If second-ranked Duke can stop Wake Forest's three point shot, it should have no problem rolling over the Demon Deacons in tonight's game. The Blue Devils (23-1, 11-0 in the ACC) are looking for their 22nd-straight victory over the Deacs at Lawrence Joel Memorial Coliseum at 7 p.m. tonight.
Wake (11-11, 2-10), known to take over 20 threes in some games, relies heavily on the outside shot, but is much less of a scoring threat on the inside. The team has one of the ACC's lowest field goal percentages, at 37.9.
Wake Forest's most recent victory over Maryland Thursday snapped its nine game losing streak. The team boasts a very balanced scoring attack, led by senior Tiffani Listanbee, who has led her team in scoring the past three games and is consistently one of Wake's top rebounders.
The Deacs also have three players who are averaging in double figures in scoring--junior forward Eafton Hill, who averages 11.2 points per game; freshman guard Cotelia Bond-Young, who is averaging 10.3 and 4.2 rebounds each game; and junior guard Tonia Brown, averaging 10.1 points per game.
"They shoot a lot of threes so we have to go out there and pressure them," said freshman guard Lindsay Harding, who has recently worked her way into Duke's starting lineup. "We can't just go out there and put our hand out. We have to pressure them and make them put the ball on the floor first before shooting the shot."
Wake is the second leading offensive rebounding team in the conference. It's strength also lies in its athletic guards, who are fast, strong penetrators that can shoot from outside the arc.
"On any given night, one of their players can step forward for them," Duke head coach Gail Goestenkors said. "They've got really quick guards in Bianca Brown and Tonia Brown and one of the best freshman in the conference, as well.... I would say their guards are probably their strength."
The last time these two intrastate rivals faced off, Wake's defense had a tough time stopping Alana Beard and Iciss Tillis, as both posted double-doubles. Duke won that game by 10, a relatively low margin compared to most of their usual blowouts. Duke held an early lead, but the Demon Deacons threatened with a late second-half rally, only to fall short in the end. The Blue Devils were plagued by turnovers and taking too many early shots in that game, and Goestenkors noted that her team will need to be much more patient this time around.
"They're a team that's hungry," she said. "They play much better at home than they do on the road, so I think we're going to have to really be ready and play some smart basketball."
Duke has been working on its defense, particularly its help-side defense, the past two weeks and the team is happy with its progress.
"It's been pretty intense," Beard said. "I'm just so impressed with our defense right now. Everyone is on the same page and I think everything is clicking like clockwork."
Duke will be bussing fans over to Lawrence Joel Coliseum and will likely have as many fans as its home opponents, who have been averaging relatively low crowds. If Duke's defense steps up and counters Wake Forest's outside scoring threat, Blue Devil fans will like what they see.
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