CHARLOTTE - Heading into the ACC tournament, women's basketball coach Gail Goestenkors talked openly about how difficult it would be to beat any team three times in one season. After doing just that against Florida State Friday night, No. 1 seed Duke discovered one team it couldn't even beat twice.
The fourth-seeded Clemson Tigers-who handed the Blue Devils their lone conference loss on Feb. 14-sent Duke home before the tournament final for the third straight year by pulling off a 76-71 upset yesterday afternoon at Independence Arena.
"We were just destined to win that basketball game," said Clemson coach Jim Davis. "Duke is an outstanding team, they are so very good. I just think our players fought their hearts out."
Despite trailing since the 12:47 mark of the first half, Duke (24-6) closed to within a single point on three occasions, the final time coming when a driving layup by Michele VanGorp made it 58-57 with 7:37 left to play.
Duke trailed 62-59 with 5:22 remaining when Georgia Schweitzer drove and scored while running into Clemson's Itoro Umoh. But instead of a three-point play, the officials whistled Schweitzer for a charge, prompting a coat-throwing tantrum by Goestenkors that earned her a technical foul.
"I didn't say anything, but I think actions sometimes speak louder than words, so I deserved the technical," she said. "I'm disappointed in myself, because I felt like the officials were upset with me in the first half. They were ready to give me a technical, and I didn't do a good job restraining myself."
It was still a one-possession affair in the game's final minute when a three by Nicole Erickson cut Virginia's lead to 71-68. The Cavaliers turned the ball over on their next possession but got it right back when Erickson and Hilary Howard mishandled an exchange at the top of the key. Erickson came up with another steal a few seconds later, but Schweitzer's three-point try was partially blocked and Duke was forced to foul.
The Blue Devils got one last shot when Lauren Rice scored inside, stole the inbounds pass and was fouled going back up. After going 1-of-2, Rice grabbed her own offensive board and appeared to draw contact attempting another shot. There was no call on the play and Duke was out of chances.
"Of course from my angle it was a foul," Goestenkors said. "The officials called it the way they saw it, and I may be wrong. We'll see when we see the replays."
Much as they did at Littlejohn in February, Clemson got out to a first-half lead and forced Duke to scramble to come back. Amy Geren got off early with 12 points before the break, but had trouble finding her shot after Peppi Browne took over covering her on most trips.
When Geren cooled off, Umoh, Clemson's other all-ACC guard, took over. Umoh scored 10 in the first half and helped her team to a 43-36 lead after 20 minutes.
"I think the first half killed us," said Erickson, who scored all 15 of her points in the second half. "We've had that problem, not showing up for the first half. We need to stop doing that."
Howard scored 10 points in the first half, finishing with 13. VanGorp led all scorers with 19, but watched the late stages of the game from the bench as Duke went to a smaller, quicker lineup.
Umoh and Geren combined for 35 points and were joined in double digits by forwards Nikki Blassingame and Natasha Anderson, who scored 13 and 12, respectively. All four seniors will participate in their fourth straight ACC final tonight when they face North Carolina, an 83-70 victor over Virginia in the other semifinal.
"It feels real good to make it all four years since we've been here," Umoh said. "I think that says a lot about our senior class. And again, defense is what got us here."
Clemson (23-5) advanced to its showdown with Duke with a hard-fought 52-51 win against fifth-seeded N.C. State on Saturday. The Blue Devils had no such trouble in their first game, blowing by the Seminoles by a score of 90-57. With the outcome of the game never in doubt, most of the media and fan attention in that game centered around a missed dunk attempt by VanGorp.
Howard helped lift her team into the semifinals with 12 points, seven rebounds and eight assists, and Payton Black added 15 points off the bench.
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