The highly-anticipated contest against No. 2 North Carolina Thursday night is looming for the Blue Devils.
But if No. 1 Duke (23-0, 8-0 in the ACC) wants to bring an undefeated record into Carmichael Auditorium, then the team will have to get by Clemson (10-12, 2-5) in Cameron Indoor Stadium tonight at 7 p.m.
Although Duke has won every ACC contest by at least 10 points, it has not been as dominant in recent contests, facing minor scares against Florida State, Virginia Tech and Virginia.
Head coach Gail Goestenkors said she attributes the less-than-blowout wins to the misconception that the only real competition in the ACC is what is commonly called the "Big Three"-Duke, Maryland and North Carolina.
"People around the country think it's the Big Three, and we know-we know-it's not," Goestenkors said.
After losing five consecutive contests before defeating Miami 79-69 in its last matchup Jan. 28, Clemson has struggled so far in the ACC season. But the Tigers will enter tonight's matchup hoping to end their current nine-game losing streak against Duke, dating back to the 2002-2003 season.
The Tigers are led by D'Lesha Lloyd and Tasha Taylor, who are averaging 14.7 and 12.5 points per game this season, respectively. More than anything, the Tigers "love to run" the open floor, Goestenkors said.
"They are one of the best transition teams in the country," Goestenkors said.
Last season, the Blue Devils dominated the Tigers 97-65 in Clemson, S.C.
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