GREENSBORO -- Throughout Sunday's ACC Tournament semifinal against Virginia, it was obvious that fourth-ranked Duke was not on its game. The Blue Devils exhibited little or no offensive rhythm from opening tip off to final whistle, committing 19 turnovers and shooting just 40 percent from the floor.
Despite its ugly offensive performance, Duke led 57-39 with just 4:23 remaining, and appeared certain to coast into the tournament's championship game and extend its domination of the ACC.
Suddenly, however, Virginia mounted a furious rally to pull within a single possession in the dying seconds. The Cavaliers exploded to score 28 points in the closing four-and-a-half minutes of regulation, ultimately cutting Duke's advantage to a single basket.
Though advancement had once looked completely assured, Duke nearly blew its win in the final moments. Only upon Liz Sahin's turnover with six seconds left and Alana Beard's game-clinching free throw had Duke secured a spot in the final.
The impassioned comeback left the seemingly invincible Blue Devils reeling. Players made poor pass after poor pass, as Duke continually turned the ball over.
Afterwards, the Blue Devils were at a loss to rationalize their inexplicable decisions. "I don't know what it was," Beard said. "As a team, it really was uncharacteristic. We're normally known as a smart
Surprised to be in a close game, the Blue Devils noticeably tightened up. Instead of exhibiting their usual go-for-the-jugular confidence, Duke admittedly played not to lose.
"We played safe down the stretch, and I don't think that's the Duke team," Beard said. "We're always the type of team that will push people back on their heels, but we didn't do that tonight, and that's not normal."
Unfortunately for the Blue Devils, not only was their offensive rhythm absent, but in the final minutes their once-impenetrable defense opened up like a punctured broken dam.
Virginia point guard Telisha Quarles exploded for 10 points by herself, leading the Cavaliers charge. Sensing that her conference career was about to end, the senior responded to knife through Duke's side. "I knew we were down by quite a few points, but I think as a team we did real well staying together," Quarles said. "I definitely had an extra boost of adrenaline, considering it was my last game."
Throughout the season, the Blue Devils continually voiced their immense enthusiasm for competition. However, in marked contrast to the obvious excitement plastered on Quarles' face, each Duke player ran up and down the court Sunday with gritted teeth and worried faces during the contest's closing minutes.
Although she acknowledged her side's obvious tightness, senior co-captain Krista Gingrich refuted notions that the Blue Devils panicked.
"I don't think we ever lost the mindset that we were going to win the game," Gingrich said. "I think maybe we did get a little rattled, but it wasn't like, OOh my God, we're going to lose.'"
To a woman, the Blue Devils' uniformly dispelled the notion that fear or pressure influenced their play. Indeed, if the comments of junior co-captain Sheana Mosch are any evidence, the Duke team refuses to allow "fear" or "pressure" to even enter its collective vocabulary.
"I don't think we were scared at all," Mosch said. "We know each other so well, we have so much confidence in each other, that if we're only up by one, or if we're down by 10, there is no point in a game where we think we are going to lose."
When confronted by Virginia's desperate last stand, the Blue Devils, if not afraid, certainly appeared befuddled. During its undefeated romp through the ACC, Duke posted double-digit margins of victory in the majority of its contests, and the Blue Devils conceded that the their inexperience in close games nearly cost them dearly Sunday.
"We never were in this situation before," Gingrich said. "Maybe tomorrow night, or maybe in the national championship game, if we're in this situation, we'll be like OOkay, we can handle it.'"
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