Separated only by the paved area between Cameron Indoor Stadium and the Duke Aquatic Center, the men's swimming and men's basketball teams simultaneously worked their way to identical 103 point scores Saturday afternoon.
But while the basketball score meant another dominating victory in the Blue Devils' undefeated streak, the men's swim team's 139-103 loss to East Carolina left Duke (0-5) still searching for its first win of the season.
The women's swim team fared no better, losing 142-92 to the Pirates and also falling to 0-5.
"We thought we had a chance, but it was going to be an uphill battle from the beginning," senior Jill Spitzfaden said. "We could have competed a little better."
However, as often happens in Duke swim meets, the lopsided team results were tempered by some outstanding individual performances.
As she has done all season long, junior transfer Amy Armond dominated in her events. She set her season-best time of 2:04.84 in the 200 butterfly, missing the NCAA B qualifying time by less than a second.
Armond also excelled in the 500 freestyle, winning easily with a time of 5:05.16.
"Amy has stepped up the competitive level of the team," Spitzfaden said. "She has great training habits. She's by far the fastest girl we've had in the three years I've been with the team, except for possibly Heather Reger who graduated in 1996."
Sophomore Susan Keeler, another newcomer to the team, took first place in the 50 freestyle, finishing in 25.08. Keeler was recruited by coach Bob Thompson as a freshman, but did not swim last year.
The other individual female swimmer to win an event was sophomore Catherine Preston with a 10:31.62 1000 freestyle performance. Blue Devils Spitzfaden, Leslie King, Randy Savino and Preston also won the 400 freestyle relay in 3:40.38.
Duke's lone female diver, freshman Kristy Guenther, has mononucleosis and did not compete, but should be back in the water in January.
"She certainly would have been in competition with the ECU divers," Thompson said, "but it wouldn't have been enough to make up the difference in the score."
Junior Chris Wise brought in many of the Duke points for the men's team, setting season bests in both the 1000 freestyle (9:51.72) and the 500 freestyle (4:45.85).
"I was quite happy to win, because I hadn't gotten a first place yet this season," Wise said.
Junior Mark Rotblat was the only other member of the Duke men's team to win an individual event, finishing the 200 breast stroke in 2:12.06.
The Blue Devils travel to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., to train over winter break, but return to competition at home on Jan. 17 against the College of Charleston.
"Our chances are really good against them," Wise said. "We should win, so we'll be able to change the lineup around and swim things that we usually don't swim."
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