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Women?s Basketball Game Notes: vs. Utah Valley, Dec. 18, 7 PM
12/17/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Blue Devils To Host Utah Valley In Return After Exam Break...
Riding a two-game win streak and nine days off for final exams, the 15th-ranked Duke women's basketball team (7-3) will host Utah Valley (9-2) on Tuesday, Dec. 18 at 7:00 p.m. in Cameron Indoor Stadium.
The game will be aired live on the Duke Radio Network with Steve Barnes (PxP) and Missy Anderson (Color) calling the action on WDNC AM 620. Live video/audio will also be available on ACC Select at http://duke.accselect.com.
Duke's contest on Tuesday will mark the first of two home contests prior to heading home for the holidays. The Blue Devils will also host Bucknell on Friday, Dec. 21 at 7:00 p.m. Duke will then have four full days off before returning to campus on Dec. 26 for practice.
The Blue Devils are currently ranked No. 15 in the Associated Press and USA Today/ESPN Coaches Polls.
Media Info
What: Utah Valley at Duke
Date: Dec. 18, 2007
Location: Durham, N.C.
Venue: Cameron Indoor Stadium
Tipoff: 7:00 p.m.
TV: None
TV Talent: None
Radio: WDNC AM 620
Radio Talent: Steve Barnes (PxP), Missy Anderson (Color)
Series Record: First Meeting
Live Audio/Video: ACC Select duke.accselect.com
Livestats: www.GoDuke.com
A Look At Utah Valley...
So far on the season, Utah Valley has been led by Robyn Fairbanks, who is averaging 22.7 points, 8.8 rebounds and is hitting 54.5 percent of her field goals. The Wolverines also have two other players averaging double-figures -- Sandy Marvin (17.8 points) and Julie McMurray (16.1 points). As a team, Utah Valley is averaging 81.9 points a contest, but is giving up 72.6 points.
Cathy Nixon is in her 13th season with the Wolverines and owns a 240-139 overall record. Utah Valley returned four starters and 13 letterwinners from last year's 15-13 squad. Utah Valley is an Independent school.
The Series With Utah Valley...
Duke and Utah Valley will meet for the first time in school history on Tuesday.
Win Streaks At Home...
Duke currently has two very impressive home winning streaks in Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Blue Devils have won 19 straight home games, 24 straight versus non-conference opponents and 71 consecutive games against unranked opponents.
Joy Cheek Nets Game-Winner...
In her second straight and third overall start of the season, sophomore Joy Cheek had her best game of the season on Dec. 8 against Pittsburgh. Cheek scored 13 of her team-best 16 points in the second half but her biggest field goal came with 0.3 seconds remaining as she grabbed the rebound off a Chante Black missed jumper and scored the game-winner. In the Pitt contest, Cheek also hit her second three-pointer of the season and nailed 7-of-12 field goals.
Cheek is averaging 8.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, 0.6 assists, and 1.2 steals per game and is hitting a team-best 54.4 percent from the field on the year.
Storylines/Trends...
? The Blue Devils will play just their third home contest of the season out of 11 games on Tuesday. Duke will also play two straight home games for the first time this year.
? Duke has won 19 straight home contests in Cameron Indoor Stadium, including four wins against top-five ranked opponents.
? Chante Black broke a string of eight straight games scoring double-figures snapped against Pittsburgh on Dec. 8 as she posted seven points.
? A total of eight Blue Devils have hit at least one three-pointer this season with freshman Jasmine Thomas (10), junior Abby Waner (13) and senior Emily Waner (6) leading Duke in the threes made category.
? With her six three-pointers made at Penn State, junior Abby Waner moved into seventh place on Duke's all-time career charts with 129. She needs one more to move into a tie for sixth.
? Senior Wanisha Smith became the 22nd player in Duke history to register 1,000 career points as she scored a field goal in the first half against second-ranked Connecticut. She now owns 1,001 points in 110 games.
? Duke had its 107th straight week streak of being ranked in the top 10 of the Associated Press poll come to an end on Nov. 26 as the Blue Devils dropped to 11th. On Dec. 3, the Blue Devils dropped out of the top 15 for the first time since Dec. 20, 1999, as Duke was listed at No. 17.
? In 10 games this season, Duke has totaled six different Blue Devils lead the team in scoring.
? So far this season, junior Chante Black is getting to the free throw line as she leads the Blue Devils with 35 attempts and 25 made for a 71.4 percentage. She has attempted only six free throws over the last five games.
? Duke has held a 330-200 points in the paint advantage in the 10 games this season.
? Junior Abby Waner is 147 points away from reaching 1,000 for her career and would be the 23rd player in school history to reach that mark.
? The Blue Devils had suffered three straight losses for the first time since the 1996-97 season. The Blue Devils had lost three in a row, not including ACC opponents, for the first time since an eighth place finish in the Dial Classic over the 1984 New Year's holiday.
Injury Report...
Duke has been hit with the most injuries in recent Blue Devil history with two of Duke's most experienced players -- Abby Waner and Wanisha Smith -- missing a total of eight games.
Smith suffered an spiral fracture of her fourth metacarpal in her right hand against South Florida and missed the UNCG contest. She broke a streak of 107 straight games played and 55 consecutive starts. Smith returned to the court in the Paradise Jam playing all three contests, but then missed the last four contests to rest her hand. She is expected to play against Utah Valley.
On Tuesday, Nov. 13, Waner suffered a high left ankle sprain and missed four straight contests before returning against UConn. By missing the South Florida game, Waner broke a streak of playing 70 straight games for the Blue Devils. She has played in five straight games since missing four in a row.
Freshman Krystal Thomas suffered a subluxed left kneecap in the first half at Vanderbilt and did not return. She will miss approximately two more weeks with the injury. Thomas had earned ACC Rookie of the Week honors on Nov. 19.
Redshirt sophomore Brittany Mitch was hit below her right eye early in the second half versus South Florida and received five stitches.
Swat Club...
As a team, Duke registered 10 blocked shots on Dec. 6 against third-ranked Rutgers. Leading the Duke charge was junior Chante Black, who finished the game with a career-high six blocks. Black collected three blocks on one possession during the 15-minute mark of the second half as the Blue Devils led by four, 25-21.
Duke came back to notch 10 blocks against Pittsburgh on Dec. 8 as Black matched a career high with six blocks for the second straight game.
Duke's double-figure blocks in back-to-back games marked the second and third times this season the Blue Devils have swatted more than 10 shots as they had 14 versus South Florida on Nov. 15.
Players Mentioned
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