January 29, 2007

Box Score

No. 1 Duke 75, VT 65

 

DURHAM, N.C. - No one may have been able to beat undefeated and top-ranked Duke yet this season, but only one team has been able to scare them with a double-digit lead - the Virginia Tech Hokies.

The Hokies used a huge first half, which included runs of 9-0 and 11-3, to build an 11-point lead before eventually falling to the Blue Devils, 75-65, at Cameron Indoor Stadium Monday night. The 11-point deficit, which came with eight minutes remaining in the first half, was the largest Duke has experienced all season.

"I think we've grown a lot since our last game against Duke," Tech head coach Beth Dunkenberger said after the game. "I'm very proud of our effort and how hard we played tonight."

The Hokies also mustered another first for a Duke opponent with their 49 percent shooting from the field, which was the highest allowed by the Blue Devils yet, and was far-and-away better than the 40 percent recorded by Georgia Tech on Jan. 10.

"I give Virginia Tech a lot of credit," Duke head coach Gail Goestenkors said. "They handled our pressure and hit open shots, and they played with a lot of confidence and a lot of poise."

Another highlight for the Hokies was their performance from long distance. Shooting just 23 percent from three-point land coming into the contest, Tech tied a season-best with six treys made on nine attempts, which countered Duke's 3-of-10 performance.

The Hokies fell to 14-9 overall and 4-4 in the ACC, while Duke remains unbeaten at 22-0 and 7-0 in the ACC.

Tech had four players score in double figures, but they were the only players that scored, as the Hokies tallied zero bench points. Senior Britney Anderson (Blacksburg, Va.) led the way and tied a career-high with 19 points on 8-of-13 shooting.

"Confidence makes all the difference," Anderson said. "Last time we played Duke, we were nervous. I was nervous, and I'm a senior. But this time, I made a conscious decision to play with confidence and set an example for my teammates."

The confidence spilled over to the other starters, including sophomore Brittany Cook (Narrows, Va.), who added 18 points behind a career-high four-of-five from behind the arc.

Senior Kirby Copeland (Morrow, Ga.) poured in 17 points to go with a game-high eight assists after a dishing out a career-high nine in the win over Miami. She also recorded five steals to reach 168 in her career, passing former teammate Dawn Chriss for sixth on Tech's all-time list.

"I'm very proud of our team," Copeland said. "We came out and competed, and that was all we were focusing on coming into this game. To hold the No. 1 team in the country to just a 10-point win in Cameron is a huge highlight of our season."

Senior Nare Diawara (Bamako, Mali) just missed out on a double-double, registering 11 points and nine rebounds, and converted 7-of-8 from the free throw line. She also blocked one shot to move into tenth on Tech's all-time list in that category with 72.

The 10-point loss is a huge improvement over the 32-point setback (86-54) suffered by the Hokies in their last matchup with Duke on Jan. 7. After netting 20 points each in the first contest, Abby Waner and Lindsey Harding once again served as the antagonists. Waner scored a team-high 18 points and disrupted the Hokie offense with five steals, while Harding chipped in with 15 points.

The 'X-factor,' however, was 6-7 center Alison Bales, who with 17 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks, made a much bigger impact than the five-point, four-rebound performance she was limited to in the previous game.

The Hokies return to the court on Saturday for their final non-conference tilt of the season, tipping off with Morehead State at 2 p.m.