game provided many streaks and had the crowd jumping.
Maryland guard Kristin Toliver hit all 13 of her free throws, scoring 25 points to go with 5 assists. But the star of this game was teammate Marisa Coleman. The first team All ACC performer hit a sizzling 9 of 13 from the field to help her finish the game with 29 points.
The Terps hit 28 of 36 free throws, while the Tar Heels made it to the line just 13 times. North Carolina finishes 26-6 and awaits their seeding which takes place next week.
BDN Photo
The Duke - Maryland contest is a game of contrasting styles. During the post game press conferences, Coach P pointed to defense while Maryland coach Brenda Frese talked of offense.
The Terps could be the most balanced team in the ACC. The two teams split the series during the regular season, each winning at home. Frese promised a sea of red tomorrow.
"I personally can't think of anything better playing in a championship against Maryland my senior year, not referencing anything specific, of course. We know them well. They know us well. So therefore it's not about who can scout better. It's not about who can prepare better. It's a head-to-head match-up that we know very well. So it's going to come down to who wants it more," said Duke senior Abby Waner.
Duke will also have to find a way to keep the Terp's solid front line in check.
"Maryland's bigs, they were very effective against Carolina; Coleman and Toliver went to the foul line 26 times, so they attacked the basket a lot today, how do you prepare for that?," said Waner.
Duke fans need to turn out at the Greensboro Coliseum in force to support their team. There is no love lost between these two teams and the game is sure to be entertaining.
Some kudos are in order - While there was little defense in the game, Maryland and UNC excited the crowd and both teams deserve a pat on the back for the show. The ACC Tournament organizers do a fabulous job in Greensboro. Their hospitality and organization are top notch and it's been a pleasure to cover the event. The Duke Women are on fire and Coach P has these women on the same page at the right time. Look for out ACC Tournament Photo Gallery Monday.
From out friends at GoDuke.com -
GREENSBORO, N.C.-- For the second straight game, Duke shot over 50.0 percent from the field and went on to cruise to a 75-57 victory over 12th-ranked Florida State on Saturday in the ACC Tournament semifinals in Greensboro, N.C.
Duke will next take on Maryland in Sunday's ACC Championship at 1:00 p.m., on Fox Sports Net.
Blue Devil Postgame Notes * No. 2 seed Florida State vs. No. 3 seed Duke * March 7, 2009
ACC Tournament Semifinals
With The Duke Victory:
* Will next face top-seeded Maryland in the ACC Championship game on Sunday, March 8 at 1:00 p.m. The game will be aired live on Fox Sports Net.
* Moved to 6-0 all-time against Florida State in ACC Tournament play.
* Increased the series record to 29-8 all-time against the Seminoles.
* Improved to 26-4 overall on the season.
* Moved to 23-4 all-time in the ACC Tournament when the games have been played in the Greensboro Coliseum. Overall, Duke owns a 25-5 record in games played in the Greensboro Coliseum.
* Joanne P. McCallie improved to 28-10 all-time in conference tournament action.
* Now owns 23 ACC Tournament victories in ACC Tournament play since 2000.
* Improved to 32-26 all-time in ACC Tournament play.
* Won its second straight ACC Tournament game against a ranked opponent and improved to 8-3 on the year against ranked teams.
* Improved to 5-4 all-time against No. 2 seeds, but won its fifth straight contest.
Senior Chante Black
* Moved into a tie for eighth place on Duke's all-time points list with 1409.
* With her five free throws made, moved into eighth place on Duke's all-time list with 299.
* Pulled down eight rebounds to move into 23rd place on the ACC career rebounding list with 971.
* Finished with 11 points, eight rebounds and three blocked shots in 24 minutes.
* Will play in her third ACC Championship game on Sunday - 2005 and 2008 were both losses.
Senior Abby Waner
* Hit three three-pointers marking the 10th time out of the last 14 games she has hit two or more treys.
* Has nailed 7-of-10 from downtown in the two ACC Tournament games.
* Has hit 50.0 percent or better in back-to-back games from three-point range for the first time this season.
* Finished hitting 3-of-4 from three-point land, had nine points and three assists.
* Has now hit 22 career three-pointers in the ACC Tournament, which ranks Duke's all-time leader in ACC Tournament action. Her 22 treys also ranks as the fourth-highest total in ACC history.
Senior Carrem Gay
* Registered double-figure scoring for the fourth time out of the last six games.
* Had 13 points, nine rebounds, two assists and one steal in 23 minutes.
Sophomore Karima Christmas
* Totaled double-figure scoring for only the sixth time this season with 10 points.
Sophomore Jasmine Thomas
* Registered 14 points, five assists and two rebounds in 29 minutes.
* Had double-digits in three out of the last four games.
* After hitting only 1-of-7 field goals the day before, hit 6-of-9 shots.
Other Duke Notes:
* For the second straight game, Duke shot over 50.0 percent from the field in the first half (53.1). In two ACC Tournament games, the Blue Devils have shot 55.7 percent in the first half this year (34-61).
* Held a 38-14 points in the paint advantage.
* Held FSU to 18 points in the first half marking the 14th time out of 30 games the Blue Devils have held an opponent to 22 points or fewer in the first stanza.
* Hit 51.8 percent from the field marking the second straight game the Blue Devils have hit over 50.0 percent from the field in the ACC Tournament. The back-to-back 50.0 percent shooting in the ACC Tournament was only the second time it has ever happened for the Blue Devils. The other time was in 2000 when Duke won the ACC.
* Held FSU to 57 points marking the 22nd time out of 30 games Duke has held an opponent to 58 points or under.
* Collected a 22-12 bench points lead.
* After getting outrebounded in the last contest, Duke held a 36-31 advantage on the day.
* In two games, has hit 15-of-25 from three-point land for a 60.0 percentage
Jasmine Thomas went behind her back during a steal and layup, then lofted a perfect alley-oop pass to a teammate. Everything was coming easy for her and for Duke - just as it seemingly always does during NCAA tournament games at home.
The Blue Devils led 40-14 at halftime and were never threatened after that in extending their dominance at Cameron Indoor Stadium, where their only loss since 2008 came earlier this season to top-ranked Connecticut. They've won 13 straight NCAA tournament games here, and the average margin of victory in the first 12 was 27.
It took the Blue Devils a few minutes to get rolling, but not because they were rusty after being off for two weeks following their first Atlantic Coast Conference tournament title since 2004.
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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