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Women?s Basketball Game Notes: NCAA Sweet 16, vs. Texas A&M, March 30, 7 PM
Blue Devils & Aggies To Tangle In NCAA Sweet 16...
The ninth-ranked Duke basketball team (25-9) will make its 11th straight NCAA Tournament Regional appearance as the third-seeded Blue Devils will take on eighth-ranked and second-seeded Texas A&M (28-7) on Sunday, March 30 at 7:00 p.m., Eastern Time in Oklahoma City, Okla. The contest will be aired live on ESPN2 HD with Pam Ward (PxP), Nancy Lieberman (Color) and Holly Rowe (Sideline) calling the action.
Sunday’s contest can also be heard on the Duke Radio Network on WDNC AM 620 with Steve Barnes (PxP) and Missy Anderson (Color). Seeing action in the other regional contest will be top-seeded Tennessee (32-2) against fifth-seeded Notre Dame (25-8). All games will be played in the Ford Center.
The winner of the Duke/Texas A&M game will advance to the Oklahoma City Regional Final to face the winner of the Tennessee/Notre Dame contest. The regional final will be played on Tuesday, April 1 at a time yet to be determined.
Media Info
What: NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 - No. 3 Duke vs. No. 2 Texas A&M
Date: March 30, 2008
Location: Oklahoma City, Okla.
Venue: Ford Center (19,722)
Tipoff: 7:00 PM (EST)
TV: ESPN2HD/ESPN360
TV Talent: Pam Ward (PxP), Nancy Lieberman (Color), Holly Rowe (Sideline)
Radio: WDNC AM 620
Radio Talent: Steve Barnes (PxP), Missy Anderson (Color)
Series Record: Texas A&M leads 1-0
Live stats: www.ncaasports.com
NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 Schedule
(Oklahoma City, Okla.) Saturday, March 29
10:00 - 4:00 PM - Credential Distribution
11:15 - 11:30 AM - Duke Coach Interviews
11:30 - 1:00 PM - Media Buffet
11:35 - 11:50 AM - Duke Player Interviews
12:00 - 12:50 PM - Duke Practice
12:15 - 12:30 PM - Texas A&M Coach Interviews
12:35 - 12:50 PM - Texas A&M Player Interviews
1:00 - 1:50 PM - Texas A&M Practice
1:15 - 1:30 PM - Notre Dame Coach Interviews
1:35 - 1:50 PM - Notre Dame Player Interviews
2:00 - 2:50 PM - Notre Dame Practice
2:15 - 2:30 PM - Tennessee Coach Interviews
2:35 - 2:50 PM - Tennessee Player Interviews
3:00 - 3:50 PM - Tennessee Practice
NCAA Tournament Tidbits...
? The Basics... Duke is making its 14th consecutive and 15th overall trip to the NCAA Tournament. The Blue Devils have been seeded No. 3 for the second time in school history and the first since 1999, when Duke advanced to the NCAA Championship game. The Blue Devils have played in the postseason on two other occasions, making it to the Women’s NIT in 1986 and the NCAA Tournament in 1987.
Duke now owns an all-time record of 39-14 in NCAA Tournament play and is 40-15 in all postseason action. The Blue Devils have hosted NCAA Tournament games eight times out of 15 appearances.
With Duke being sent away from the Research Triangle Park (RTP) area this year, it marks only the third time over the 15 appearances that the Blue Devils have not played in the RTP. Duke hosted first and second round games in Cameron Indoor Stadium from 1998-2002 and in 2004, played at the RBC Center in Raleigh in 2003 and 2007 and was in Chapel Hill in 2005. The only other times the Blue Devils were sent away was in 1995 to Tuscaloosa, Ala., and in 2006 to Norfolk, Va.
The Blue Devils have been selected as a host site for the first and second rounds in 2010.
? The History... Each time Duke has been in the NCAA Tournament, it has won at least one game. The Blue Devils have advanced to at least the Sweet 16 the past 11 consecutive years, advanced to the Elite Eight in seven of the last 10 years and to the Final Four three out of the last six seasons.
Duke advanced to the Elite Eight in 1998, the National Championship game in 1999 and 2006, the Final Four in 2002 and 2003, the Elite Eight in 2004 and 2005 the Sweet 16 in 2000, 2001 and 2007. The Blue Devils own a 31-9 record in their last 40 NCAA Tournament games.
? The Coach... Head Coach Joanne P. McCallie is making her 12th appearance in the NCAA Tournament, including her sixth straight, while producing a 12-11 record. While at Maine, she totaled a 1-6 record that included an upset victory over seventh-seeded Stanford (60-58) in 1999. Her Maine squad was seeded 10th and then fell to Old Dominion on its home court, 72-62, in the second round.
During her time at Michigan State, McCallie guided the Spartans to a 9-5 mark. She led MSU to five straight appearances in the NCAA Tournament and won at least one game in four consecutive years. In 2005, McCallie’s squad had an incredible run through the tournament knocking off Alcorn State, USC, 18th-ranked Vanderbilt, top-ranked Stanford and third-ranked Tennessee before falling to fifth-ranked Baylor in the national championship game. McCallie was awarded National Coach of the Year for her efforts.
As a player, McCallie led Northwestern to the 1987 NCAA Tournament her senior year. The Wildcats traveled to Louisiana Tech and lost, 82-60, in the first round.
? The Seedings... The last 13 seasons, Duke has been no lower than a No. 5 seed and for the second time in school history, Duke is a No. 3 seed in 2008. The Blue Devils have been seeded no lower than third since 1998. Duke’s six No. 1 seeds in school history rank tied for the fourth-most in NCAA Tournament history. Leading the list is Tennessee (19), followed by Louisiana Tech (10), Connecticut (11), Duke (6) and Stanford (6).
? The Experience... Of the 11 Blue Devils, seven have had NCAA Tournament experience prior to 2007-08. Senior Wanisha Smith appeared on the Elite Eight team in 2005, the 2006 NCAA runner-up squad and last year’s NCAA Sweet 16 team.
Junior Abby Waner played in all six games the 2006 tournament and started all three last year, while junior Carrem Gay saw action in the early rounds in 2006. Last year, Gay started all three games and was the only Blue Devil to score double-figures in all three contests. Both Keturah Jackson and Brittany Mitch sat on the bench in the 2006 NCAA Tournament as the two redshirted. Mitch played in all three games last year, while Jackson played in one. Sophomores Bridgette Mitchell and Joy Cheek each appeared in all three games in 2007.
Noting Duke...
Junior Abby Waner is writing a blog for the Associated Press during the NCAA Tournament ... the Blue Devils are 20-1 this season when playing on Tuesday through Saturday, but are 6-8 when playing on Sunday and Monday ... Chante Black leads Duke with 12 old-fashioned three-point plays ... Duke is 20-1 this season when outrebounding its opponent, while producing a 5-8 mark when being outrebounded ... the Blue Devils are 21-1 when leading at the half this season ... junior Carrem Gay leads Duke with 10 charges taken on the year.
Consecutive Appearances...
The Blue Devils are one of only seven teams competing in their 14th straight NCAA Tournament-- Tennessee (27), Stanford (21), UConn (20), Old Dominion (17), Purdue (15), Duke (14) and Georgia (14).
Duke is making its 11th straight NCAA regional appearance, which ranks as the third-longest current streak in the NCAA behind Tennessee (27) and Connecticut (15).
NCAA Tournament Notes...
Duke owns a 3-2 overall record against No. 2 seeds in the NCAA Tournament. The Blue Devils defeated Old Dominion in 1999, Texas Tech in 2003 and Connecticut in 2006, while falling to Rutgers in 1987 and Maryland in 2006.
Head Coach Joanne P. McCallie has a 1-2 record all-time against No. 2 seeds. McCallie’s Maine squad fell to Old Dominion in 1999, while her Michigan State team defeated Stanford in 2005 and fell to Baylor in 2005.
The Blue Devils are one of three Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) teams remaining in the NCAA Tournament -- Maryland and UNC.
A Look At Texas A&M...
Texas A&M owns a 28-7 overall record and is riding an 11-game winning streak, which currently ranks fourth nationally. The Aggies are coached by Gary Blair in his 23rd season as a head coach. Texas A&M has been led by Takia Starks (16.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 60 treys), Danielle Gant (15.0 points, 7.2 rebounds), Morenike Atunrase (10.4 points, 4.2 rebounds) and A’Quonesi Franklin (7.7 points, 4.7 assists) on the season.
The Aggies made it through to the NCAA Sweet 16 by defeating University of Texas - San Antionio, 91-52, in the first round and Hartford, 63-39, in the second round.
In the latest NCAA statistics, the Aggies are ranked 13th with a 54.7 scoring defense, while holding opponents to 39.0 percent shooting.
The Series With Texas A&M...
Duke and Texas A&M have met only one time in school history as the Blue Devils traveled to College Station, Texas on Nov. 17, 1995 and fell, 83-73.
Blue Devil Head Coach Joanne P. McCallie has never faced Texas A&M in her 16-year coaching career.
Aggie Head Coach Gary Blair has faced Duke twice before in the NCAA Tournament. His Arkansas squad notched a 77-72 win in the 1998 West Regional in Oakland, Calif., to advance to the NCAA Final Four. In the 2001 NCAA Tournament, the Blue Devils claimed a 75-54 win in the second round in Durham, N.C.
Duke then came back the next year on Nov. 30, 2002 to knock off 17th-ranked Arkansas for the second straight year in the Paradise Jam, 74-72, in overtime.
Duke Versus The Big 12...
Duke owns an all-time record of 9-4 against teams from the Big 12-- Colorado (0-1), Iowa State (2-0), Kansas State (1-0), Oklahoma (0-1), Oklahoma State (1-0), Texas (3-1), Texas A&M (0-1), Texas Tech (2-0).
In the NCAA Tournament, Blue Devil Head Coach Joanne P. McCallie has notched a 0-2 record against Big 12 opponents with losses to Texas in 2004 and Baylor in 2005.
Common Opponents...
Duke and Texas A&M have two common opponents -- Wake Forest and Florida State. The Blue Devils knocked off WFU, 71-36, but A&M fell, 53-46. Duke also defeated Florida State, 70-38 and 81-67, while Texas A&M also knocked off the Seminoles, 81-67.
Low Post Party By Black...
After missing last year’s NCAA Tournament due to an injury, junior Chante Black has come to play in 2008 as the 6-5 center has averaged 16.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.5 steals, 1.3 blocks and 1.0 assists in two games. Black is coming off a career night against Arizona State with a career-high 26 points, tied a season high with 13 rebounds, had three blocked shots, two assists and two steals in 33 minutes. Her double-double was a team-best eighth of the season and 14th of her career.
Her 20+ scoring marked the fourth time out of the last eight games she has reached the 20-point mark for the fifth time this season. All five of her 20+ scoring outputs in her career have come this season.
Black was recently named one of 40 finalists for the State Farm All-America squad, which will be announced at the NCAA Final Four.
In the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) stats, Black ranks 13th in rebounding (7.0), seventh in field goal percentage (52.1), fifth in free throw percentage (78.9), 15th in scoring (14.0), third in blocks (2.32) and seventh in offensive rebounds (2.76). In ACC games only, she ranked sixth in rebounding (8.1), 18th in scoring (13.9), sixth in field goal percentage (52.9), second in free throw percentage (85.7), second in blocks (2.86), tied for sixth in defensive rebounds (5.43) and ninth in offensive rebounds (2.64).
Thomas Makes Her Point...
Over her last three games in the ACC Championship and the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament, freshman Jasmine Thomas has come to play averaging 13.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 0.7 blocks.
She is coming off posting 13 points, a career-high nine rebounds and matched a career high with six assists against Murray State in the first round. Then she notched 11 points, three rebounds, one assist and one steal against Arizona State in the second round. Versus UNC in the ACC title tilt, she had 16 points, two blocks, two rebounds and two assists.
In the three games, Thomas has hit 4-of-10 three-pointers as she hit two in the Murray State and UNC games. It marked only the second time this season she has posted two straight games with two or more treys made.
Her three consecutive games with double-figure points is a first for the Fairfax, Va., product.
How We Got Here...
Duke knocked off 14th-seeded Murray State in the first round, 78-57, and then ousted sixth-seeded Arizona State, 67-59, in the second round. Both games were played in College Park, Md.
Junior Chante Black led the way for Duke averaging 20.0 points and 10.0 rebounds, while Wanisha Smith averaged 12.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.5 steals. Black’s 20.0 points average ranks tied for 21st in the NCAA Tournament this year, while her 10.0 boards is tied for 17th. Freshman Jasmine Thomas played well in her first two NCAA Tournament games averaging 12.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists, while hitting 56.3 percent of her field goals.
Hey, I Know You...
Blue Devil freshman Karima Christmas will reunite with some friends, former teammates, rivals and camp counselors when Duke and Texas A&M hit the floor on Sunday.
Christmas is originally from Houston, Texas and attended J. Frank Dobie H.S. She played AAU basketball on the CY Fair Elite squad that went up against the Houston Elite team that included Texas A&M’s Damitria Buchanan and La Toya Micheaux. Christmas also played against Sydney Colson in AAU basketball as Colson played for Houston Insiders. The two are very good friends.
In the summer of 2006, Christmas attended the Texas A&M Basketball Camp led by Head Coach Gary Blair. One of her counselors was A&M point guard A’Quonesia Franklin.
Christmas chose to attend Duke over Texas A&M and LSU.
Yea, 25 Wins Once More...
With the victory in the second round against Arizona State, Duke won its 25th game of the season. It marked the 10th straight year the Blue Devils have won 25 or more games. Joanne P. McCallie has won 25 or more games now three times in her 16 years as a head coach.
Balanced Scoring In March...
Duke Head Coach Joanne P. McCallie has stressed since she arrived at Duke that she coaches for March and April. Everything she does in the preseason and during the regular season builds to the NCAA Tournament.
This was evident in the ACC Tournament as the Blue Devils knocked off their second top-five opponent in Maryland during the semifinals before falling in the championship. Duke is playing its best basketball of the season and this is the time Coach P has prepared them for.
Duke has had balanced scoring all season long but in the ACC Tournament the Blue Devils had five players averaging double-figure points in the three games ? Chante Black (12.7), Joy Cheek (12.0), Wanisha Smith (12.0), Jasmine Thomas (11.3) and Abby Waner (11.3).
All 11 Blue Devils who played in the Murray State game, scored at least two points for Duke. In the two NCAA Tournament games, Black (20.0), Smith (12.5) and Thomas (12.0) have averaged double-figures, while Cheek (8.0) and Carrem Gay (5.5) have averaged over five points a contest.
Storylines/Trends...
? After playing in front of a rowdy crowd in College Park, Md., the Blue Devils will expect Texas A&M to be the crowd favorite on Sunday in Oklahoma City, Okla. The Aggies have only a five hour trip to the regional.
? Both Texas A&M and Duke enjoyed the Paradise Jam over the Thanksgiving Holiday in November. The Blue Devils won two of three games, while the Aggies also won two of three contests. Duke was in the St. Thomas division, while Texas A&M was in the St. John division.
? Over the last five games, Wanisha Smith (7-of-18) and Jasmine Thomas (5-of-13) have combined to hit 12-of-30 three-pointers.
? The Blue Devils have won nine out of their last 12 games with the losses coming to second-ranked UNC (twice) and fourth-ranked Maryland.
? Senior Wanisha Smith currently has 1,245 career points to rank 14th on Duke’s scoring chart. She passed Stacy Hurd (1,241) in the last game against ASU. She needs 38 points to reach Sheana Mosch in 13th place.
? Of Duke’s nine losses on the season, seven came at the hands of top-four ranked teams in the national polls -- No. 2 Connecticut, No. 2 Tennessee, No. 2 North Carolina (twice), No. 3 North Carolina, No. 4 Maryland (twice). The Blue Devils have not lost to a team not ranked in the top four since a Dec. 2 loss at Penn State.
? Duke has kicked off games with 11 different starting lineups this season. Of the 11 student-athletes on the roster, nine have started at least one game.
? Junior Abby Waner has moved into fourth place on Duke’s all-time three-pointers made list with 165 treys. She needs six more three-pointers to tie Vicki Krapohl (171) for third. Her 188 three-pointers attempted this season also ranks second on Duke’s single-season list. The record is 191 by Jessica Foley.
? During the last 13 games, six different Blue Devils have led Duke in scoring -- Wanisha Smith, Chante Black, Carrem Gay, Jasmine Thomas, Abby Waner and Joy Cheek.
? Duke has tied a school record with six players with 10 or more blocks this season-- Chante Black (79), Krystal Thomas (35), Jasmine Thomas (30), Carrem Gay (23), Joy Cheek (11) and Keturah Jackson (11).
? In the four ACC regular season losses, Duke fell to four top-four ranked teams in the nation. Duke allowed an average of 84.0 points, and let opponents hit 46.4 percent from the field and 45.6 percent from three-point land. The Blue Devils were outrebounded by a 6.5 margin in those contests and averaged 66.5 points per game. In the 10 ACC wins, Duke held opponents to 52.5 points per game, while holding the foes to a 33.6 field goal percentage and 27.2 three-point field goal percentage. The Blue Devils also held a 12.0 advantage on the boards.
? With her 118 career starts at Duke, Wanisha Smith ranks tied for fourth on Duke’s list along with Lindsey Harding.
? The Blue Devils suffered their ninth loss of the season on March 9 to second-ranked North Carolina, marking the most losses in a season since the 1996-97 campaign.
? In 13 home games this season, Duke set a new single-season attendance record averaging 6, 764 fans per game. The previous record was in 2003-04 when the Blue Devils averaged 6,237. Duke has averaged over 6,000 fans in three years with the other coming in 2005-06 (6,073).
? The Blue Devils have been selected as a host site for the 2010 NCAA Tournament first and second rounds.
Various NCAA Tournament Highlights...
Duke improved to 15-0 in NCAA Tournament first round contests ... Joanne P. McCallie has now won at least one game in the NCAA Tournament in five consecutive years ... against Murray State, Duke had 10 turnovers in the first half and then a season-low three in the second stanza ...Chante Black’s 13 rebounds against Arizona State is tied for the second-most boards in a NCAA Tournament game by a Duke player ... Black’s 26 points is tied for the ninth-most points scored by a Blue Devil in tournament action ... the Blue Devil bench was outscored, 15-8, in the Arizona State game marking only the eighth time this season Duke’s bench has been outscored.
From Downtown...
For the second time in six games, Duke finished a game hitting zero three-pointers on Tuesday against Arizona State. The Blue Devils tied a season low attempting only four treys in the contest. Duke last hit 0-of-12 in the regular season finale at North Carolina, which broke a streak of 109 straight games with at least one trey made.
As a team, Duke had hit 18 three-pointers over the last four games, but with Chante Black dominating down low against Arizona State, the Blue Devils didn’t need to launch many treys.
On The Boards...
In two NCAA Tournament games, Duke has averaged 45.0 rebounds, while its opponents have pulled down 30.0 boards. The 15.0 rebound margin ranks third in the NCAA Tournament stats for the first and second rounds, behind Stanford (19.5) and Tennessee (18.0).
The Blue Devils have been very active on the offensive boards notching 20 against Murray State and 19 versus Arizona State. Duke’s 19.5 average of offensive rebounds in the tournament ranks tied for sixth in the NCAA Tournament and is the most by any team remaining in the bracket. In the Murray State game, Duke posted three players with seven or more rebounds -- Jasmine Thomas (9), Joy Cheek (7) and Chante Black (7). The Blue Devils have registered three players with seven or more boards on nine occasions this season.
Record In March...
Duke owns a 64-22 record in March since 1992-93. The Blue Devils are 56-14 the last 10 years. Overall in the 33 years of women’s basketball, the Blue Devils are 68-36.
McCallie In Tournament Play...
In her 16 years as a head coach, Joanne P. McCallie has taken 12 teams to the NCAA Tournament and produced a 12-11 record. While at Maine, she totaled a 1-6 record that included an upset victory over seventh-seeded Stanford (60-58( in 1999. Her Maine squad was seeded 10th and then fell to Old Dominion on its home court, 72-62, in the second round.
During her time at Michigan State, McCallie guided the Spartans to a 9-5 mark. She led MSU to five straight appearances in the NCAA Tournament and won at least one game four consecutive years.
In 2005, McCallie’s squad had an incredible run through the tournament knocking off Alcorn State, USC, 18th-ranked Vanderbilt, top-ranked Stanford and third-ranked Tennessee before falling to fifth-ranked Baylor in the national championship game. McCallie was awarded National Coach of the Year for her efforts.
As a player, McCallie led Northwestern to the 1987 NCAA Tournament her senior year. The Wildcats traveled to Louisiana Tech and lost, 82-60, in the first round.
