It might be hard to convince some people that the team that walked off the court following a 30-point loss to Connecticut Nov. 13 is the same squad that turned out the lights on a sold-out Carmichael Auditorium Friday night.
Then again, the teams were rather different. Back at the start of the season, Duke was injury-plagued, out-of-shape and nothing like the NCAA quarterfinalist of a year before.
Now, with the exception of Rochelle Parent's hobbled ankle, the Blue Devils are close to full strength and clicking on all cylinders. Duke's rout of North Carolina didn't come out of nowhere; though it certainly ranked near the top, it was just another in a long line of strong performances.
Consider what UNC's head coach, Sylvia Hatchell, had to say when asked how long its been since she had seen a team play so well.
"I don't know," said Hatchell as she thought back through all of the great teams she has coached against. "They play really, really well. I don't know, [it's been] a long time."
It took the Blue Devils a few weeks to recover following the loss to UConn, but they've taken off ever since. The streak began in earnest in the second half of Duke's showdown at Disney World against three-time defending champion Tennessee.
After the Volunteers rolled out to a 15-point lead at halftime, the Blue Devils matched Tennessee shot for shot in the second half. This against a team used to winning regularly by 30-40 points.
"We came out of that game, even though we lost by 14, with so much confidence," coach Gail Goestenkors said.
Three weeks later, Duke rallied from a 16-point deficit against then-No. 9 UCLA and, behind Georgia Schweitzer's 22 points, the Blue Devils upset the Bruins, 85-80.
Schweitzer's performance was symbolic of Duke's plight all season. With injuries up and down the roster, different players have been forced to step up. Schweitzer developed into the Blue Devils' most dependable player on the wing while Nicole Erickson struggled with a nagging foot injury, and now that Erickson has returned to relative health, the two complement each other on the outside.
Against the Tar Heels, the pair combined to knock down a trio of early three-pointers to bury UNC.
"Different people are getting opportunities and they're taking advantage of it," Goestenkors said.
Joining Erickson and Schweitzer in the backcourt has been the typically dependable Hilary Howard and freshman Krista Gingrich, who has experienced both the highs and lows customary for a freshman. She lit up Florida State for 22 points in early December and is adjusting to life as a collegiate point guard.
Up front, Michele VanGorp has scored in double digits in all but two games while Payton Black has recovered from her struggles of last season to contribute solidly off the bench. Duke's leading rebounder is Peppi Browne, who has pulled down no less than nine boards in each of the last four games.
Throw in Lauren Rice and Parent when she returns, and Duke's depth stands out. More importantly, the quantity has turned into quality. And that has translated into the current 11-game winning streak and perfect conference record.
Heading into the final eight games, all in the ACC, a few roadblocks remain, particularly games at Virginia and Clemson and the finale against the Tar Heels Feb. 21 in Cameron Indoor Stadium.
"We're not there yet; we still have to improve," Goestenkors said.
Still, a team predicted to win the conference has put itself in position to do just that. And a No. 2 seed in the NCAAs seems very feasible, with a top spot not out of the question.
It seems like a long time since Nov. 13.
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