Alana Beard scored 31 points Thursday night as fifth-ranked Duke jumped out to a 22-point halftime lead on its way to routing No. 21 North Carolina 102-82. Freshman Monique Currie registered a career-high 23 points and three other Blue Devils also were in double figures, to help lead the Blue Devils over their Chapel Hill rivals.
"I thought we played an excellent first half, everyone contributed," Duke coach Gail Goestenkors said. "I'm very pleased with our overall effort."
Although many expected Thursday's contest to be a closely fought encounter, Duke (16-3, 8-0 in the ACC) dominated the opening 20 minutes of play. Despite initially looking capable of matching Duke's attacking style, the Tar Heels (14-6, 4-4) soon appeared to be overmatched.
"We took too long to get going," said North Carolina coach Sylvia Hatchell. "Our intensity level in the first half wasn't matched to their intensity level."
Holding an 11-point lead with under four minutes left to play before halftime, the Blue Devils finished the first stanza with a 13-2 spurt in which Duke's offense exhibited both balance and fluidity.
Sophomore point guard Vicki Krapohl hit two three-pointers, junior Sheana
"It's great when everyone's hitting, moving the ball--contributing to our offense," Currie said. "That's just a strength of our team--that we know that everyone can be on any day."
Thursday's contest featured a bruising, relentless tempo of play. The two sides combined to attempt 61 free throws, as opposing players continually grappled with one another for every loose ball.
The game's physical nature suited Goestenkors, who instructed her squad's male practice opponents to bully her players during this week's practices.
"We've had some brutal practices--very, very intense," Goestenkors said. "I told the guys that are practicing against us to push us, shove us, foul us, step on us, because I knew it was going to be a very, very physical game and I wanted us to play aggressively but yet with poise.
"[The players] were very angry with the guys yesterday because they just abused us, but I said you will thank them after the game tomorrow."
Hatchell admitted that the physicality Duke displayed Thursday night took her squad by surprise.
"This was a very intense game," Hatchell said. "It was much, much more physical than what we've been playing all year. To compete with them next time we've got to rise to another level of physical play."
Although Thursday's contest was against its most bitter rival, the Blue Devils approached the game with a remarkably business-like manner.
"I'm the same for every game," Beard said. "There's no change in my game [for UNC]."
Currie's sentiments echoed those of her teammate.
"Duke-Carolina is always a big rivalry, but I take every game [individually]," she said.
After stretching its lead to 30 points midway through the second half, Duke temporarily lost its edge. Goestenkors thought her team abandoned their game plan and became too impatient on the offensive end.
"Sometimes when you score you tend to think you can score on the first pass," she said. "In the first half we were scoring after three, four or five passes. We were getting great looks."
North Carolina ultimately pared Duke's lead down to just 14 with 2:23 left in the game, but the Blue Devils recovered to retake command of the game and close out the Tar Heels in style.
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