The unstoppable Blue Devils have had some close games of late, though when playing easier squads, the team plays without mercy, as is evident by victories of 75, 68, and 62 points, and their most recent 101-52 romp over Maryland.
Though the nation's top ranked team should face a relatively easier test Sunday when they host ACC rivals Florida State (13-4, 5-1), they must not overlook this improving and currently hot team.
"We have had several tough weeks of play lately," Duke head coach Gail Goestenkors said. "I think everyone in the conference is just playing tremendous basketball...We need to be ready because we understand probably more than ever that if we are not ready to play, everybody is going be ready to play against us. We need to make sure that we are always ready and focused."
Off to its best ACC start in program history, the 5-1 Seminoles are tied with North Carolina for second in the conference. The team's current 13 wins equal their total for last season and they already have one more league win than in last year's season.
Florida State has been matched against a couple of stronger teams this year, most notably a December battle against upcoming Duke foe UConn.
Despite losing 74-55, the Seminoles forced the Huskies to engineer a come-from-behind victory, showing that they can pose a legitimate threat to top teams.
The Seminoles most recently defeated Virginia 55-46 last night at home, displaying sharp shooting and strong rebounding.
Junior guard Tasheila Morris, the Seminoles' leading scorer with 15.1 ppg, will provide a key matchup for Alana Beard. She is no Beard, however, and the Blue Devils may have an easier time shutting her down, especially if freshman Mistie Bass has a good day in the post.
Florida State's 5-foot-8 Angela Sutton returns to the team this season after sitting out the past two. The last season she suited up, 1999-2000, she led the squad with 68 steals and was among the ACC's top ten in that category.
The Seminoles are strong on the boards, having outrebounded Virginia by almost double. Morris leads the team, along with senior Katelyn Vujas. Vujas will be an offensive threat, as she is able to hit short jumpers or power to the inside. Goestenkors, however, has been feeling confident in her team's defense and feels that they are continually improving.
"Before we were not playing with great focus or passion," she said. "They [our games] were very stressful and we wanted to build on that...now that we have done that, we're back on the right track."
After winning several close games, the Blue Devils did not allow Maryland any second chances with a domineering effort. Look for Duke to come out strong against Florida and to play hard until the final seconds. If they can do this, another scoring frenzy may be in order for the Blue Devils.
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