The No. 14 women's basketball team broke its two-game losing streak Wednesday night with an impressive 85-66 win over Wake Forest. But the Blue Devils won't have too much time to ponder their win, as they travel to Virginia this Saturday.
While many people consider Saturday's game more important than Wednesday's contest, head coach Gail Goestenkors doesn't see it that way.
"I don't know if there is a bigger game on Saturday," Goestenkors said. "I think that every game for us here on out is a big game for us."
The No. 7 Cavaliers are currently atop the conference with an 8-2 Atlantic Coast Conference record, 17-4 overall. The Blue Devils' overall record is the same as the Wahoos' record, but their 8-4 conference mark places fourth in the ACC.
Duke had its chance to hand UVa a third conference loss in January, and it wants to avenge the one-point loss to the Cavaliers Jan. 8 in Durham. The Blue Devils were ranked 15th in the nation at the time, while Virginia was No. 5.
The Blue Devils were considered heavy underdogs, but played their best game of the year up to that point, holding a 33-28 lead at halftime. Duke maintained that lead throughout most of the second half, and with 4:21 left in the game held a seven-point adv
antage. It looked as if Duke would capture its second straight win over the Wahoos.
But missed free throws and Virginia's gritty team cost the Blue Devils their chance at the upset. And when Tora Suber drove the length of the court and made a layup with no time left on the clock, Duke's dreams were shattered.
Since that game, the Cavaliers have remained in the top 10, having knocked off No. 14 N.C. State in Raleigh Wednesday night. Duke lost to the Wolfpack last Friday, and then was upset at Maryland on Monday. Those two losses dropped the Blue Devils to four
th in the conference.
The Cavaliers have also been nearly invincible at home, with a 10-1 record in University Hall this season. The only blemish on their home mark was a four-point loss against a then-unranked Clemson team.
Virginia is led by Suber and junior center Wendy Palmer. The Blue Devils essentially shut down Palmer in the first game this year, holding her to seven points on the night. The player they didn't stop was Suber, as the shooting guard lit Duke up for 20 po
ints on 8-for-18 shooting.
But all of that doesn't matter to Duke. It spent the days before the Wake Forest game concentrating on improving itself, and it played its best ever Wednesday night. If they do the same thing today before Saturday's game, the Blue Devils may not let Vir
ginia escape with a win.
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