NORFOLK, Va. - Like the game before it, Duke's matchup with USC was one that the Blue Devils were supposed to win with ease. Before the game even started, the crippled Trojans took the court for warm-ups with only eight players and the contest's outcome seemed already decided.
The top-seeded Blue Devils could have played complacently in two victories that seemed more like Globetrotters vs. Generals than Division I competition. Instead they rebounded from their two late-season losses to prove that they can play the gritty basketball it will take to go deep into the Tournament.
"I think [losing] came at the right time because it gave this team a lot of motivation to come into the tournament," senior Mistie Williams said.
The Blue Devils could have sleep walked through the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament, relying on their superior talent to breeze by overmatched opponents. Duke, however, consistently played ruthless defense and exuded a steadfast tenacity during the two blowouts.
With eight minutes remaining in Tuesday's contest and Duke already ahead, 70-44, sophomore reserve Chante Black launched herself nearly horizontally in an effort to grab a rebound, finally crashing to the floor under a Trojan player.
Earlier in the half, the Blue Devils grabbed three offensive rebounds on a single possession before junior Alison Bales powered home a layup while being fouled.
"One of the key words that we've always used throughout the season is 'relentless,'" freshman Abby Waner said. "Especially around tourney time we need to be relentless and going after loose balls and making the hustle plays is part of that."
From the tip-off to the closing buzzer last night, Duke pushed the floor every chance it got, always looking for quick outlet passes to Lindsey Harding and Wanisha Smith, followed by rapid dishes to streaking guards Waner and Monique Currie. The Blue Devil's hurried style led to 20 fast break points for the team.
Harding, midway through the first half, dove over two fallen USC players and nearly hit the scorers table while chasing a loose ball. It was just another play for a deep Duke roster that has seemed to never tire or relent thus far in the Tournament.
The fruits of the Blue Devils hard labor have been apparent. They have out-rebounded their opponents 119-56 in the first two rounds of the Tournament, and have posted 33 total second-chance points.
The stingy man-to-man defense and stifling trapping that have been staples of the first two contests allowed Duke to set a record for lowest point total allowed in NCAA Tournament history Sunday and kept the three-point-reliant Trojans to just 15 percent from beyond the arc last night.
"I'm so proud of this team," head coach Gail Goestenkors said. "Our focus, our intensity, our practices have been the best of the season for two weeks straight."
With their effort, the Blue Devils have now reached the Sweet 16 for the ninth consecutive time under Goestenkors' leadership. But the attitude of this squad has clearly shown that it has no plans of slowing down before reaching the championship in Boston, where a win would mark the program's first ever national title.
"Hustle and heart-you can't just turn it on and off-you have to do it all the time," Harding said. "We want to win. We want to win the National Championship-we know we can do that."
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