Before Monday's rivalry matchup, much was made about Maryland's guard play, specifically whether or not Kristi Toliver would drive another dagger into Duke's heart, as she had in the 2006 national championship.
And after 40 hard-fought minutes, the Terrapin point guard had her moments.
But it was the play of the Blue Devil frontcourt that swung the game in Duke's favor.
"We just had an attack mindset," junior Joy Cheek said. "We just knew we could score on them, so we were just going to take it at them."
Duke's starting post pair of Cheek and center Chante Black combined for 27 points and 25 rebounds-15 on the offensive end--to lead the team as it dominated the paint throughout the night. After struggling mightily against the Terrapins' posts-particularly Crystal Langhorne-a year ago, the Blue Devils took advantage of their experience and depth against an undersized Maryland squad, which dealt with injuries to forward Marissa Coleman and center Lynetta Kizer.
Midway through the first half, with the two teams trading the lead, Duke's frontcourt keyed a crucial 13-0 run to help the team assume a 12-point advantage. Beginning with a layup by Cheek, the post players combined for 10 consecutive points in the paint, collecting four offensive rebounds in the process. On the last play of the sequence, sophomore Krystal Thomas blocked Maryland's Kizer twice, setting up an Abby Waner 3-pointer to cap the run.
"[Thomas] was a difference-maker in the first half in terms of her aggressiveness, shot-blocking and rebounds that she pulled down," Duke head coach Joanne P. McCallie said. "Our four posts are very talented. I'm always open to looking at posts and getting them in there and playing them, and I've felt that way about [Thomas] all year. She had a great game, and was very, very aggressive."
Forward Bridgette Mitchell also factored prominently in the stretch, as she accounted for four points and two rebounds. She finished the day with six points in only nine minutes, and pulled down six offensive rebounds.
Dominance on the glass was crucial for the Blue Devils on a night that they struggled from the field, shooting 34.2 percent for the game, including a dismal 25.6 percent clip in the second half when Maryland made its run. Duke outrebounded Maryland 56-39 and grabbed 10 more offensive rebounds to gain an advantage in second-chance baskets and points in the paint.
It was the type of performance that must have pleased McCallie, who has stressed rebounding and post production since her arrival in April 2007.
"Duke is a physical team," Terrapins head coach Brenda Frese said. "I thought they did a better job tonight being physical."
And when the Terrapins got close, the frontcourt came through once again. After Maryland went ahead for the first time in the second half, Black made a jumper to regain the lead. On the ensuing inbound pass, forward Karima Christmas stole the ball and made a layup to give Duke a three-point advantage.
Then, on perhaps the most critical play of the game, Black ran a perfect give-and-go with Waner to take a four-point lead that the Blue Devils would not relinquish.
Although Toliver had her shot to steal the win and recreate one of Duke's worst memories with only seconds left, the frontcourt had already secured the victory with its play throughout.
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