RALEIGH -- What was supposed to be a hard-fought contest between the nation's premier women's basketball teams gradually evolved into simply an extended celebration Sunday afternoon, as No. 1 Duke blew out second-ranked Tennessee 76-55 at the inaugural women's Jimmy V Classic. Leading 36-31 at halftime, the Blue Devils began the second stanza with a 20-5 run from which the Volunteers never recovered.
All-American Alana Beard led Duke (2-0) with a strong all-around performance, scoring 22 points, pulling down nine rebounds and handing out seven assists. Fellow junior Iciss Tillis added 17 points on 7-of-10 shooting. The 6-foot-4 Tillis provided many key plays, including a first-half buzzer beater and a brilliant three-point play during the decisive second half burst, and the Blue Devils cruised to a dominating victory.
"This was a great opportunity for us to show the nation that we were here to play," Duke head coach Gail Goestenkors said. "After we lost Monique [Currie], we heard so many people say that we weren't a great team. But we're to stay."
After jumping out to an early 13-4 advantage, Tennessee (1-1) struggled throughout the rest of the game. The Volunteers shot just 31.6 percent from the floor and committed 23 turnovers which Duke converted into 38 points.
Legendary Tennessee head coach Pat Summitt complimented Duke's effort while at the same time wrestling with her own frustration at her squad's poor performance.
"Obviously we're extremely disappointed and embarrassed about our lack of competitiveness today," Summitt said. "Our inability to commit to rebounding and our turning the ball over was atrocious at times. All I can tell you is that Duke deserves to be the No. 1-ranked team in the country. Tennessee obviously doesn't look to be second best right now."
Already excited over Tillis' 16-foot jump shot that gave Duke a five-point edge heading into the intermission, the Blue Devils put on an impressive display after the break to establish themselves as the country's dominant basketball power. It took the Volunteers seven minutes to finally make a field goal, and over an eight-minute stretch Duke ratcheted up both its lead and its intensity with each bucket.
Beard hit a hanging jumper, point guard Vicki Krapohl hit from behind the arc and freshman Jessica Foley stroked a run-capping three-pointer of her own, but it was Tillis who shone brightest during the stretch. Despite picking up her third foul after just one minute of play, Tillis remained in the game to score eight points during the game-clinching outburst.
Summitt applauded the Blue Devils' tenacity and focus, particularly in their attention to defense and rebounding. Although the Volunteers, historically one of the elite rebounding teams in women's collegiate basketball, actually finished Sunday's contest with a 44-42 edge under the boards, Duke often looked to be aggressively controlling the glass.
"I think, first of all, they had passion for rebounding the basketball today at both ends," Summit said. "They went after it. They got every loose ball today. That speaks to their intensity and their commitment and their competitiveness."
Although the Blue Devils' strength was certainly its depth and team commitment, star Alana Beard stood out as the game's most amazing player. It was Beard who started Duke's comeback from its opening nine-point deficit with two one-on-one baskets, and it was she who dictated play most of Sunday afternoon with her ability to break Tennessee down off the dribble and her stifling defense.
Beard harassed the Volunteer backcourt, recording five steals, and also helped limit Volunteer guard Kara Lawson into nine points on 2-of-8 shooting. Lawson, in turn, was one of several Tennessee players unable to contain Duke's All-American.
"With Alana, she's above average quick, but what's hard with her is she's long," guard Kara Lawson said. "She has the ability to elevate and still get an open shot even if you're right there on her. So I think what separates her is that she has such a great body, and she has a quick step."
Coasting with at least a 15-point lead for the game's final 14 minutes, Duke danced on and off the court. Sophomore Wynter Whitley--whose tenacious defensive efforts held Tennessee's Gwen Jackson, a preseason Naismith candidate, to just 12 points and five rebounds--personified Duke's jubilant attitude.
Her impressive Jim Carrey impersonation, an ode to his dance from "Dumb and Dumber," drew laughter from up and down the Duke bench, as the Blue Devils left the RBC Center jumping in joy.
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