Heck, even the Michael Jordan of old had a backup cast.
Last night on a hostile court against an energized team, Alana Beard, the women's basketball team's junior star - its Spears, Armstrong, Churchill, and perhaps even Jordan - needed some help. After scoring all but three of the team's field goals and hitting two foul shots in the final seconds to seize the win against Virginia last Thursday night, she was struggling. Coming into halftime, Beard had more fouls, three. than points, two.
Unable to rely on their leader, the rest of the Blue Devils were instead forced to depend on themselves.
Behind the strength of Iciss Tillis' 24 points and 14 rebounds and some timely shooting from the rest of the team, Duke (15-0, 3-0) was able to come away with a win against
"You look at box score and we have five people in double figures, and we would all prefer for that to be the way the game goes for us, Alana included," Duke head coach Gail Goestenkors said.
Down by four seven minutes into the second half, the Blue Devils needed a spark, and they got it from, of all people, Beard. She picked Tech's Megan Isom's pocket near midcourt, streaked down court, and laid the ball through the net. The play seemed to energize the up-to-then crestfallen Duke players and get Beard, who would go on to score 15 points after that play, in sync.
The Yellow Jackets would not give up, however. They hung around like the insects they are named after at a picnic. After a free throw shot by Tech's Kasha Terry brought the deficit back to four, the Blue Devils' Vicki Kraphol drove down the court and made a long three pointer, which, according to Tech head coach Angus Berenato, demoralize her team.
When Beard began to heat up, Berenato switched the team's defense to a box-and-one. Had the Yellow Jackets remained in a man defense, she surmised that Kraphol probably would not have such an open look on that shot.
"Kraphol really came up with a big three. At that point, it's a six point game... Give Vicki Kraphol the credit that's due," Berenato said.
From then on, it was all Duke. The Blue Devils finished the game with a 18-5 spurt that turned a close contest into a lopsided score. Beard finished with 19 points while Georgia Tech was paced by Fallon Stokes, who had 21.
Duke's visit to Atlanta might prove to be the first of two for the Blue Devils this season. The Final Four is scheduled to be played here in March, and Gostenkors took her team on a tour of the Georgia Dome before the game Monday.
The Blue Devils return to action at home against Wake Forest Thursday night.
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