CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - Alana Beard was sensational Thursday night against Virgina (5-8, 0-3 in the ACC), scoring a school-record 41 points, including two game-winning free-throws with 0.8 seconds remaining in a 60-59 win over unranked Virginia. No. 1 Duke (14-0, 2-0) held possession of the ball for the last 36 seconds of the game, when Virginia deflected the ball out of bounds, forced a jump-ball and three Blue Devil misses before Cavalier Karen Jaeger fouled Beard at half-court while fighting for a loose ball with less than a second remaining.
"We feel very, very lucky to escape.... I think we're escaping with a win here," Duke head coach Gail Goestenkors said.
Virginia's students do not return to campus from winter break until next week, but it was Duke who forgot to show up in University Hall until the last moments of the game. Beard provided a Jordanesque performance in the game's final minutes, scoring at will despite Virginia's valiant efforts to stop her. Although impressive throughout the game, Beard took her play to another level after the Cavaliers appeared to have gained control of the contest when it held a 51-44 lead moments after Iciss Tillis fouled out of the game with 6:06 left in the second half. With the crowd hitting impressive decibels for its small size, Beard began her run with a skillful fade-away jumpshot.
"I knew I needed to take over at some point," Beard said.
After a defensive stop and a Michele Matyasovsky outlet pass, Beard forgot about her poor shooting teammates - the rest of the team only connected on three field goals compared to the All-American's 16 - and weaved through four Cavaliers for a fast-break lay-up. Duke continued the defensive pressure without its second-best player by nearly forcing Virginia into a shot-clock violation before Anna Prillman turned the ball over.
The Blue Devils once again gave the ball to Beard, and she once again made the Cavaliers look helpless by blowing past two defenders before connecting on a left-handed lay-up. Duke was now only trailing by one point with 3:11 remaining.
But UVa did not give up on its bid to beat the No. 1 team in the nation despite playing without its top two scorers, Cherise Graham and Brandi Teamer, who were suspended for a team violation. After the Blue Devils had played another tremendous set of half-court defense, Sheana Mosch fouled Tonya Blue, who connected on both of her pressure packed free-throws. Virginia now had a three point lead with 2:40 remaining.
"They were facing some adversity with two of their better players sitting out for the game, and I think everyone else just stepped up." Goestenkors said . "They reminded me of us last year when we came in here with only eight players."
True to form, Beard responded by scoring again. Duke did not have a defensive answer on Virginia' next possession, however, as Safiya Grant-Fairley quickly countered with a fast break lay-up from a great pass from Blue, giving the Cavaliers a 55-52 advantage.
Beard briefly returned to earth by missing a shot, but the miss was rebounded by Mosch, who was fouled. Mosch did not connect on any of her field-goal attempts Thursday, but she had no problem knocking down her clutch tries at the charity stripe, once again shaving Virginia's lead to one.
Beard then fouled Virginia's Jocelyn Logan-Friend on the ensuing possession, and the sophomore made both of her free-throw attempts. Beard made up for her mistake by draining two foul shots of her own on Duke's next possession.
Virginia looked to continue trading points with the Blue Devils, but Beard stole a pass from Grant-Fairley to Anna Crosswhite, and took the ball coast-to-coast by hitting a pull-up jumpshot from the free-throw line to take a 58-57 lead with with just 50 seconds remaining.
Grant-Fairley, unfazed by Beard's greatness, quickly countered with a powerful drive that ended in an easy lay-up with 36 seconds to go. Despite all that had already occurred, the madness was yet to begin.
After a Duke time-out to call a play for Beard, Harding's pass to the national player of the year candidate was deflected out-of-bounds. Beard received the ball again after the Blue Devils inbounded, but she was immediately double-teamed. Beard passed the ball insided to Matyasovsky, who missed from the inside. Beard grabbed the rebound, and missed a shot of her own. Several players fought viciously for the rebound, which ended up in a jump ball with the posession arrow pointing Duke's way.
After another timeout, the Blue Devils set up another play for Beard, who this time got a clear shot at the basket with approximately five seconds left. Her shot missed off the back of the rim, and bounced all the way to halfcourt. Beard hustled to grab the ball, and in the process was questionably fouled by Jaeger. The junior calmly went to the line and won the game for the Blue Devils.
"I think it was a foul, to be honest with you, but it was far away from the basket," Goestenkors said
Despite the end-of-the game heroics, Duke felt the game was a disappointment. The Blue Devils played perhaps their worst half of the season, as they shot only 23.1 percent in the first half.
"We didn't play with the confidence that we normally do," Goestenkors said.
Although disheartened at the controversial conclusion of the game, the Virginia squad was greatly impressed with Beard's performance.
"These kids are winners in my mind, and that's discounting the last call," Virginia head coach Debbie Ryan said. "[But] Alana is everything they say she is."
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