University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Duke
Beard, Blue Devils Too Much For Tar Heels In 102-82 Loss
January 24, 2002 | Women's Basketball
Jan. 24, 2002
DURHAM, N.C. (AP) - North Carolina coach Sylvia Hatchell sees only one way to stop Duke from winning its third straight Atlantic Coast Conference title.
"I think they would have to have about four players go down with injuries," Hatchell said after No. 5 Duke beat No. 21 North Carolina 102-82 Thursday night. "Something bad would have to happen, and I don't think it will."
Alana Beard had 31 points and eight rebounds, and Monique Currie had a career-high 23 points as Duke (16-3, 8-0) won its seventh straight game. The Blue Devils have won 13 of 14 overall and seven of eight against North Carolina.
"I know we're 8-0 in the ACC, but we haven't been through the whole first round yet," Duke coach Gail Goestenkors said. "We still need to keep doing the little things and focus on one game at a time."
Coretta Brown led North Carolina (14-6, 4-4) with 19 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Leah Metcalf added 15 points and Candace Sutton had 14.
Duke got out to a 22-11 lead in the first 9:25 and pushed it to 54-32 by halftime. Currie hit six of her first nine shots for 15 points in the first half and Beard had 14.
"For a while there in the first half, it just looked like a shooting practice out there," Hatchell said.
eard was 10-for-21 from the field, including 2-for-3 from 3-point range. She also had five steals and four assists. Currie finished 9-for-14.
Duke's Iciss Tillis had 12 points and eight rebounds. Sheana Mosch and Michele Matyasovsky added 10 points each.
North Carolina had 18 turnovers and was 2-for-14 from 3-point range.
Duke had just 10 turnovers and 21 assists on 35 field goals.
The two teams combined to shoot 61 free throws.
"We had some brutal practices leading up to this game. Very, very intense," Goestenkors said. "I told the guys who practice with us to push us, shove us, foul us, step on us, because I knew it was going to be a very physical game and I wanted us to play aggressively but with poise."
