It took Howard head coach Cathy Parsons 40 minutes of basketball to find out what the Blue Devil women's hoops team was missing Friday night: nothing.
"They have no lack," Parsons said. "We were outmanned tonight."
In Duke's 128-53 trampling of the Lady Bison at Cameron Indoor Stadium, Parsons had plenty of opportunity to observe the Blue Devils firing on all cylinders. The team's starting five dominated both ends of the court from the first tip, but the depth of the No. 1 Duke team kept Howard from ever getting within striking distance in one of the most lopsided games in either program's history.
The Blue Devils used their stifling defense to hold Howard scoreless for nearly three minutes. The potent offense, led by power forward Iciss Tillis, allowed Duke to jump to an early 17-5 lead. Tillis had 22 points in the game, including 12 points in the game's first seven minutes.
But the Blue Devils' total supremacy was especially evident in the play of its reserves, who accounted for 58 points, five more than Howard's entire squad. Bench players meshed beautifully with the starters, giving Duke five weapons no matter what lineup was on the floor.
In the second half, two plays highlighted the Blue Devils' depth, one involving established juniors and one showcasing the flair of the freshmen.
While bringing up the ball with 16:30 left in the half, junior point guard Vicki Krapohl saw classmate Alana Beard streaking for the hoop. Krapohl's long pass hit Beard in stride. Driving along the baseline, Beard spun and contorted in mid-air around a Howard defender before sinking a finger-roll that was surely the most acrobatic of her 16 points.
The Blue Devil bench was not to be outdone; with just under 10 minutes left in the half, freshman point guard Lindsey Harding swiped the ball from Howard's Daisha Hicks. Harding then quarterback-passed upcourt to fellow freshman and backcourt mate Jessica Foley, whose drive along the baseline and soft layup upped the lead to 59.
This freshman connection highlighted the many facets of Duke's talented team, and should give Blue Devil fans hope for continued success even after its upperclassmen have moved on.
Head coach Gail Goestenkors had altered Friday's lineup, starting freshman Mistie Bass at center in a larger frontcourt than Duke had been using.
"We went with different lineups," Goestenkors said. "We went really big, with Alana at the point and Iciss and Wynter [Whitley] and Mistie."
Goestenkors' faith was vindicated by Bass' 19 points, seven rebounds and three blocks.
Tillis, Bass and Beard were the leading scorers, but the Duke reserves also put up some impressive stats. Freshman Brooke Smith used her physical play and hook shot to tally 14 points, a career high, in just 16 minutes of play.
Harding, Foley and Whitley each netted 12 points, raising the total of Duke scorers in double figures to seven.
Bass cited depth among several reasons for the Blue Devil rout.
"Our whole team was getting so into the game," Bass said. "And the crowd was just getting outrageous."
As Duke attacks the tougher parts of its schedule in late December and January, it needs to keep all its pieces in place. But it was clear to all who saw Friday's game what the Blue Devils are missing: nothing.
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