It seemed like Clemson all over again. With 1:42 left in the first half, Monique Currie rebounded a missed Wolfpack three-pointer and sent the ball down the court to Alana Beard. She drove to the basket with defenders on her, but without even a glance tossed the ball to the trailing Brittany Hunter for an easy two points. With yet another spectacular play, the women's basketball team (24-3, 15-1 ACC) went on to beat N.C. State (16-13, 8-8) 90-57 in the last game of the regular season last night. With the ACC and NCAA Tournaments looming ahead, Duke is hitting its peak right on time.
"I love the level of play right now," Beard said. "We're having so much fun out there and we're gelling together now. We're hitting our peak, and it's great because you want to be at this point going into the tournaments."
The team, consistently shooting over 50 percent from the field, has beaten three of its last four opponents by over 30 points. On the perimeter, Vicki Krapohl and Jessica Foley combined for five baskets behind the arc. The team's defense forced 16 Wolfpack turnovers and 10 steals, while only turning over the ball a season-low seven times.
Much of the team's recent success, especially last night, has been attributed to the strength of Brittany Hunter and other Blue Devils in the low block. Hunter scored a career-high 20 points against the Wolfpack, and picked up 10 rebounds for her second career double-double.
"I have been focusing on rebounding," she said. "I've been really working on that recently. I wasn't being as aggressive and I wasn't attacking the glass like I did today."
Recovering from a knee injury, Hunter has had a relatively strong season, averaging 8.4 points per game and 6.8 rebounds. Her performance in recent weeks suggests her year it will only get better.
"We knew [a great game for Hunter] was coming," head coach Gail Goestenkors said. "She's been having some great practices lately and all she needed was to perform the way she does in practice during a game."
"I try to stay positive," Hunter said. "I've had some ups and downs this season with the knee injury--self esteem and things like that. But I've just tried to stay positive throughout it."
Beard also recorded a double-double, with a game-high 22 points and a career-high 11 assists last night. Seven of Beard's dishes went to Hunter. Duke found success moving the ball across the floor as Hunter set up in the paint. Beard passed the ball to Hunter, who put it up for a seemingly easy layup, though Hunter insisted that they were not as easy as she made them look.
"[Hunter's] been playing great," Beard said. "She did have some ups and downs this season, but she can play like [she played tonight] every night. I like her confidence with the ball, and she can read the other team's defense really well. She played great, and I'm very proud of her."
After coming one point shy of breaking Johnny Dawkins' all-time Duke basketball career scoring record in Friday's game against Clemson, Beard put up Duke's first two points, taking over the record. As of last night's game she had scored 2,577 points, more than any other man or woman in Duke history.
"I think it's unbelievable," Goestenkors said. "To think of all the great players, especially on the men's side, that [Beard] has surpassed, it's amazing. And she is one of the most unselfish players I have ever coached."
Beard's accomplishment did not seem to go to her head, as she acknowledged the importance of it while remaining humble.
"[When I hit the shot], I was just playing," Beard said. "But it's an honor to just be put in the same category as Johnny Dawkins. He did so much for Duke basketball that I really look up to him. He's a great person and to pass him is just an honor."
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