#23/24 UNC (17-5, 7-2) at #5/6 Duke (18-3, 9-0)
Monday, Feb. 6, 2012 * 7:00 PM ESPN2
Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314) * Durham, N.C.
Media Information
TV: ESPN2 - Beth Mowins (PXP), Stephanie White (Color)
Radio: www.GoDuke.com; Steve Barnes (PXP), Morgan Patrick (Color)
Live Stats: www.GoDuke.com
Live Blog: www.GoDuke.com
Twitter: Duke_WBB & CoachPDuke
Facebook: Duke Women's Basketball
Series History: UNC leads 47-34
Inside DukeRecord: 18-3, 9-0 ACC
Ranking: #5 (AP), #6 (Coaches)
Last Result: W, 75-43 vs. Wake Forest, 2-2-12
Up Next: at Boston College, 2-9-12
Head Coach:
Joanne P. McCallie (5th Year)
Duke Record: 132-29 (5th Year)
Career Record: 448-177 (20th Year)
Inside North CarolinaRecord: 17-5, 7-2 ACC
Ranking: #23 (AP), #24 (Coaches)
Last Result: W, 64-56 vs. Virginia, 2-3-12
Up Next: at Miami, 2-8-12
Head Coach: Sylvia Hatchell (37th Year)
UNC Record: 604-228 (26th Year)
Career Record: 876-303 (38th Year)
Tobacco Road Battle in Cameron on Monday Versus North Carolina... One of the best rivalries in sports will hit the hardwood on Monday, Feb. 6 as the fifth-ranked Duke women's basketball team (18-3, 9-0 ACC) will host 23rd-ranked North Carolina (17-5, 7-2) at 7:00 p.m., in Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Monday's game will be aired live on ESPN2's Big Monday with Beth Mowins (PXP) and Stephanie White (Color) calling the action. The game can also be heard live on WDNC-AM 620 and www.GoDuke.com via the Blue Devil IMG Network's Steve Barnes (PXP) and Morgan Patrick (Color). A live blog from press row will kick off at 6:45 p.m.
The Blue Devils will look to defend their 27-game home court winning streak against ACC opponents. Duke is in the final leg of a three-game homestand before heading on the road for two games.
Noting Duke...
Richa Jackson (60.0) leads the league in ACC games only for field goal percentage, while ranking sixth overall (51.6) ... Vernerey has played in team-best 93 straight contests ... Duke ranks first in the ACC with a 36.0 three-point field goal percentage ... Chelsea Gray's 6.2 assists per game ranks No. 1 in the ACC, while Elizabeth Williams is fourth in rebounds (8.5) in the ACC ... Gray is tied for the lead in the ACC with a 2.1 assist/turnover ratio ... Williams is averaging 4.6 blocks per game in ACC action, which leads the league ... the Blue Devils have won 54 ACC contests over the last five years and 68 over the last six ... nine different Blue Devils have registered double-figure scoring so far on the season ... Duke is the reigning back-to-back ACC Champion and has won a total of seven ACC Championships.
From the Promotions Office...
- PACK THE HOUSE! Help the Blue Devils pack Cameron Indoor as they take on ACC rival, UNC! Wear Duke BLUE!
- Free Duke Blue Pom Poms, courtesy of game sponsor Time Warner Cable, will be given away to fans!
- Free Duke Women's Basketball Sunglasses will be given away to the first 500 Duke Students!
• Limited tickets remain, call 919-681-BLUE or visit www.GoDuke.com/tickets
A Look At North Carolina..
The 23rd-ranked Tar Heels enter Monday's matchup with an overall record of 17-5 and a 7-2 ledger in ACC action. The squad hosted Virginia in Chapel Hill on Friday evening, besting the Cavaliers for a 64-56 victory to sweep the series. North Carolina has won five consecutive games in conference play and is 4-2 on the year in road games. Chay Shegog (16.7 points, 7.9 rebounds), Tierra Ruffin-Pratt (9.2 points, 5.7 rebounds) and Brittany Rountree (9.0 points, 2.4 rebounds) are the Tar Heels' leading scorers.
Head coach Sylvia Hatchell is in her 26th season at the helm of the program after guiding North Carolina to the regional semifinals of the NCAA Tournament last year.
The Series With North Carolina...
The Blue Devils and Tar Heels have met 81 times in school history with North Carolina leading the overall series, 47-34. Duke has won 21 of the last 33 games and two straight in the series dating back to last season.
In games played in Durham, Duke owns a record of 20-13, including winners of three in a row.
Blue Devil Head Coach Joanne P. McCallie has faced North Carolina 12 times over her 20 years as a head coach. McCallie has a 4-8 record against the Tar Heels. She lost two of those contests while head coach at Maine. McCallie's squad faced North Carolina in the 2000 NCAA Tournament in Santa Barbara, Calif., and fell 62-57 on March 18. The Black Bears also lost, 68-52, on Dec. 28, 1996 on a neutral site. Since joining Duke, McCallie has notched a 4-6 mark, but has won three out of the last five.
Storylines/Other Blue Devil Notes...
- The Blue Devils have won 27 straight games in Cameron Indoor Stadium against ACC opponents. Duke has not lost an ACC contest at home since Maryland posted a 76-69 win on Feb. 17, 2008. Coach P is 30-2 at home against ACC opponents in her five years at Duke.
- With one more ACC victory, Duke will reach 10 league wins for the 15th straight year.
- The Blue Devils are averaging 41.8 points in the paint on the season and 26.6 points off turnovers.
- Two of the top shot-blocking teams in the nation will hit the hardwood on Monday night as Duke ranks eighth (6.0) and North Carolina is third (6.7). Elizabeth Williams is third nationally (3.8) and Chay Shegog of UNC is 19th (2.7).
- Over the last seven games, Elizabeth Williams has averaged 16.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, 3.3 blocks, 1.6 steals and 1.0 assists. She has hit 70.3 percent of her free throws.
- Chelsea Gray needs only four assists to move into a tie for 10th on Duke's single-season assist list. She has 131 dishes on the year and is looking to move past Wanisha Smith (135).
- Over the last eight games, Duke has featured five different players lead the Blue Devils in scoring -- Haley Peters (2), Elizabeth Williams (2), Richa Jackson, Tricia Liston (2) and Chelsea Gray.
- Sophomore Tricia Liston has struggled in the past five contests averaging only 6.5 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.3 steals. She has hit only 4-of-16 treys and scored double-figures in one game. Liston has hit 0-of-5 treys the last two games and has not gone three straight games all year without hitting a trey.
- Elizabeth Williams needs two blocks to move into a tie with Chante Black for fourth on Duke's single season swats list. She also needs two blocks to move into 10th place on Duke's career blocks list.
- Chelsea Gray has averaged 13.0 points, 6.8 assists, 5.6 rebounds and 2.6 steals. She has hit 7-of-14 treys during that span.
- In Duke's 18 wins, the Blue Devils have hit 48.8 percent from the field and averaged 78.7 points. In the three losses, Duke has hit only 33.7 percent from the field and averaged 54.7 points.
- Haley Peters has hit four out of her last eight three-point field goal attempts and has drained a career-best nine treys on the year.
- Duke has held four opponents to under 40 points this season. In Coach P's five years at Duke, the Blue Devils have held 21 opponents to under 40 points.
- With under three minutes left in games, Chelsea Gray is hitting 56.3 percent of her field goals and has scored 37 of Duke's 116 points. In her Blue Devil career, she has hit 22 of 41 field goals (53.7%) in the final three minutes of games.
- Against ranked teams, Elizabeth Williams (13.6), Haley Peters (13.0) and Chelsea Gray (11.8) are averaging double-figure scoring this season. Duke has hit only 38.1 percent from the field, 28.9 percent from downtown and averaged 61.6 points a game against ranked teams.
- Duke had a streak of three straight games shooting 50.0 percent or better come to an end against Connecticut when the Blue Devils shot 24.6 percent, which was tied for the fifth lowest in school history. On the year, the Blue Devils have hit 50.0 percent of their field goals or better a total of eight times.
- Duke shot 62.3 percent from the field at Georgia Tech on Jan. 18, which is the highest ever for a Coach P team since arriving in Durham five years ago.
- The Blue Devils have been ranked in the top 10 the past 46 straight weeks. Duke leads the ACC with 218 all-time weeks ranked in the top 10. Next closest is UNC with 193.
- Duke is averaging 75.3 points this season, which is the most for a Blue Devil squad since 2005-06 with an 86.0 ledger. The most for a Coach P squad in her previous four years was 72.1 in 2008-09.
- Sophomore Tricia Liston has notched a team-best seven contests with 18 or more points - 23 vs. Gardner-Webb, 22 vs. Western Kentucky, 20 at Temple, 19 against Pittsburgh, 20 vs. Florida State, 18 versus UNCW and Virginia. She owns four games with 20+ points. A year ago, Jasmine Thomas had a total of five.
- Duke is currently averaging 16.9 assists per game on the year, which is the most since the 2005-06 campaign (20.5). Since Coach P joined the Blue Devils in 2007-08, the most Duke has averaged in a season is 15.0 in 2007-08 and 2010-11.
- Freshman Elizabeth Williams has 179 rebounds over her first 21 collegiate games, which ranks as the second-most over a rookie's first 21 contests in Duke history -- Chris Moreland (203), Elizabeth Williams (179), Chante Black (145), Stacy Hurd (144).
- The average age of Duke's squad this season is 19 years old. This is the youngest since the 2000-01 squad that had an average age of 18.2.
- Over the last 12 years, Duke owns the third-most wins in the nation -- Connecticut (399), Tennessee (359) and Duke (352) through games of 2/3.
- Duke lost 45.8 percent of its scoring from a year ago with the graduation of Jasmine Thomas, Krystal Thomas and Karima Christmas. All three were selected in the 2011 WNBA Draft.
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Hey, I Know You...
Blue Devil freshman Elizabeth Williams and North Carolina junior Tierra Ruffin-Pratt both played for the Boo Williams AAU squad. Williams is also friends with She'la White as she is from the same area of Virginia.
Duke Players vs. North Carolina...
Junior Allison Vernerey has scored double-figures in four of five contests against the Tar Heels. She has averaged 9.4 points and 4.6 rebounds, while blocking seven shots. Vernerey has hit 55.3 percent of her field goals.
Chelsea Gray notched a career-high 20 points as she hit 4-of-7 treys in her first career meeting with UNC in Chapel Hill last year.
Haley Peters collected 14 points and four rebounds in the ACC Tournament Championship game last year, hitting 4-of-8 field goals.
Undefeated in League Play...
Duke is now 9-0 in Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) action for the fifth time in school history. For the fourth straight year, Joanne P. McCallie opened ACC play with a 5-0 record. The previous best start in Duke history under the direction of Coach P was last year's 7-0 mark.
The Blue Devils have notched undefeated 16-0 records in ACC play in 2001-02 and 2002-03, while notching an undefeated 14-0 mark in 2006-07. Other top starts were in 13-0 (1998-99), 8-0 (2003-04 & 2011-12), 7-0 (2005-06 & 2010-11) and 6-0 (2009-10).
Best ACC Starts in League History
16-0 - Duke (2002-03, 2001-02), Virginia (1994-95)
14-0 - UNC (2007-08), Duke (2006-07), UVA (1990-91)
13-0 - Duke (1998-99), UNC (1996-97)
10-0 - Maryland (1991-92)
9-0 - UNC (2005-06), UVA (1986-87), NCSU (1979-80, 1977-78), Duke (2011-12)
8-0 - UNC (2006-07), Duke (2003-04), UVA (1985-86)
Charting the Top Freshmen...
Blue Devil rookie Elizabeth Williams is establishing herself as one of the top freshmen in the nation and in the running for National Freshman of the Year. Other top rookies are Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis (UConn), Ariel Massengale (Tenn), Bria Smith (Louisville), Bria Goss (Kentucky) and Reshanda Gray (California).
By the numbers --
E.Williams - 14.1 pts, 8.5 reb., 3.8 blks, 1.6 st, 1.4 asst.
K.Mosqueda-Lewis - 14.1 pts, 5.5 reb., 1.5 st., 2.0 asst.
A.Massengale 8.2 pts, 2.6 reb., 1.6 st., 5.3 asst.
B.Goss - 11.7 pts, 4.5 reb., 1.9 st., 1.6 asst.
B.Smith - 10.7 pts, 4.5 reb., 2.2 st., 2.1 asst.
R.Gray - 10.5 pts, 5.5 reb.
Playing at Home in 2011-12...
The Blue Devils are currently 10-1 at home in and feature five double-figure scorers -- Elizabeth Williams (14.0), Chloe Wells (12.6), Haley Peters (12.5), Chelsea Gray (11.6) and Richa Jackson (10.2).
Duke is averaging 78 .4 points, while holding opponents to 53.9 points a game. The Blue Devils are hitting 46.1 percent of their field goals in those contests. In the 11 games, Duke is forcing 24.4 turnovers a game and averaging 15.6 steals.
Peters has scored double-digits in 8-of-11 home games, while hitting 53.5 percent of her field goals. Liston is hitting 42.5 percent from downtown and Jackson is hitting 50.0 percent of her field goals in Cameron. Gray is dishing 7.5 assists at home, while Williams is averaging 14.0 points, 8.8 boards and 3.2 blocks.
Selby Rejoins Starting Lineup...
Senior Shay Selby rejoined the starting lineup against Wake Forest and made her 16th career start. She started the first five games of the season before being suspended for the next five contests.
She ranks third on the team with 10 three-pointers.
Peters Sets Fire...
Sophomore Haley Peters played one of her best collegiate games against Maryland on Jan. 22 as she scored a career-high 21 points, hit a career-high 10-of-12 field goals, had five rebounds, one assist, one steal and had no turnovers in 32 minutes.
In the previous three contests, Peters had scored only 13 points combined. Peters has notched 10 or more points a total of 13 times this season. Peters has averaged 15.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists over the last four games. She notched her first career double-double against Wake Forest with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Peters has hit 57.4 percent of her field goals in that stretch.
Over the last two games, Peters has pulled down 20 rebounds.