Last night a not-so-new program aired at Cameron Indoor Stadium as the nearly 4,000-strong crowd witnessed what is quickly becoming known as The Alana Beard Show.
ACC rookie of the year front-runner Beard and No. 4 Duke (23-2, 11-2 in the ACC) downed Maryland, 75-54, winning the Blue Devils' first home game since narrowly falling to unranked Florida State last Wednesday, 71-69.
Beard scored 16 points in the second stanza, as Duke came roaring out of the locker room to a 14-3 run in the first three-and-a-half minutes in the second half.
"I was very pleased with our second-half effort," coach Gail Goestenkors said. "Offensively we had more of the attack mindset we were lacking in the first half and [we] understand that, from here on out, it's going to take 40 minutes of focused basketball to win."
The Blue Devils dominated the second half, going 19-for-35 from the field. Typifying the offense, Georgia Schweitzer took advantage of an unobservant Maryland defense to send a pass through the key to a patiently waiting Sheana Mosch. She was fouled on the shot and sank both free throws to improve Duke's abysmal 25 percent first-half foul shooting to over 50 percent.
The Blue Devils
Also struggling was a flu-stricken Iciss Tillis, who shot 3-for-6 from the field for eight points, six of which came from treys. Tillis, leading Duke with 6.3 boards per game, only contributed one defensive board, personifying Duke's 20-11 first-half rebound deficit.
Both teams were plagued by turnovers, but with 27, Maryland finished with nearly double the Blue Devils' 14. Maryland players passed the ball out of bounds unmolested five times in the first half, but Duke was unable to capitalize and went into the locker room tied at 26.
Along with her 23 total points and five rebounds, Beard broke a school record for single-season steals, adding her seven on the night for a season-tally of 77. Even though Beard missed four games this season due to a dislocated thumb, the Frierson, La., native ranks 15th in the ACC with 3.5 steals per game.
The freshman broke the 16-year-old mark of 75 formerly held by current assistant coach Joanne Boyle with 16:29 remaining in the second half. The freshman's 76th steal capped Duke's early second-half run as Beard stripped a Maryland player and dribbled the length of the court for an easy deuce.
"It's a great honor and I surpassed a great player and a great record," Beard said of breaking her assistant coach's record.
Terrapin starters Deedee Warley and Marche Strickland combined for 31 of Maryland's 54 points, but their efforts were not enough to stifle Duke's second-half exuberance and Beard's offensive explosion. Rometra Craig also added her usual scrappiness, as the Blue Devil who scored closest to Beard with nine points and six rebounds.
Last night's matchup with Maryland marked the eighth game Beard has scored 20 or more points this season, and Goestenkors recorded win No. 199 at Duke. The win clinched at least part of the ACC regular-season title as Duke is in first place in the conference with a three-game lead over Florida State (16-8, 8-5).
"If we come out focused and intense and play our style of basketball for 40 minutes, we should win every game," Goestenkors said. "That's the mentality that I think we should have."
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