COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- After winning the tip, Iciss Tillis charged down to the blocks to receive an entry pass from Vicki Krapohl on the left side. Whereas Tillis normally fakes left to the baseline, then explodes to the hoop right to kiss a bank off of the glass, this time, Maryland forward Deedee Warley stripped the 6-foot-4 sophomore as she spun around, and the Terrapins capitalized with a Warley bucket on the other end.
Such was the case Saturday night for the Blue Devils (19-3, 11-0 in the ACC), who escaped Cole Field House with a 66-55 victory despite their sloppiest play in recent memory.
Neither a sizzling start nor a fiery scoring run propelled the Blue Devils to victory; instead, Duke's win was more of a slow burn--eventually wearing down a Terrapin team (10-12, 3-8) that, despite a great effort, simply did not have the talent to compete with the Blue Devils for 40 minutes.
"Everybody's not going to be on every night, and that's OK, that's life," Duke coach Gail Goestenkors said. "Just as long as you are able to do something else..., and
Tillis, Duke's undisputed leader in the paint, stands as a prime example of this mediocrity with benefits.
Although she only shot 1-for-10 from the field and had more turnovers than points, Tillis still managed to snatch 12 boards, block two shots and steal two errant passes.
"I know Iciss was really frustrated, but she at least did a good job on the boards for us," Goestenkors said. "She gave us something else.... [However], she missed some open looks that she normally makes, and... unfortunately, I think it really let it frustrate her."
Not only did Tillis look frustrated last night, but in the first half and for large chunks of the second, the entire Blue Devil squad appeared more baffled than determined.
As Duke suffered through shooting woes, only dropping five field goals in the final 13:26 of the first half, Maryland, who confused the Blue Devils by employing a pesky four-guard set and by not hurriedly forcing their shots on the offensive
Given her team's depleted energy during the first 20 minutes against an inferior opponent, Goestenkors urged her players during the intermission to reinvigorate their sense of urgency.
"We talked about the fact that we were not being patient," Goestenkors said. "We talked about some things we wanted to do offensively to take advantage of some mismatches, and we talked about picking our defense a little more full court."
Then, in the second half, spurred on by Krapohl's bombing expedition from three-point land, Duke managed to distance themselves just enough to withstand a 10-2 Terrapin run at the end of the game.
Alana Beard, who torched Maryland for 35 in the teams' first outing this season and mustered 19 Saturday, sat dejectedly in the press room, as she mused on Duke's performance.
"I think that when I have a good game, the team has a good game," she said. "And I don't think we had a good game tonight."
Heading into Wake Forest Thursday night, her coach and seven teammates surely agree.
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