The women's basketball team is searching for consistency as it prepares to host the Ronald McDonald Classic this weekend.
Duke (2-1) has shown flashes of brilliance in its first three games, but has been unable to play solidly in consecutive contests.
"We need to use this tournament as a time to get the team back on track," junior forward Alison Day said. "We haven't been playing the kind of basketball we want to play.
"We want to get our defense back on track. That's what we need to concentrate on -- attacking our opponents on defense."
The Blue Devils enter the tournament coming off of a convincing 114-57 win against an overmatched UNC-Asheville team on Wednesday. But head coach Gail Goestenkors is certain that the team will not be too cocky after its impressive victory.
"We won't be overconfident," Goestenkors said. "I hope we learned our lesson last weekend. After we beat Montana, we were confident against Old Dominion. And then ODU beat us."
Despite the big win on Wednesday, both Goestenkors and Day are concerned about the inconsistency which has plagued the team so far this season.
"I'm looking for consistency [in this tournament]," Goestenkors said. "[Senior co-captain Carey Kauffman] has been up and down. Everybody has had moments of excellence. I'm looking for the team to be much more consistent."
"I'm not really sure what it is," she said. "But what we really need is to have everyone on the team make sure they're focused and ready to play. It's been apparent that we've had some people who are ready to play while other people are in left field.
"I'm pretty confident we're going to start playing consistently."
Senior center Zeki Blanding will be unable to play this weekend. Blanding, who strained a tendon in her foot before last weekend's tournament at Old Dominion, also sat out Wednesday's game.
"Zeki obviously provides a spark off the bench," Kauffman said. "Her absence will definitely be noticed. But hopefully we can pick that up, because we do have people who can come in and play. I think we'll definitely have to pick up our intensity and, as a team, we have to make up for that loss."
Without Blanding, the Blue Devils are not very deep in the post, so the frontcourt players will need to be cautious to avoid foul trouble.
"It puts us in a really hard situation," Day said. "If we get in early foul trouble, we're going to be in trouble. We're going to have to go out there and play smart basketball."
The Blue Devils know they will face two quality opponents this weekend. Nebraska was a participant in the NCAA tournament two years ago and is traditionally known as a strong team. But for Duke to face the Cornhuskers in the tournament final, the Blue Devils will first have to get by Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
"[Wisconsin-Milwaukee] is a young team," Goestenkors said. "They're very hard working. We're going to have to be ready to attack them."
The Blue Devils will need to have a different mentality this weekend than they had in Wednesday's cakewalk victory.
"Obviously, we're playing more talented teams this weekend," Kauffman said. "So the transition will be more difficult. We just have to maintain focus to play these teams. We have to be ready both offensively and defensively."
This is the third year the Blue Devils will be helping the Ronald McDonald House with this tournament. Each year, the team visits the house and spends time with some of the families who stay there while their children are being treated in Duke Hospital.
"Each year we go down there and cook a big spaghetti dinner for the people in the house," Day said. "We get to really know the people there.
"It's good because, especially at Duke, you don't stop to think about the people less fortunate than you. I think its great we can do something for the Ronald McDonald House."
Kauffman also noted that playing for charity makes this a special tournament for the Blue Devils.
"I think because it is a fund-raiser for the Ronald McDonald House, it just gives the tournament that much more meaning for us as team,' Kauffman said. "It makes you realize how lucky you are to have your health. And we also have the opportunity to play basketball, whereas a lot of those other children don't have that opportunity. It makes you feel thankful for what you do have, and we're happy to help them out in any way we can."
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