WBB: Duke 56, Stanford 52

[GrayHare]

In case you're making plans for next week, Duke WBB (#11/12) hosts Stanford (#3/4) next Tuesday night, 12/16, at 7:30 pm in Cameron.

This is, I believe, a BIG GAME on the women's schedule, and I think they'd appreciate as much support as we can muster, particularly from any students still in town.

Attention dukemomLA and others in SoCal: WBB finishes the week with games Friday and Saturday night at the Women of Troy Basketball Classic at the University of Southern California.

[miramar]

Considering that finals don't end until Sunday, that is what you would call a big week. But good things happen to those who go after them.

[CameronBornAndBred]

We will have Jasmine Thomas back at point tonight. That's a huge addition, she has missed the last 3 games due to injury. Best of luck to the ladies, GO DUKE! (Everyone who can't be there, you can watch on ESPN @ 7:30)

[summerwind03]

So far, we're looking good. Forcing a lot of turnovers (and Stanford hasn't been shooting well from the line). Christmas is having a career night. 49-42 with 7 minutes to go.

[summerwind03]

Final 56-52 -- big win for Duke!

[godukerocks]

That was a fun game to watch. Sort of looked like the old Duke, causing turnovers with the press, running the floor, and all the emotion. I hope this keeps up.

[CameronBornAndBred]

Congrats to the ladies. Horrendous shooting, but luckily by both teams. Maybe Wooden snuck in and raised the rims. Excellent defense by Duke, it won the game for us. We have really got to improve our shooting though. I can't recall seeing so many shots missed from within 10'. I think this could have easily have been a double digit victory if even a third more of our close shots (including layups) had gone in. Still...absolutely amazing defense and a great win.

[dukelifer]

Final 56-52 -- big win for Duke!

This women's team definitely knows how to win ugly. If they could shoot the ball- they could be incredibly tough to beat- but they can play D all game long and make other teams look very bad. But this Duke team is really limited offensively with almost no outside shooters. Waner's woes continue this season, unfortunately. But winning is winning.

[Kedsy]

Congrats to the ladies. Horrendous shooting, but luckily by both teams. Maybe Wooden snuck in and raised the rims. Excellent defense by Duke, it won the game for us. We have really got to improve our shooting though. I can't recall seeing so many shots missed from within 10'. I think this could have easily have been a double digit victory if even a third more of our close shots (including layups) had gone in. Still...absolutely amazing defense and a great win.

I agree. Great defense but just awful shooting. Good win but the team needs a whole lot of work on the offensive end.

[miramar]

It was no masterpiece, but that was a big win.

Two things stuck out in my mind:

1) Free throws, where Stanford went 12/27 and Duke 17/22

2) After Stanford hit a big three to pull within three with 1:04 left, they had the ball for only ten seconds the rest of the way after some huge offensive rebounds by Duke.

For better or worse, it appears that we have become a Big Ten team.

[Kedsy]

Waner's woes continue this season, unfortunately.

This is the first opportunity I've had to watch this year's women's team, but I think Abby's problems stem primarily from either not thinking or thinking too much. Poor shot selection, shooting while moving sideways away from the basket. Quick shots out of the flow of the offense. And what's with that flick of the wrist while shooting free throws? She looked almost like Shaq on the line, and we all know that's not a good thing. Very good ballhandling and passing (although she did force a few into the middle for turnovers), and good opportunistic defense, but when she's shooting she looks like a completely different person than she did her first year or two on the team. I think the championship loss to Maryland must have gotten into her head and stayed there. Just my opinion, of course.

[Lavabe]

Congrats to the women!!

Christmas had a great game tonight!

Cheers,
Lavabe

[juise]

Congrats on a hard-fought win, ladies!

[juise]

Christmas had a great game tonight!

'Tis the season!

[godukerocks]

but when she's shooting she looks like a completely different person than she did her first year or two on the team. I think the championship loss to Maryland must have gotten into her head and stayed there. Just my opinion, of course.

I disagree. Yes, her shooting percentages are down, are you can argue whether that's because of a new offensive system and style of play, a new coach, the other players, and so on. But I don't think the loss to Maryland got "into her head and stayed there." If anything, it motivated her to work harder, get better, and make her team better. And while the results of the team and her shooting are not as great as they were a few years ago, I don't think Abby's struggles are a direct result of the championship game two and a half years ago.

[dukelifer]

I disagree. Yes, her shooting percentages are down, are you can argue whether that's because of a new offensive system and style of play, a new coach, the other players, and so on. But I don't think the loss to Maryland got "into her head and stayed there." If anything, it motivated her to work harder, get better, and make her team better. And while the results of the team and her shooting are not as great as they were a few years ago, I don't think Abby's struggles are a direct result of the championship game two and a half years ago.

It is more than just shooting percentages. She is forcing shots at times. Her free throw shooting is down- suggesting some mechanics issues. It could be many things- but clearly her shooting is not what it was. She does bring other things to the court and contributes despite the shooting problems. Many players would sulk and just not contribute. So you have to give her credit. I think she needs to slow down a bit and shoot more with her feet set. She is drifting on her shot. If she could find her outside shot- Duke would be a very tough out. The shooting woes started last year - which coincided with the new strength program- but who knows. She is clearly aware of it, according to the announcers- so it could be thinking too much. A few athletes have had this happen to them- where something that was natural is no longer natural. It may correct itself.

[zingit]

This is the first opportunity I've had to watch this year's women's team, but I think Abby's problems stem primarily from either not thinking or thinking too much. Poor shot selection, shooting while moving sideways away from the basket. Quick shots out of the flow of the offense. And what's with that flick of the wrist while shooting free throws? She looked almost like Shaq on the line, and we all know that's not a good thing. Very good ballhandling and passing (although she did force a few into the middle for turnovers), and good opportunistic defense, but when she's shooting she looks like a completely different person than she did her first year or two on the team. I think the championship loss to Maryland must have gotten into her head and stayed there. Just my opinion, of course.

That wouldn't explain why she had such a good sophomore season though. But yes, her shot selection has been puzzling at times.

[dukemomLA]

Great win for our WBB team! Yahoo. Hope this gives them the confidence to keep on, keeping on. Great game to watch.

[jv001]

Congratulations Lady Blue Devils on your hard fought win last night. Stanford is a real good team(#4) and our ladies did a good job defensivly. The press worked and we out-rebounded them. If we could just shoot the bb better we would have a top ten 10 maybe even higher. I agree with the other posters regarding Abby. She is shooting too quickly, her feet are not set and she falls to the left alot on her shot. These things along with a loss of confidence has her in a prelonged slump shooting the ball and it's also affecting her ball handling(turnovers). Christmas played a great game and Black was pretty steady. However she failed to get back down court when things did not go well for her on the offensive end of the court. Neither did our point guard. This caused atleast 3 or 4 runouts to Stanford's bigs. I hope that Coach P has the team working on their outside shooting. I have never seen so many awful shots in one game. All this negativity after a win. Well it was an ugly win. But it was a win. Go Duke!

[miramar]

I think that Abby made three of her first four shots, which kept Duke in the game in the beginning. I was hoping that she would have a breakout game, but after that she was 0-8. Several posters have commented on the drifting, but I think that's the result of poor shot selection. If you rush a shot as you are moving right to left across the key, for example, you are bound to drift.

Christmas went 5/7 but the rest of the team 13/52 (25%) so Abby was not alone. But it was a great effort only two days after the end of finals. If they can relax over the break the shooting will improve dramatically.