ROCK HILL, S.C. -- Whoever came up with the saying `Mind over matter' certainly wasn't in Rock Hill on March 5 when the women's basketball team lost to Maryland.
Despite being mentally focused for their opening game in the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament, the Blue Devils were simply outmuscled on the inside in their 60-45 loss.
The Blue Devils finished the season with a record of 16-11 and did not receive a bid to the 64-team NCAA Tournament field, which was announced Sunday.
"We just can't match up with them," head coach Gail Goestenkors said. "We're not as physically strong as they are, and they just do a tremendous job [on the inside]."
Goestenkors attempted to stop the Terps' inside game with a change in defense from a man-to-man to a zone late in the first half and early in the second half. That strategy worked in the beginning, yet quickly failed as Maryland began to hit its outside shots.
"We played a match-up zone on them, sagged inside because they have a tremendous post game," Goestenkors said. "We felt like we would have difficulty contending with the man-to-man. I think once they got comfortable in the second half, they really got comfortable against our match-up and I thought they did a good job."
"We felt we had to come out of the match-up a little bit because they were too comfortable. And then when we came out of the match-up, they manhandled us again in the post area."
The telling statistic of the game was rebounds. The entire Duke team pulled down 29 boards, two less then the sum of two Maryland players, 6-4 forward Bonnie Rimkus with 19 rebounds, and 6-3 center Monica Adams with 11. That tandem led Maryland to a total of 43 boards.
"Obviously rebounding was a major factor," Goestenkors said. "They did a tremendous job. We've out-rebounded them the last two times we've played, significantly, and then they came back and did the job on the boards today."
The Blue Devils effectively worked their offense to get the open shot, yet they just couldn't finish.
"You get the easy shots, you have to put them in, and we didn't do that," junior forward Carey Kauffman said.
Kauffman, who led the Blue Devils with 12 points and 11 rebounds, felt that the Blue Devils were mentally prepared before the game, but became frustrated as the Terps worn them down on both ends of the court.
"When your riding an exercise bike, you're not going anywhere, you're pushing and pushing, that's kind of what it felt like," Kauffman said. "I think everyone did play hard, and we were all focused before the game, but we got in there . . . and nothing was falling for us. We got outrebounded, transition was killing us. When we did rebound, they would take off."
In their last meeting, the Blue Devils overcame a 14-point deficit to defeat the Terps 62-60 after a last-second shot from Jen Scanlon. But in the ACC tournament, the best run Duke could produce was an eight-point swing that cut Maryland's lead from 18 to 10. After that, Maryland turned up the defense and stopped the Blue Devil momentum.
"I think they were just more determined," Goestenkors said. "When they played in Durham, we kind of caught them by surprise. I don't think they ever thought they were going to lose that game. I think today they were prepared for that."
The loss to Maryland meant the Blue Devils ended their season with a four-game losing streak, dating back to their victory over Maryland at home. That streak cost Duke its chance to go to the NCAA Tournament for only the second time in its history.
"When we beat Maryland, we felt we were exactly where we wanted to be," Goestenkors said. "Our destiny was in our own hands. We felt good about everything that was going on.
"I just wonder if we became a little complacent or thought that things would take care of themselves, not that we needed to take care of business."
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