In a season where the No. 1-ranked women's basketball team has been ahead of every squad it has faced when the final buzzer sounds, head coach Gail Goestenkors is adamant that the players not get ahead of themselves as they play N.C. State today at Reynolds Coliseum at 7 p.m. before heading into Saturday's high-profile showdown with second-ranked Connecticut.
"I'm not going to preview Connecticut right now," Goestenkors said Tuesday. "I just don't want to do it, because of State tomorrow night."
As Duke gets closer to Saturday's marquee matchup, the team's focus is on the Wolfpack, not the Huskies. The undefeated Blue Devils will put their 31-game ACC winning streak on the line against a N.C. State team that is 9-9 on the year and 4-3 in the ACC.
Despite its lukewarm record, the Wolfpack boast a frontcourt that many of the nation's premier programs envy.
"They worry me," Goestenkors said. "They have some of the best post players in our conference--and I think in the country."
The dominant fixture on the N.C. State squad is center Kaayla Chones, a 6-foot-3 redshirt junior whose 15.7 points and 8.7 rebounds per contest have made her the primary weapon for the Wolfpack.
"Chones is just an incredible post player," Goestenkors noted. "She's very tough to defend; every team that plays her has to double-team her. We'll have to double-team her as well."
Rounding out the impressive frontcourt are forwards Alvine Mendeng and Carisse Moody. Mendeng, a junior, recently became eligible after transferring from Kentucky.
A senior, Moody is State's second-leading scorer despite usually coming off the bench.
However, Duke's own frontcourt has been holding up its end of the bargain lately.
Forward Iciss Tillis is coming off two consecutive ACC Player of the Week awards, and has recently registered career highs in points and in rebounds, with 30 and 14 respectively.
Rounding out the Duke frontcourt are freshman Mistie Bass and senior Michele Matyasovsky, who have combined to average 16 points and eight rebounds per game.
With competent post play, an asset both teams have in abundance, the fans in Raleigh can expect a battle in the paint.
Where the No. 1 Blue Devils have the biggest advantage is in the backcourt. Junior All-American and crowd-pleaser Alana Beard is coming off a weak performance against Florida State, scoring only seven points.
It is unlikely that Beard will have two bad nights in a row, so the Wolfpack should expect to have their hands full with Beard and backcourt mate, Vicki Krapohl.
Perimeter play has taken a backseat for N.C. State so far this season. Kay Yow's squad has instead relied on its potent frontcourt to stay in games.
The Wolfpack point guard, Terah James, is an emotional leader of her team, but her knee injuries, which have caused her to sit out for two seasons, make James' chances of keeping up with the feisty Blue Devil backcourt an iffy proposition.
"They make me nervous," Goestenkors said. "They play great defense, they're very very athletic and I know they're going to be ready to play."
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.