BEARD'S NUMBER RETIRED

Despite the disappointment of losing to No. 2 Tennessee, Saturday night belonged to Duke senior Alana Beard, who became the first woman in Duke history to have her number retired in Cameron Indoor Stadium.

"I think I realize how special it is now," Beard said. "It's just an honor to have your jersey retired along with so many great players and to hang it in the rafters. The crowd support was awesome. I loved every minute of it."

The pregame ceremony honoring Beard's No. 20-which will be hung in the team's away blue to distinguish it from the white men's jerseys-included speeches by athletic director Joe Alleva and outgoing president Nan Keohane.

According to Alleva, the criteria for retirement include lofty recognitions such as All-ACC honors, All-America honors and National Player of the Year consideration. In her three-plus years at Duke, Beard has certainly fulfilled the requirements.

Alleva chose to honor Beard before the Blue Devil's game against the Volunteers because he knew that her parents, LeRoy and Marie, would be in attendance. Their presence made the night particularly special for the Duke guard.

"Just to see my parents standing out there with smiles going from ear to ear was the most enjoyable thing," Beard said. "If anything, I wanted it for my parents because they were so happy. You could see the expressions on their faces."

Beard's parents ultimately deserve much of the credit for their daughter's memorable night, as they were the ones who convinced Beard to consider Duke as she was being recruited by top programs across the country while leading Southwood High School to four straight Louisiana state titles.

Marie urged Beard to give Duke head coach Gail Goestenkors a chance, and after Goestenkors visited their house, LeRoy knew that he wanted his daughter to play for her.

"[Goestenkors] showed me that she wanted Alana at this college," LeRoy said. "She's the type of lady who just showed a lot of love for my kid. I also knew Duke was a great college. It wasn't just about the playing, but the education, too."

Beard's parents are thrilled to see the way in which their daughter has grown at Duke, going from a homesick freshman to a more outgoing star on one of the biggest stages in collegiate sports.

"She was a very loving kid, but she's blossomed into a beautiful young lady," Marie said. "She's matured so much over the years."

In addition to Beard's parents, several Tennessee legends were also in attendance Saturday night, including Chamique Holdsclaw and Kara Lawson.

Holdsclaw, a star forward for the WNBA's Washington Mystics who may play with Beard next year if her team takes the Duke guard with its No. 2 overall pick, was happy to see Beard's accomplishments recognized.

"You look up here and you know that Duke is know for its men's basketball team and all its great players," Holdsclaw said. "It's a tremendous honor for Alana to be the first woman to have her jersey retired."

The chance to retire Beard's jersey was also not lost on Keohane, who had seen the numbers of Grant Hill, Shane Battier and Jason Williams be raised to the rafters during her tenure, but had never been able to do the same for a female player.

"As a woman president, to retire the first women's jersey is really meaningful," Keohane said. "I would dearly love also to hang the first women's basketball national championship banner. That's one of the ambitions that I have left for this spring."