KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- With 1:41 remaining and Duke and Tennessee knotted at 53, Monique Currie took over the game. Currie, who had played subpar to that point, scored the Blue Devils' final six points in a 59-57 upset victory.
“The score was close, and we wanted to move the ball around,” Currie said of the final stretch. “We were looking to attack and the lane was just wide open.”
The No. 10 Blue Devils (6-1) beat their third top-25 team of the season, and the fourth-ranked Lady Vols (4-2) have lost twice in their last three games after starting the season at No. 1. Tennessee made just 28 percent of its shots and lost for only the seventh time in 17 years at Thompson-Bowling Arena.
“I think it is a great win,” sophomore center Alison Bales said. “Both our teams are trying to figure out who we are this year. We've changed a lot, and I think this builds our confidence.”
Currie may have been hot in the end, but it was Jessica Foley who lifted the Blue Devils with 12 minutes remaining and Tennessee ready to break the game open. Foley--who hit a dramatic three at the buzzer as Duke beat Connecticut in Hartford last season--hit a pair of shots from behind the arc in just 44 seconds.
“It got us a little bit excited, and I think it got everyone else into the flow,” Foley said.
Duke’s post players outplayed their counterparts throughout the contest, capitalizing on a a decisive advantage in both height and size. The Blue Devils outrebounded Tennessee 53-42, outblocked their opponents 11-3 and put tremendous pressure on the smaller Lady Vols.
Currie scored 20 points on the night, 16 of which came in the second half, and Mistie Williams added 14.
“Their post game and our post game are light years apart,” Tennessee head coach Pat Summitt said.
Bales played a key role in the victory on both ends of the floor. Defensively she made Tennessee force up numerous awkward shots, using her 6-foot-7 frame to take away any good looks at the basket. Summitt said Bales was particularly effective passing from the high post on the other end of the court.
“We've got a nice rotation with four players in the post that all do something different,” Duke head coach Gail Goestenkors said. “I am really proud of the team, we battled for 40 minutes.”
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