While most students were relaxing at home during the holiday break, Duke's women basketball players were doing something a little different: kicking butt from Durham all the way to California.
The Blue Devils (13-4, 5-0 in the ACC) wrapped up their winter rampage in Winston-Salem Monday night, making Wake Forest (6-9, 2-3) their sixth consecutive victim during the break and eighth straight overall.
It was not their best effort of the break.
"They really just took it to us," Duke coach Gail Goestenkors said. "I thought they got all of the hustle plays, especially in the first half, and beat us on the boards, which is something I'm not very happy about right now."
Still, thanks to the presence of Peppi Browne's career-high 22 points, the final score was a fairly comfortable 74-59. Duke's post tandem of Michele VanGorp and Payton Black also played a big part, combining for 32 points and 13 rebounds.
The two biggest wins of the streak came at opposite ends of the country. Three days after Christmas, the Blue Devils journeyed to Los Angeles to face then-No. 9 UCLA.
Playing without Nicole Erickson-whose nagging foot problems continue to hinder her availability-Duke raced out to an 11-4 lead, then the Bruins made a 22-4 run. UCLA led by as many as 16 points with 7:25 remaining in the first half.
The Blue Devils trimmed the Bruins' lead to 44-42 at the half, then benefited by an offensive explosion from Georgia Schweitzer, who scored 16 of her game-high 22 points in the first 10 minutes of the second half to give Duke a 68-61 lead. Browne added five of her 11 points in the game's last 43 seconds to seal an 85-80 win.
After a stop in College Park to lay a 90-61 beating on Maryland on Jan. 2, Duke returned to Cameron two days later for a meeting with ACC rival Virginia. The Cavs were looking for revenge after suffering their first-ever sweep at the hands of Duke last season.
Browne, who Goestenkors called one of the best post defenders in the country, was largely responsible for holding standout DeMya Walker to eight points on 3-of-9 shooting. An unusual feeling of demoralization permeated Virginia's post-game press conference.
"Offensively tonight, we were not organized," said coach Debbie Ryan. "And no matter who I put in there, I couldn't get people to take good shots."
Hilary Howard scored a team-high 20 points to help lead her team past Virginia. On Jan. 7 against Georgia Tech, Howard set up a basket for one of her teammates and made history in a 113-46 win.
Howard's second-half helper pushed her past Kira Orr to become Duke's all-time assist leader. Orr recorded 445 assists from 1994-97.
"It's a great honor," Howard said. "It really shows I've played with some great players who could really score."
Howard also said her accomplishment would mean more down the road when she was looking back on her career, and that she was glad she got to break the record at home in front of familiar faces, including her father.
Duke's holiday success has given them momentum-a valuable thing to have with nothing but league games left on the schedule. While a home game with perennial ACC contender Clemson and a trip to Raleigh to play N.C. State in the next week can't be overlooked, the Blue Devils appear to be on a collision course with 18-2 North Carolina, who they play in Chapel Hill on Jan. 22.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.