With six players in double digits, breaking 30 in the team's overall winning streak, breaking 100 points with a three-point field goal by Vicki Krapohl in the last 23 seconds in the game, the womens' basketball team (18-0, 6-0 in the ACC) showed what it has been struggling with recently: what it means to play like a No. 1 ranked team.
"They're very deserving of their No. 1 ranking," admitted opposing Maryland head coach Brenda Frese. "Duke is just a tremendous team."
In their previous contest against UNC Monday night, the Blue Devils, who had been squeeking by teams like UVa and Wake Forest, were pushed to the breaking point.
Perhaps that's all they needed to realize the depth of their team and their power to live up to their praises of "potential" greatness.
Maryland's (8-10, 2-5) record had little to do with Duke's domination. During the first half, the Terrapins showed that they had come to compete. Down 18-6 seven minutes into the game, the Terrapins went on an 11-0 run, scoring eight points off of turnovers by the Blue Devils.
But Duke was not to be undone.
For the first time this season, the Blue Devils laid all their cards on the table as the bench went to work treading on any hope Maryland had for an upset.
"I think our bench played very well," Duke head coach Gail Goestenkors said. "That's something that we need to be a great team."
Sheana Mosch, who had proven herself to be a potential threat after the UNC game Monday night, came off the bench 15 minutes into the the second half to go on a 5-0 solo run, penetrating a helpless Terrapin defense. She finished with 15 points, matching Alana Beard, who has been carrying the team on her back thus far.
"I was very proud of Shena," Goestenkors said. "She took a couple early shots that we didn't want her to take but then she came back very strong. I think that's the mark of a senior and a leader; someone who can come back and still play their best basketball."
Wynter Whitley and Jessica Foley both came off the bench finishing in double digits, each scoring 11 points. The strength of a top team is in its depth.
Duke's bench compiled a final score, 41, that fell just short of Maryland's total 52 points. As Krapohl sunk the last basket of the game, the Blue Devils broke 100 points for the fifth time in the regular season. Alana Beard jumped on Iciss Tillis, who carried an ecstatic Beard into the huddle of an even happier and more proud basketball team.
"We get excited when everyone plays really well," said Tillis, who led the team with 19 points. "It's not about one person playing well. It's about the whole team playing well."
Pushed into overtime by their biggest rivals, the Blue Devils have awoken to gracefully assume their top ranking. If Duke has truly recognized their potential and can hold onto the confidence and depth they exhibited against the Terps, this team will not be overrated. It will just be great.
"We need to continue to build on this," Goestenkors said. "I think the Carolina game was a turning point. It was important to us to follow up the Carolina game with another game where we were focused and intense and playing really good defense. So now, we just need to continue along that path."
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