In its toughest matchup of the season, the No. 10 Duke women’s basketball team faces No. 4 Tennessee in Knoxville tonight, looking to upset a squad that has a 4-2 record against the Blue Devils.
Two years ago, the Lady Vols squashed Duke’s national championship ambitions with a Final Four victory.
Last season, the top-ranked Blue Devils suffered their only home loss when Tennessee, then the second-ranked squad, edged out Duke 72-69, silencing a sold-out Cameron Indoor Stadium.
“I’ve never had the opportunity to play at Tennessee before, so I think it will be a tremendous experience for the entire team,” head coach Gail Goestenkors said. “This will be our toughest challenge to date and will take a tremendous team effort, and we’re going to have to play with extreme poise. It’s a challenge but it’s also a great opportunity.”
For Goestenkors’ squad, this is a challenge that mirrors last year’s game at Connecticut when Duke faced the Huskies for the first time ever at the Hartford Civic Center. The Blue Devils won 68-67 on Jessica Foley’s last-second three-pointer.
In Duke’s quest for an upset tonight, the Blue Devils (5-1) are facing a Tennessee squad (4-1) that opened the season as the No. 1 team in the country but slipped last week when the Texas Longhorns crushed them, 74-59.
Just as the Blue Devils started the season with uncertainty because of the loss of Duke’s all-time leading scorer Alana Beard, Tennessee lost three players. Both teams have responded with their younger talent, especially freshmen, filling more prominent roles.
To this point, Tennessee has used its healthy freshmen—Nicky Anosike and Alexis Hornbuckle—off the bench. Anosike, however, will probably get the start at center tonight.
The Lady Vols are without their prized freshman, Candace Parker, who was last year’s top recruit. Parker underwent two surgeries on her left knee before the start of the year but is expected to return by mid-season.
The Blue Devils’ freshman center Chante Black was out earlier in the season with an ankle injury, stalling the team’s rebounding ability and hurting its post game. With Black back in the lineup at the Junkanoo Jam Nov. 26 and 27 in the Bahamas, 6-foot-7 Alison Bales and Black were able to control the low post and finally give the Blue Devils a solid inside game.
“We are excited about Duke, and speaking of inside game, they have size with Alison Bales inside and Monique Currie on the wing,” Tennessee head coach Pat Summitt said. “To me, she is one of the most powerful three players out there and certainly one of the best we have faced. It is going to be a big challenge for us.”
As Duke’s only seasoned players on the court tonight, Currie and junior Mistie Williams will lead the team against the most formidable front court it has faced. Currie is averaging 18.5 points per game and has shown her skill in Duke’s two wins over top-25 opposition.
The uncertainty at the point guard with the suspension of Lindsey Harding has given freshman Wanisha Smith the chance to develop her ball handling.
“I really am happy with her,” Goestenkors said. “She is turning the ball over a little too much, but under the circumstances, I just take deep breaths and know that she is just going to continue to improve.”
Tennessee will counter with experienced junior guard Shanna Zolman and senior forward Brittany Jackson.
“It’s one of the greatest programs, and day in and day out they come to play,” Goestenkors said of Tennessee. “They are always prepared and focused. They do not take teams for granted. It is not about a person, they come and go, it is about their program. You know they are going to play great defense, and they are going to rebound the heck out of the ball.”
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