WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. For the first time since 1999, a year in which the women's basketball team advanced to the finals of the NCAA tournament, No. 2 Duke (0-1) lost its season opener, falling 85-77 to No. 3 Texas (1-0) in the State Farm Tip-Off Classic in West Lafayette, Ind.
The Blue Devils were unable to overcome their 24 turnovers, which plagued them from the outset of Sunday's contest. Duke had five giveaways in its first six possessions, and the Longhorns took advantage of the Blue Devils' sloppy play by building an early 7-0 lead before sophomore point guard Lindsey Harding sank a jumper with 16:39 remaining in the opening half.
"It was a pretty disappointing way to start," Duke head coach Gail Goestenkors said. "I was very disappointed with our effort, with our decision making and our crucial turnovers. I think we learned a great deal from this experience and we'll get smarter and just go from there."
While Duke struggled to control the ball, it is star player, All-American Alana Beard, also could not find the range from the floor. Beard, who was tabbed ESPN.com Player of the Year last season and has a career 53.8 percent field goal percentage, had one of the worst shooting games of her storied college career. The Shreveport, La., native hit just one-of-six in the first half and four-of-17 for the game, although she did collect eight rebounds and a team-high seven assists.
"I had a horrible game," Beard said. "I tried to make up for it by getting in there and crashing the boards, but basically it was just all bad."
Despite their struggles, the Blue Devils entered halftime down only seven points, thanks in large part to the efforts of post players Iciss Tillis and Brittany Hunter. The duo combined for 18 first-half points and 34 for the game to keep Duke close.
"Tillis and Hunter were a handful all game long," Texas head coach Jody Conradt said. "They wore us out inside."
Duke came out of the halftime locker room with much more focus and effectiveness than it did to start the game.
Four points each from Tillis and Beard equaled the score at 47, and, after Harding stole the ball from Texas guard Nina Norman, Tillis converted a jump shot to put the Blue Devils ahead 49-47 for the first time, with 18:20 remaining in the game.
"Duke came back with some fire right after the half," Conradt said.
"Our lead evaporated and from that point on we were just struggling to stay alive and to stay in the game."
The teams traded leads for much the next 10 minutes, but with 8:35 left on the clock, Duke appeared to be pulling away. Beard was fouled by junior Naismith candidate Heather Schreiber--who had 15 points and was one of five Longhorns to score in double figures--and she sank both shots from the charity stripe to give Duke a 65-59 advantage.
However, the Blue Devils' offense stalled with the six-point lead, and Texas was able to climb back into the game.
The Longhorns pulled ahead for good after a Norman jump shot with 3:05 left to play, as Duke hit just two of its final 11 shots.
"We got some players in foul trouble [toward the end of the game], but I don't think that really affected us as much as the turnovers," Goestenkors said. "It's hard to get any offense going when you're turning the ball over."
One of the biggest positives on the day for Duke was the performance of freshman sensation Hunter, who was the National Player of the Year last season as a senior at Brookhaven high school. Hunter finished with 16 points, five rebounds, five blocked shots and three steals.
"I just was really excited to play," Hunter said. "We didn't play that well, obviously, but I feel it's how you rebound from games like this. It's not necessarily your first game but your last game [that matters]. This is a pretty bold statement, but I feel like our last game will be in Louisiana, and I just want to contribute as much as I can every game."
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