In a women's basketball game featuring two 6-foot-6 centers ranked in the top four in their conference in scoring, which post player goes on a scoring binge during a key second-half run?
Last night in Cameron Indoor Stadium, the answer was none of the above.
The match up between Duke and N.C. State was supposed to be a battle between physical centers Michele VanGorp and Summer Erb. Instead, 6-4 Blue Devil backup Payton Black, who has struggled at times this season, scored 10 points in nine minutes in the second half and sparked a late-game spurt that put Duke ahead for good.
"I give credit to all our substitutes, especially Payton," said coach Gail Goestenkors. "She just gave us a lift and gave us confidence. When she started to score down low everyone on our team gained confidence."
The Blue Devils had every right to be confident after Black proved that two centers are better than one. While VanGorp and Erb played to a near draw, the senior not only paced the Duke offense during a key stretch, but gave her teammate a needed rest and caused the Wolfpack match up problems defensively.
Black entered the game for VanGorp with 11:50 to go in the second half with the Blue Devils ahead three, 47-44. Thirty-four seconds later, Erb took a seat, and Black went to work. After a Wolfpack three-pointer tied the game, the senior scored six points in 1:33 as Duke went on an 8-2 run.
When Erb returned with 6:28 remaining, Black was at the free-throw line for a one-and-one. She hit both foul shots to stretch the Blue Devils' advantage to eight, then nailed a turnaround jumper over Erb on their next possession. When VanGorp replaced Black with five minutes to play, Duke led by six and was on its way to a 75-67 victory.
The 6-2 Monica Bates tried to contain Black when she first took the floor, but the forward was in foul trouble and couldn't stop her taller opponent. And when Erb reentered the game, she guarded Black as she did VanGorp, a decision she said later she regretted due to the centers' differing styles.
VanGorp, who averages 17.3 points on ACC-leading 62-percent shooting, is accustomed to using her size and strength to outmuscle opponents. Erb is one of the few opponents who brings more bulk than the Duke center, and VanGorp was held to an uncharacteristic 6-of-16 night. The willowy Black, in contrast, favors a variety of fakes and moves in the post, and often seems more comfortable closely guarded than left alone.
"I just tried to play Payton the same way I played Michele," Erb said. "Maybe I should have played them differently on defense. Michele doesn't like contact.... When Payton loses contact, it's harder for her to score."
But Black's play affected Erb even when the Blue Devil senior returned to the bench. Although the wide-bodied junior entered the contest leading the conference in scoring with 20.8 points per game, fatigue can be an issue. Late in the game, Duke seemed to take advantage of a tired Erb.
With just over two minutes to play and the Blue Devils up three, 5-11 Peppi Browne slipped into excellent post position and put back a missed trey to make the score 66-61. When the Wolfpack once again cut Duke's lead to three a minute later, VanGorp knocked down a layup over Erb and drew a foul, the N.C. State center's fifth. With Erb on the bench, the Wolfpack managed only one field goal over the final 49.9 seconds, and Duke had its 14th ACC win.
While VanGorp and Erb both tallied 17 minutes in the first half, the Blue Devils' center only played 10 out of the final 20 minutes, compared to 16 for her counterpart.
"That's a lot of minutes for Summer," VanGorp said. "Definitely having a couple of post players who can go in-so you can give a couple of players a break and not lose anything, and actually gain something-is an advantage."
Erb's significant roles on offense and defense left N.C. State in a quandary last night. When VanGorp was on the bench midway through the second half, said Wolfpack coach Kay Yow, she wanted her leading scorer to get some rest as well. But while Erb sat for almost five minutes, N.C. State managed only two points.
Duke had no such problem against the Wolfpack. One quality post player is a bonus in college basketball, and if Black can continue contributing like she did last night, the Blue Devils could find few opponents who can stop two centers.
"This performance should give me some confidence down the stretch," Black said. "We... know we can play against some of the best teams in the nation."
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.