Three years ago, the women's basketball game between Duke and North Carolina wasn't even considered a part of the two teams' historic rivalry by one of its parties. Duke head coach Gail Goestenkors remembers playing the Tar Heels her first year at the helm of the Blue Devils and seeing UNC singing, dancing and relaxed during warm-ups. Duke, on the other hand, was serious and focused. It didn't matter--Carolina destroyed Duke.
"In my first year, I don't know that we believed that we could win," Goestenkors said. "You talk about it, you try to convince yourself, but I'm not sure deep-down they believed that. I think my second year, they hoped that they could win."
It would take until Goestenkors' third year for the Blue Devils to believe they could win. Duke's head coach considers that faith a big reason why Duke upset then-No. 3 UNC in Cameron Indoor Stadium on Jan. 25, 1995. She said because of that win, her team is confident it can beat North Carolina.
No. 12 Duke (15-3 overall, 4-2 in the ACC) will have the chance tonight to back up its beliefs when the Blue Devils travel down Tobacco Road to take on the Tar Heels for a 7 p.m. game in Carmichael Auditorium.
The Tar Heels have been one of the big surprises in the Atlantic Coast Conference this year. While their overall record is an unimpressive 10-6, they are 5-1 in the ACC, destroying then-nationally ranked Clemson 93-68 on Jan. 13. With the loss of forward Charlotte Smith to graduation and junior guard Marion Jones to her Olympic track ambitions, North Carolina was picked in the preseason to finish fourth in the conference. The Tar Heels are a young, but talented team, and Goestenkors thinks they have surprised a lot of people by maturing faster than planned. Senior forward Alison Day admits she has been impressed with UNC this season.
"I'm very surprised," Day said. "People didn't think they would do much losing Marion Jones and Charlotte Smith. Tracy Reid is doing a great job--she's back after an injury--and they have a couple freshmen stepping up for them. They are always a tough team and you can't count them out of anything."
On the other hand, the Blue Devils have been in a mini-slump of sorts, opening up their past three games with a lethargic start, only to be forced to play catch up and squeak out a win. Day said the one thing Duke must do tonight is not start slowly.
"I don't think we can go in there and start on them sluggish like we have in the previous three games," she said. "If we do that, there's not as much of a chance we can get ourselves out of it."
The leader of the team has been Reid. The forward has played in only three conference games because of an injury, but in those three contests she is averaging 14.3 points and 9.3 rebounds per game. The other player that has been impressive for the Tar Heels is freshman Chanel Wright. Wright has started every game this year, and is averaging 14.9 points per game. In the ACC, her scoring average is two points higher.
The Tar Heels are a team that likes to run, a factor the Blue Devils had a tough time with in their last game against Georgia Tech. Goestenkors ranked them tied for first with Virginia as the ACC's most athletic team. While Duke has played impressive defense so far--they are first in the ACC in defensive field-goal percentage and lowest points allowed--Goestenkors thinks her team needs a little more improvement.
"To continue to be successful, we need to improve our defense--especially our transition defense and stopping penetration," Goestenkors said.
One advantage for the Blue Devils is they have had a week off to prepare for their arch-rivals. Goestenkors said during practice the team has been working on its transition defense and rebounding. The head coach has brought in male basketball players to add a more physical dimension to practice, one that will be closer to the atmosphere against the Tar Heels. She's also had the Blue Devils working on basic rebounding drills to fine tune the team's efforts on the glass.
Goestenkors has also told her team to concentrate on the little things, like making free throws and not making turnovers. She said the Tar Heels trap along the baselines, one of the only ACC teams to rely on such a strategy and one Duke must anticipate.
"They are very athletic, get all over you," Goestenkors said. "If we take care of the basketball, make good decisions and play good defense, then it should be a great game."
The one thing that will be different about tonight's contest is that for the first time in a while, Duke is favored to win the battle. Goestenkors said her team isn't thinking about last year's win or the two blowout losses. She said that Duke is concentrating on what they need to do to win in 1996, as the 12th-ranked team in the nation.
And while some people would consider this matchup a must-win situation for Duke to remain in the hunt for the conference title, the players don't see it that way.
"I think we want to avenge those two losses where we really got embarrassed," Day said. "I don't feel that we should feel pressured to win. We should just want to win. We really want to go over there and play well. And we know that if we play well that we will win."
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