Georgia Schweitzer missed 13 shots from the floor. Rochelle Parent didn't hit a single field goal. Lauren Rice went 0-for-4 from three-point range.
But it didn't matter. Despite the offensive struggles of their three veterans, the Blue Devils still knocked off seventh-ranked N.C. State last night in Cameron Indoor Stadium. No. 14 Duke stands a half-game out of first place in the ACC because four of its youngsters played like veterans last night.
Sophomore Krista Gingrich scored a game-high 19 points and hit a huge three-pointer with just over a minute remaining. And freshmen Sheana Mosch, Michele Matyasovsky and LaNedra Brown all added key contributions in the 70-64 victory.
"This was a huge step for us," coach Gail Goestenkors said. "I think the freshmen in particular and Krista in particular have taken it upon themselves to step up. We can't ask a whole lot more of Georgia, Ro and Lauren."
With senior Peppi Browne, Duke's best all-around player, out for the season, the Blue Devils need more scoring, rebounding and just about everything else from their underclassmen. They got it last night, and once again Duke is in contention for its third-straight ACC regular-season title.
Gingrich got off to a rough start, turning the ball over three times and missing a shot as N.C. State built a 17-5 lead to open the game.
But with less than 11 minutes to go in the first half and the Blue Devils' offense floundering, the guard made an aggressive move to the basket which drew a foul. She hit both free throws for her first points of the game, which became the first two points of a 27-2 Duke run over the next nine-and-a-half minutes.
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"I'm so proud of the team and the effort they gave," Goestenkors said. "I thought everyone stepped up at different points during the game."
Mosch, who scored a career-high 16 points, was everywhere, with seven points, a steal and two offensive rebounds during the run. With Duke still trailing by 10 midway through the first half, the freshman rebounded a Parent miss and found an open Schweitzer for a three-pointer. Two possessions later, she went coast to coast for a three-point play that made the score 17-13.
Then, after a long jumper by Parent, Mosch drove the lane for a layup. Duke only trailed by two and the momentum had suddenly swung in the Blue Devils' favor.
Mosch would come through with two more clutch plays late in the second half, converting a layup and sinking two free throws to twice stretch the Blue Devils' lead back to five. Then it would be Gingrich's turn to make her mark.
With just over a minute to go, Duke broke the N.C. State press and Rice found an open Gingrich for a three-pointer and an eight-point lead the Wolfpack would not erase.
"I was surprised I even got the ball, because Lauren made a really tough pass-she was double, even triple teamed," Gingrich said. "I knew the shot clock was running down and just put it up and it went in."
While Gingrich, Mosch and Matyasovsky all arrived at Duke as highly regarded recruits, Brown can't claim that distinction. Her stats might not have looked like much last night, as she finished with two points and one rebound, but the 6-foot-1 freshman provided 11 valuable minutes.
Brown had seen action in just 10 games before yesterday and had yet to play more than four minutes in an ACC contest. But she played well in garbage time Monday at Wake Forest and against the Wolfpack, Goestenkors inserted her into the lineup with more than 12 minutes remaining in the first half and Duke down 11.
The move paid off just over a minute later, when Brown fumbled a Gingrich entry pass but quickly recovered for a short jumper. Then, with less than seven minutes to go and Duke still down two, she blocked an Amy Simpson jumper on the other end of the floor.
"She's been having great practices," Goestenkors said. "I believe if you practice well, you deserve a shot in a game.... We felt just like we needed a little more athleticism in there. I thought she did a great job-got a couple of rebounds, blocked a shot. She made a difference."
It's unrealistic to expect Brown to replace Browne, and not just because she's lacking an "e" at the end of her name. But the freshman can give the Blue Devils some of the size and athleticism they lose in Browne's absence.
If Brown can continue to provide quality minutes, Duke will have fewer problems against big teams like N.C. State. And if the rest of the underclassmen can continue to play like they did last night, the Browne-less Blue Devils might beat a few more top-10 teams.
"We felt we could get some more help from Krista, Sheana and Michele Matyasovsky," Goestenkors said. "Those three in particular have really stepped up and helped to alleviate the loss.
"We're a different team, but I think that tonight we showed we are still a great team."
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