Duke seemingly did everything to earn a win over Tennessee Monday night. They forced 23 turnovers. They held the Lady Vols' starters to 32% shooting. And perhaps most importantly, they kept all-Universe Vols' forward Candace Parker out of her offensive element and scoreless for the game's first 13 minutes.
But when the final horn blew with Tennessee on top, the Lady Vols' victory on the boards propelled the nation's No. 2 team to a 67-64 win over No. 10 Duke.
Tennessee outrebounded Duke 40-29, earning extra shots and free throws off of offensive rebounds and denying Duke second-chance opportunities throughout the game. The Blue Devils were unable to register a single second-chance point, while the Lady Vols had 21 second-chance points of their own.
"The most glaring statistic that will bother us from this game is the second chance points and the boards, and what Tennessee created off the boards," Duke head coach Joanne P. McCallie said. "The basketball gods said, 'No, not tonight. Not if you're going to rebound like that. Not going to happen for you.'"
Although the Blue Devils had little trouble scoring points inside--they had 30 points in the paint--the length and athleticism of the Lady Vols' post duo of Parker and Nicky Anosike wiped the defensive boards and denied the Blue Devils opportunities for putbacks. Parker finished the night with a game-high 12 rebounds, and Anosike chipped in six boards.
"What you have to do is make defensive rebounding a priority, because that's where you can take away the edge," Tennessee head coach Pat Summit said. "Duke is a great rebounding team, and I just really felt like we had to take away a lot of their second-chance opportunities, and I thought we were more focused in really concentrating on the defensive boards."
Duke's decision to consistently double-team Parker also many have played into the rebounding disparity. Although the Blue Devils' tight defense against the Lady Vols' two-time National Player of the Year was effective in denying her good looks from the floor--she finished 4-of-13 from the floor-the commitment to double down left fewer Blue Devils free to pursue defensive boards.
"No doubt there have to be rotations and boxouts when you throw some people at Candace Parker," McCallie said. "We didn't finish well. We defended well, but boxouts are how you finish."
Parker's struggles on the floor did not extend to the free-throw line, however, where she scored nine of her 17 points on 12 free-throw attempts. Many of these foul attempts came on put-back tries, with Parker on one occasion pulling down two offensive boards before being fouled on a third, successful attempt. Parker stepped to the line and hit the extra shot. Plays like those doomed the Blue Devils on a night when most everything else seemed to be going their way.
"The stat sheet doesn't lie," Duke center Chante Black said of her team's rebounding disparity. "[A win] would have been huge, in front of a big crowd and everything. It's just the way it falls."
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