The Wake Forest game plan going into Cameron Indoor Stadium Sunday was simple-stop Chante Black.
And judging by the constant double, and sometimes triple-teams the center battled throughout the contest, the target on Black's back could not have been more apparent. Nearly eight minutes into the first half, the senior had yet to attempt a field goal. With the Demon Deacon defense collapsing on Black as soon as she moved into the paint, the Blue Devils needed the rest of their frontcourt to step up.
With a combined 32 points, Duke's post players certainly responded to the call.
In her second straight start and ninth of the season, junior Carrem Gay took advantage of her opportunity, grabbing a steal and converting a fast-break layup in the opening 30 seconds. Throughout the first half, Gay exploited a lack of defensive pressure, scoring eight points on 3-of-4 shooting.
During the first six minutes of the second period, however, Gay really began to shine.
After a Black miss, Gay pulled down the offensive board and threw up the put-back while drawing a foul. After successfully converting the three-point play, junior Abby Waner found Gay open under the basket while inbounding the ball. Less than a minute later, the forward pulled down yet another offensive board, as she rebounded her own shot for another easy layup.
"It all comes down to practice," Gay said on her success in the game. "You work on taking good shots. Our guards do a good job getting us the ball, getting that inside-outside attack."
The forward may have completely taken over the game had it not been for a hard charge from Courteney Morris. Gay looked visibly shaken from the hit. Although she left the court with 14 minutes remaining, Gay still led all scorers in the game with 15 points.
With Gay on the bench and Black still frustrated offensively, sophomore Joy Cheek took the reins for the rest of the half. Cheek's dominating play overwhelmed Wake Forest down low, as the forward scored eight of her 13 points in the paint. With 15 seconds left in the game, Cheek confidently launched a 3-pointer, capping her already-impressive performance.
The aggressive play from the two post players could not have come at a better time for the Blue Devils. With sharpshooters Wanisha Smith, Jasmine Thomas and Waner all having trouble connecting from the outside in the past few games, the usually high-scoring Duke offense was unable to establish any sort of tempo. If the shooting woes continue for Duke, the team may have to rethink their usual reliance on the three. Judging by the win against the Demon Deacons, however, the Blue Devils have plenty of capable weapons in the post to make up for poor shooting nights on the outside.
Fortunately for Duke, Black's struggles on the inside will most likely not be a constant for the rest of the season. But head coach Joanne P. McCallie emphasized how difficult it can be to lose a scoring option.
"You don't want any player taken out," McCallie said. "Whether it's a guard or a post, you want to keep everything alive as much as you can, keep every option alive."
But even if more teams do decide to double-team Black in the post, the Blue Devils have shown their ability to adapt during the game and still find a way to win. And if the performances from the post players are any indication, Duke has plenty of options who are willing to step up.
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