It's been a year of finding new roles for Georgia Schweitzer.
Fortunately for the Blue Devils, losing just isn't one of them.
The junior tri-captain scored a career-high 24 points as the 22nd-ranked Blue Devils (6-1, 1-0 in the ACC) routed the Virginia Cavaliers (3-3, 0-1) 83-62 in the conference opener for both teams yesterday in Cameron Indoor Stadium.
"She's definitely asserting herself more," Virginia coach Debbie Ryan said. "She is providing them with... very aggressive offensive play."
Schweitzer scored eight unanswered points in just over a minute to turn a tenuous four-point Duke lead into a 12-point advantage, setting the tone for a 30-12 Duke run that ended the first half, and effectively the game, with a 41-23 Blue Devil lead.
"It was our best [offensive showing] of the season," Duke coach Gail Goestenkors said. "We're just becoming more comfortable with [our offense]. Our offense is finally beginning to catch up with our defense."
The Cavaliers played a much more aggressive second half, finding room to operate in the suffocating Duke defense and whittling the lead down to 11, the smallest Duke advantage since Schweitzer's first-half outburst.
But just when the Cavaliers seemed to be going down the right path, they ran into a 6-foot roadblock.
Schweitzer's
"I'm very proud of my team-they played a tremendous game," Duke coach Gail Goestenkors said. "We showed a lot of poise on offense and we took care of the basketball."
It was the second-largest margin of a Duke victory in the 23-year-old rivalry, and the fifth straight series victory by the Blue Devils.
But many had thought this would be the day Duke's streak would end. Picked to finish fourth in the ACC this season (one spot behind the Cavaliers), the two-time defending ACC regular season champions turned their underdog status into motivation.
"As a player, [being the underdog] has always motivated me," Lauren Rice said. "It's a challenge to play the teams above you and [the press] sometimes thinks that we really don't have a chance, but it motivates me as a player."
The Cavaliers' pressure defense, which has been the team's strength all season, was never able to materialize.
After committing three turnovers in the first three minutes of the game, Goestenkors' squad buckled down on offense, turning the ball over just 11 times over the final 37 minutes and neutralizing the Cavaliers' vaunted transition game.
"They're a team that loves to fast break," Goestenkors said. "I felt like for the most part we kept them from breaking on us because we did that and we took good shots."
The Duke defense compounded Virginia's woes, keeping the Cavaliers off balance most of the night. Virginia committed a season-high 21 turnovers-15 in the first half-and by the time the Cavaliers had figured out the Duke defense, it was simply too late.
"Our defense, especially in the first half, was very, very good," Goestenkors said. "I feel like we are tested daily, and up to this point I've been very impressed because we continue to dig deep and come together."
The Blue Devils shot a season-high 52 percent from the field in the first half and four players scored in double figures, as Duke won its fifth straight game since the lone loss of the season to Boston College in the Preseason WNIT.
With Sweet 16 participant Virginia Tech coming up, the five-game win streak-which now includes victories over No. 9 Penn State and the traditional power of the ACC, Virginia-simply couldn't have come at a better time.
"I think the team is confident but at a very good level; we're not overconfident," Rice said. "[The win streak] has been good to have to build up our confidence and get the young players some experience. But [Virginia Tech] is going to be a tough place to play."
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