In its 86-60 victory over N.C. State yesterday, the bookend for a perfect 16-0 ACC regular season record for the Blue Devils, No. 2 Duke looked good--real good.
It was a typical performance that Duke fans have come to expect this season.
Alana Beard was her usual self, posting 22 points, collecting six rebounds and grabbing a couple of steals and assists while participating in enough violent, physical collisions that must have made the crowd wonder if it was watching a basketball game or a NASCAR race.
Iciss Tillis also played the way she normally does, leading the team in rebounding, finishing second in scoring.
It was not a two woman show, however--all who played scored for the Blue Devils, and at times it seemed like any player in a Duke uniform could score at will.
But yesterday's game wasn't about Beard or Tillis or any other underclasswoman. It was Senior Night at Cameron Indoor Stadium, and the game belonged to Duke's two seniors, Michele Matyasovsky and Sheana Mosch.
Honored with their parents before the game in addition to delivering speeches afterwards, both Matyasovsky and Mosch played above their usual games.
Matyasovsky did a little bit of everything, grabbing several rebounds, blocking a shot and recording two assists. She got hot midway through the first half, and hit four shots in a row at one point.
Meanwhile, Mosch continued her recent scoring run, racking up 14 points as she led Duke's fastbreak charge from the front for most of the day. She showed all the signs of the reborn player that she has become during this second half of the season.
After the game, head coach Gail Goestenkors deferred a lot of the credit to her two seniors.
"I have to give a lot of credit to my players and my staff," Goestenkors said. "Michele and Sheana have been through a lot this year. There was an expectation that we win the ACC and through their leadership, we were able to do that.
"They have given a lot of help to the younger players on how we prepare for games and what to expect. I think it takes great character to go through the conference and remain undefeated."
Those two undefeated streaks represent an unprecedented record in ACC history for both the men's and women's leagues.
Matyasovsky and Mosch led the Blue Devils to the school's second-ever Final Four last season and to its first ever preseason No. 1 ranking this season.
And led by the two seniors, Duke will enter the postseason with its best chance ever to become national champions.
But there's more than just this year.
First, consider how Mosch responded when Alana Beard went down with an injury two seasons ago. Mosch scored over a 100 points total in those four games, singlehandedly carrying Duke over that stretch.
Second, Matyasovsky, the undisputable star on her high school team, has shelved her ego in order to essentially become a role player for the Blue Devils.
"They have meant more than words can say," Goestenkors said. "They are excellent students. They are excellent ambassadors for women's basketball and for Duke University. The things they do off court that I think nobody knows about would stun some people,[like] going to the hospital and meeting with the kids who are sick. You would be proud to have them for your daughters."
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