One year after becoming the first team in conference history to win four straight ACC tournament titles, the second-ranked women's basketball team (24-3, 15-1 in the ACC) will have a chance to extend its record streak, as it goes for its fifth consecutive championship this weekend in Greensboro, N.C.
"I think we're really comfortable in Greensboro," said senior Vicki Krapohl, who is 60-4 against ACC foes during her four-year career. "It's a place where we've experienced a lot of success. We just feel like every year that this is our tournament, and it's kind of like our homecourt."
Three of the Blue Devils' four title wins have come against North Carolina, including a 77-59 victory in the 2003 finals. In that game, then-junior Iciss Tillis scored 21 second-half points en route to earning tournament MVP honors.
The second-seeded Tar Heels (22-5, 12-4), who are currently ranked No. 10 in the nation, may once again be top-seeded Duke's main competition this year. North Carolina, led by the dynamic freshman duo of Ivory Latta and Camille Little, has five players averaging at least nine points per game.
The Blue Devils have handed their Tobacco Road rivals convincing 79-57 and 89-79 defeats already this season, but Duke head coach Gail Goestenkors knows that sweeping any team during the course of one season is difficult.
"I think it is hard to beat a team three times," Goestenkors said. "There are a lot of teams that worry me because they're so good, and they know us so well."
Although Duke has dominated the ACC in recent years, it knows that it cannot take any team for granted. The Blue Devils were reminded of that fact earlier this season when the lightly regarded Florida State Seminoles snapped their 51-game conference winning streak with an 80-74 victory in Tallahassee.
"We need to be prepared for and respect every one of our opponents, because like Florida State did, they can jump up and bite you when you're not ready," said sophomore point guard Lindsey Harding, whose 2.16 assist-to-turnover ratio is by far the best in the conference. "We just don't want to lose. We could be playing the number 500 seed or the number one, we just want to win."
After the Blue Devils' loss to the Seminoles, they have been dominating their opponents, including a 102-48 drubbing of the Clemson Tigers on senior night at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Led by three-time All-American Alana Beard, Duke is utilizing its inside-outside strength on offense and its stifling defensive pressure to shut its opponents down.
"I think we're doing a better job of going inside-out," Beard said. "Right now we're just gelling together and we're doing everything that we have to do, all the little things that we need to do to win."
A fifth consecutive ACC Championship should guarantee the Blue Devils a No. 1 seed in the upcoming NCAA tournament, in which Duke will play its first two rounds at Cameron Indoor Stadium on March 21st and 23rd.
Despite its ultimate goal of winning a national championship, the team realizes that it must first take care of business in its own conference.
"It's definitely difficult because you look ahead a lot and you want to get to the NCAA tournament," guard Monique Currie said. "But Coach G. reminds us about what we need to keep our minds on. We just focus on our next opponent and take it day by day, because we never want to overlook or disrespect anyone."
For Beard, Krapohl and Iciss Tillis, this weekend's tournament will mark the final ACC games in their storied four-year careers, and they want to leave with a perfect 4-0 record at the event.
"Winning the ACC Championship is one of our goals," Krapohl said. "I don't think this ACC season would feel right without a championship."
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