Cavaliers brace for No.1 Duke

Some games will never be forgotten.

One year ago, Alana Beard brought magic to the court, scoring a school record 41 points to lead Duke to a 60-59 victory at Virginia. Iciss Tillis remembers the epic game well.

"Last year as a team we only had three baskets and Alana had the rest of the baskets," Tillis said with a smile. "This year we can't let that happen again."

Sunday, the No.1 Blue Devils (13-1, 4-0 in the ACC) travel to Charlottesville, Virginia to face the unranked Cavaliers (8-7, 2-2).

The contest is surrounded by controversy as Virginia's star forward Brandi Teamer is suspended from the team. The cause and the duration of the suspension are unknown.

Regardless, the presence of the second team All-ACC standout will not affect Duke's game plan.

"Even if Brandi Teamer comes back, it doesn't matter," said Duke assistant coach LaVonda Wagner. "We're still going to play our uptempo style of game like we normally do."

Virginia has been tested this season and proven to be tough in close games. Against Georgia Tech on January 12th, the Cavaliers won in the final moments 60-59. Virginia won their second conference match in another close battle at NC State, 66-62 Thursday night.

While Virginia is playing well, the Blue Devils are blazing. Duke has won thirteen in a row since its loss to Texas on November 16th, including a comeback victory against former No.1 UConn. However, the Blue Devils are not overlooking their opponent.

"The UConn game I feel like is behind all of us," Tillis said. "Now we have to focus on the teams we have... everyone is better than they were last year."