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Blue Devils Head North To Dartmouth For Blue Sky Classic
12/28/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
2006-07 WOMEN'S BASKETBALL GAME NOTES
Duke (12-0) at Blue Star Classic ? Hanover, New Hampshire
December 29-30, 2006 ? Dartmouth (2-7), Dayton (4-8), Boston University (7-4)
Blue Sky Resort Classic Schedule
Dec. 29 - 5:00 PM: Boston U vs. Dayton
Dec. 29 - 7:00 PM: Duke at Dartmouth
Dec. 30 - 5:00 PM: Consolation Game
Dec. 30 - 7:00 PM: Championship Game
MEDIA INFORMATION
Series Record vs. Dartmouth: First Meeting
Dartmouth Head Coach: Christina Wielgus
Career Record: 354-247 (24th Year)
Series Record vs. Dayton: Dayton leads 1-0
Dayton Head Coach: Jim Jabir
Career Record: 267-284 (19th Year)
Series Record vs. Boston U.: Duke leads 1-0
Boston U. Head Coach: Kelly Greenberg
Career Record: 124-86 (8th Year)
Duke Head Coach: Gail Goestenkors
Career Record: 376-97 (15th Year)
Record at Duke: Same
Radio: WDNC - AM 620
Steve Barnes (PXP), Missy Anderson (Color)
Online Livestats: www.Dartmouthsports.com
Television: None
Rankings: Duke (No. 3 USA Today/ESPN; No. 3 AP)
Blue Devils Head North To Compete In Blue Sky Classic...
Riding a 12-game winning streak to open the season and recently moving to third in the latest Associated Press & ESPN/USA Today Coaches Polls, Duke (12-0) will travel to Hanover, N.H., to compete in the Blue Sky Classic from Dec. 29-30. The Blue Devils will face host Dartmouth (2-7) on Dec. 29 at 7:00 p.m. and then face either Dayton (4-8) or Boston University (7-4) on Dec. 30 at either 5:00/7:00 p.m. Both contests will be played Leede Arena, which is a 2,100-seat capacity.
Both Blue Devil contests will be aired live Duke Radio Network (WDNC AM 620) with Steve Barnes (Play-by-Play) and Missy Anderson (Color) calling the action. The game against Dartmouth will not be aired on CSTV as was originally reported.
Duke is coming off a stretch where it faced five ranked opponents in a six games. It will mark the second time over the last two years that the Blue Devils traveled north as Duke played in Boston, Mass., at the Final Four.
Noting Duke...
Duke's 5-0 record against ranked opponents is the best mark against ranked foes in the nation so far this season (minimum of five games played) with Tennessee (5-1) second ... the Blue Devils have won its past 59 straight contests against unranked opponents ... in 12 games, Duke owns a 447-195 points in the paint advantage ... Duke has made more free throws (220) than its opponents have attempted (190) ... the Blue Devils are coming off hitting a season-best 30 free throws out of 36 attempts against 22nd-ranked Pittsburgh.
A Look At Dartmouth...
Dartmouth enters the classic with a 2-7 mark and is coached by Christina Wielgus, who is in her 22nd year with the Big Green. Wielgus owns a record of 317-226 at Dartmouth and an overall record of 354-247 in her 24 years as a head coach. On the season, the Big Green has been led by Ashley Taylor (17.9 points, 5.3 rebounds) and Koren Schram (11.2 points, 24 treys). Dartmouth returned three starters off a squad that finished with a 23-7 record and advanced to the first round of the NCAA Tournament last season.
Sophomore Darcy Rose of Dartmouth and Blue Devil sophomore Abby Waner played against each other in club basketball during the summer as Rose is from Fort Collins, Colo., and Waner is from Highlands Ranch, Colo.
The Series With Dartmouth...
Duke will be facing Dartmouth for the first time in school history.
Duke Versus The Ivy League...
Duke owns a record of 8-0 against teams in the Ivy League-- Harvard (3-0), Pennsylvania (1-0), Princeton (3-0) and Yale (1-0). The last time the Blue Devils played a member of the Ivy League was in the 1994-95 season as Duke downed Princeton, 67-64, in Durham, N.C. The contest with Princeton is the only time Duke Head Coach Gail Goestenkors has faced an Ivy League opponent.
A Look at Dayton...
Dayton owns a 4-8 mark in 2006-07 and is currently in the midst of a five-game losing streak. The Flyers are coached by Jim Jabir, who is in his fourth year as head coach at Dayton. He owns a record of 37-61 at Dayton and 267-284 mark in his 19 years as a head coach. The Flyers are coming off a 17-12 mark last season and so far in 2006-07 they have been led by Jennifer Strong (13.6 points, 5.0 rebounds), Nikki Oakland (11.2 points, 6.4 rebounds) and Brittany Holterman (10.3 points, 5.1 rebounds).
The Series With Dayton...
Dayton leads the overall series against Duke as the Flyers knocked off the Blue Devils, 99-78, on Jan. 3, 1980 at Dayton. A box score of the contest is located on page eight of the game notes.
Duke Versus The Atlantic 10...
Duke owns a 20-9 record against teams in the Atlantic 10-- Charlotte (5-3), Dayton (0-1), Duquesne (1-0), George Washington (1-1), La Salle (0-1), Rhode Island (1-0), Richmond (6-1), St. Joseph's (4-1), Temple (1-0) and Xavier (1-1).
A Look at Boston University...
Boston University enters the classic with a 7-4 record and are winners of four out of the last five contests. The Terriers are coached by Kelly Greenberg, who is in her fourth season at Boston University (40-32 record). Overall, Greenberg owns a 124-86 mark in eight seasons as a head coach. So far this year, the Terriers have been led by Katie Meinhardt (15.7 points, 3.5 rebounds) and Erica Kovach (10.4 points, 7.3 rebounds).
The Terriers are coming off an 18-12 record in 2005-06 and returned four starters.
The Series With Boston University...
Duke and Boston University have met only one time in school history, which came on Jan. 2, 1988 as the Blue Devils won 73-58 in Durham, N.C. A box score of the contest is located on page eight of the game notes.
Duke Versus The America East...
Duke owns a 2-0 record against teams in the America East-- Boston University (1-0) and New Hampshire (1-0).
Harding Approaching Milestone...
Senior Lindsey Harding is 10 points shy of reaching the 1,000 career points mark at Duke, which would be the 20th player in Duke history to reach the 1,000-point plateau. Harding has increased her scoring each season at Duke averaging 6.2 points as a freshman, 6.8 as a sophomore, 10.7 as a junior and 12.9 this year. Both Alison Bales (809) and Wanisha Smith (758) each are also nearing 1,000 career points.
Harding is also two assists away from reaching the 500-assist mark for her career. She will become only the second Duke player to notch 1,000 points and 500 assists for their career-- Alana Beard had 2,687 points and 509 assists from 2001-04. With her 498 assists, Harding ranks 24th on the ACC career assists chart.
The 5-8 point guard is also coming off a career-high 22 points against 22nd-ranked Pittsburgh on Dec. 21 in Cancun, Mexico. Harding hit 7-of-10 field goals and 8-of-9 free throws, while tying a career high with two blocks and dishing out three assists. She has scored double-figures in seven out of the last nine contests and five out of the last six.
Quick Hits...
After playing three games in Cancun, Mexico where the weather was in the mid-80's, the Blue Devils travel to Hanover, N.H., where the temperature is not supposed to get above 39 degrees this weekend and there is snow on the ground.
No Duke opponent has scored more than 27 points in the first half this season (Texas & Pittsburgh had 27). In 12 games, opponents are averaging only 21.5 points in the first half. Old Dominion's 29 points is the most scored in the second half by a Blue Devil opponent this year.
Junior Emily Waner has hit at least one three-pointer in her last seven straight games played. She has hit 9-of-23 treys for a 39.1 percent during that streak. Waner has hit 6-of-13 over the last five contests (46.2%).
Duke was outrebounded 38-36 for the first time this season versus Pittsburgh on Dec. 21. Over the last two years, the Blue Devils have outrebounded opponents in 40 of 47 contests.
Redshirt freshman Brittany Mitch came off the bench the last two games to play 17 minutes in each contest. She tied a career high against SMU with 10 points to go along with three rebounds, two steals and two assists. Against Pittsburgh, Mitch had three points, three steals and three rebounds. She has hit 5-of-10 field goals and 2-of-4 treys the last two games.
Carrem Gay is coming off scoring 12 points the last two straight games and hitting 9-of-15 field goals (60.0%). She grabbed six rebounds versus SMU and three boards against Pittsburgh to go along with two steals.
Senior Alison Bales is coming off a 1-of-10 shooting performance against Pittsburgh. She finished with eight points in 30 minutes, which broke a seven-game double-figure scoring streak. Bales also went 1-of-10 in the season opener against Northeastern and came back to hit 35 of 57 field goals (61.4%) over the next seven contests. She is also coming off a season-low two blocks against Pittsburgh.
Lindsey Harding owns 230 career steals and is two shy of moving into a tie with Katie Meier (230) for third place on Duke's all-time list.
Duke In The National Rankings...
With Duke listed third in the latest Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today Coaches Polls, the Blue Devils have been ranked 41 straight weeks in the Associated Press top-seven, which is the longest current streak in the nation-- Duke (41), North Carolina (29), Maryland (21) and Tennessee (10). Duke has also been listed in the top-10 of the AP poll for 93 straight weeks, which is the second-longest streak-- Tennessee (177), Duke (93), Ohio State (41), North Carolina (33), Connecticut (27), Maryland (25) and Oklahoma (14).
Non-Conference Closing Out...
Duke enters the classic on a school-record 30-game winning streak against non-conference opponents. The Blue Devils last lost to a non-conference opponent on March 28, 2005 to Louisiana State, 59-49, in the elite eight of the NCAA Tournament. The previous longest non-conference winning streak was 14 in 2000-01.
The Blue Devils and North Carolina each own 30-game winning streaks against non-conference foes to lead the nation, while Maryland owns a 27-game mark (updated through games of Dec. 27).
Undefeated Teams...
Duke is one of only five undefeated teams in NCAA Division I: Connecticut (9-0), Duke (12-0), Louisville (13-0), Maryland (13-0) and North Carolina (13-0). The Blue Devils have defeated five undefeated teams so far this season: Northeastern (0-0), Marist (1-0), Penn State (4-0), Vanderbilt (8-0) and Pittsburgh (12-0)-- updated through games of Dec. 27.
Harding & Cheek Earn ACC Honors...
Duke's Lindsey Harding and Joy Cheek were named ACC Player and Rookie of the Week on Dec. 25 after improving the Blue Devils to 12-0 on the season following three wins at the 2006 Caribbean Classic. The pair helped fourth-ranked Duke to victories against 21st-ranked Bowling Green, 22nd-ranked Pittsburgh and SMU. Harding closed the tournament against Pittsburgh with a career-high 22 points to go along with three assists and two blocks, while Cheek came off the bench to give key minutes in the post.
Harding drained 60.0 percent from the field for the week and 92.3 percent from the free throw line, hitting 12-of-13 attempts. The senior from Houston, Texas, registered 13 points, six assists, three steals, three rebounds and one block against Bowling Green in a 55-46 win to open the holiday tournament. Against SMU, Harding played only 26 minutes, and posted a season-high seven assists, eight points, one steal and two rebounds.
For her career, Harding is 10 points away from becoming the 20th player in Duke history to register 1,000 career points. The veteran is also two shy of reaching her 500th career assists, which would mark only the third Duke player and 22nd ACC player to reach that feat.
Cheek came off the bench against SMU to pull down 10 rebounds, five points and one assist in 19 minutes of play for the Blue Devils. The 10 boards marked the first time since her college debut that she has posted double-figure rebounds. The freshman from Charlotte, N.C., also scored two points and had one rebound against Bowling Green and Pittsburgh.
One Of The Most Improved; Bales Owns ACC Blocks Record...
Senior Alison Bales has been one of the most improved players in Duke's history and in the nation this season. Bales has gone from averaging 3.3 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.2 blocks as a freshman to averaging 11.4 points, 7.1 rebounds and 4.8 blocks as a senior. She has improved her scoring and rebounding each year and became the ACC career blocked shot leader during the Caribbean Classic. Bales owns 312 blocks over the last three years for an average of 3.8. Overall, Bales owns 341 blocks in 107 games, which ranks 17th on the NCAA all-time blocks list. She needs three more to move into 15th place.
Tough Defense For Blue Devils...
Through 12 contests, the Duke defense has held its opponents to an NCAA-best 28.8 shooting from the field and 24.4 percent from three-point land. No Blue Devil opponent has shot above 39.2 percent from the field this season-- Texas (39.2%), Pittsburgh (34.6%), Vanderbilt (33.3%), Penn State (30.0%), Michigan (29.6%), Bowling Green (29.1%), Marist (28.0%), Rutgers (27.3), Northeastern (26.8%), Old Dominion (25.0%), Houston (23.8%) and SMU (21.5%).
Last year, Duke held its opponents to 35.1 percent shooting, which ranked fifth nationally. The eight games holding opponents to below 30.0 percent shooting this season is already the third-best season output in school history. Last year, Duke held nine opponents and in 2004-05 the Blue Devils held 13 opponents to under 30.0 percent shooting.
As a team, Duke has blocked 94 shots (7.8 per game) and forced 23.2 turnovers a contest.
Players Mentioned
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