WBB Duke 77, Oklahoma State 68

[watzone]

http://bluedevilnation.net/?p=1296

The Duke Women opening tomorrow evening in Cameron Indoor Stadium vs a tough Oklahoma State team. Here is a preview with comments from Coach McCallie and more.

[zingit]

Thanks, watzone! I'm looking forward to it! I also just read ESPN's ACC preview (http://sports.espn.go.com/ncw/preview2008/columns/story?columnist=creme_charlie&id=3697248):


In fact, the single most important part of the ACC season might be Waner's jump shot. She seemed to lose it last season; her 3-point accuracy dipped to 26 percent. Duke will win games one way or the other (the Blue Devils were still 25-10 and made the Sweet 16 in '08), but the level of success will ride on whether the senior regains her stroke. If she does, Duke could threaten for a conference title and a No. 1 seed. If she doesn't, a season similar to 2007-08 is more likely.

Geez, no pressure or anything, Abby!

[CameronBornAndBred]

Gonna watch those first two on ACC select, looking forward to seeing how much they have progressed, and really looking forward to seeing the freshmen.

P.S. Got my UNC tix in the mail today!

[watzone]

So, is anyone going tonight? If so, post your thoughts on the game here. I'll see you there. This is the start of a great Duke sports weekend - the game tonight, Duke Football vs Clemson tomorrow and a men's and women's hoop double header in Cameron on Sunday. Four games in three days is cool with me.

[CameronBornAndBred]

So, is anyone going tonight? If so, post your thoughts on the game here. I'll see you there. This is the start of a great Duke sports weekend - the game tonight, Duke Football vs Clemson tomorrow and a men's and women's hoop double header in Cameron on Sunday. Four games in three days is cool with me.

I'm gonna have to catch it on ACCselect, but at least I'll be able to watch. Maybe we'll have some snrubbers around. Looking forward to your report WZ.

[bigj4194]

So, is anyone going tonight? If so, post your thoughts on the game here. I'll see you there. This is the start of a great Duke sports weekend - the game tonight, Duke Football vs Clemson tomorrow and a men's and women's hoop double header in Cameron on Sunday. Four games in three days is cool with me.

you forgot the women's soccer games for the NCAA tournament.

I will be going to the game tonight. It should be a great game

[CameronBornAndBred]

$5.95 to watch live on ACCselect
http://www.theacc.com/accselect/index.html

Not a bad deal if you can't be there.

[CameronBornAndBred]

1/2 time
Riley has no range..WOW. She is sinking everything she throws up.
1st impression is we are looking ok, if they didn't have Riley we'd be winning...but they have Riley. Looking forward to seeing how we/McCallie adjust in the second, and hoping that Waner avoids a shoot out with R. I don't think she will win that battle tonight.
Another quick impression about the other side, Cunningham is doing them very well for D and feeds. I've never heard of either player but after this half I'm sure we will know both of their names come March.

[bigj4194]

I am embarrassed by the student turnout. I am one of about 30 students at the game. There should be more. Especially for how close of a game this is.

One quick note about #10 Riley on Oklahoma state. If ok st males the NCAA tournament which they should. Riley will be suspended for the first game for full out slapping another girl in the tournament last year.

[CameronBornAndBred]

I am embarrassed by the student turnout. I am one of about 30 students at the game. There should be more. Especially for how close of a game this is.
Do everything you can to bring out everyone you know and don't know for all the games. I'm assuming I've seen you, I think they've shown the entire student section so far tonite in detail. I am glad to see a better number up top than I expected. Wish I was there.

P.S. since you have room to roam, gather a gaggle of students and run back and forth under the opposing basket during foul shots..lol.

1 of 11 from 3 in first half...ugggh.

[CameronBornAndBred]

Great defense and Points off of T's to start the second...Duke on a nice run, Carrem and Chante are so fun to watch.

[bigj4194]

were playing great defense. And wiith good D comes offensive opportunities.

[CameronBornAndBred]

Just to throw this in...Maryland just lost their opener.

[CameronBornAndBred]

A big fat congrats to the ladies, taking on the #14th team in the country at home, down by 9 at the half, and they came up with a significant victory. Maryland wishes they could say the same, but they can't. I was impressed by not only our game play on the court, but more significantly our coaching off of it. We have an incredibly tough schedule this year, and all parties started off great and I'm psyched and relieved. Our rebounding was awesome, our defense was awesome, and our shooting was ok. But without the first two the 3rd would not have mattered. I think McCallie's stress of time in the weight room did alot to pull this game out of the jaws of defeat. As of now, I don't think Duke needs to be aprehensive of anyone, we can hang. Before the game I wasn't sure, now I know.

mods feel free to move this to the last game thread, but this is more for the season upcoming.

[wisteria]

yeah... way to open a season against such a top team and pull out with a WIN~~~ congratulations to the ladies!!!

[Ima Facultiwyfe]

$5.95 to watch live on ACCselect
http://www.theacc.com/accselect/index.html

Not a bad deal if you can't be there.

I'm up at our lake cabin and couldn't get to the game. Saw your tip, tuned in on the laptop and sat here by the fire enjoying the game.......and yours and bigj's company!

Bless your heart!
Love, Ima

[heyman25]

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncw/gamecast?gameId=283190150
Good to win. Abby and Jasmine need some shooting practice.
AW 2 for 13
JT 3 for 16
Chante domination 13 for 17; 28 points

[Ders24]

Overall a pretty good win -- we played much better in the second half (threw in some different defensive looks). Our offense still leaves me wondering sometimes (it seems like we stop moving/creating). Shooting – as other posters have pointed out – could use some work, but again a solid win against a good opponent.

I wish there were some way to get more students out there, it's very embarrassing that the women's team get the little support they do.

[bigj4194]

all the previous posters have said it all...great win for the girls...congrats to them. we played fantastic defense the second half and it paid off in the end.

[zingit]

An 18-point swing in the second half--that was impressive! I feel more optimistic about this year already. A lot of students missed out on a great game.

The sad thing about the attendance is that I actually thought it seemed better than usual for a women's game.

[DU82]

Overall a pretty good win -- we played much better in the second half (threw in some different defensive looks). Our offense still leaves me wondering sometimes (it seems like we stop moving/creating). Shooting – as other posters have pointed out – could use some work, but again a solid win against a good opponent.

I wish there were some way to get more students out there, it's very embarrassing that the women's team get the little support they do.

Offense? We have an offense? What I saw for much of the first and beginning of the second half was Coach P waving the team to hurry downcourt after a turnover or a steal. Jasmine does not need to hurry things (she's fast enough) because a rushed shot or turnover occurs. Of course, if we don't have many halfcourt plays, rushing down and shooting quickly doesn't look so bad. Chante makes up for a lot of bad shots by getting rebounds and good follow shots.

OSU did play a tight zone with some big players inside, which dared Abby and Jasmine to shot threes. Good defensive plan by the Cowboys, er Cowgirls, er Cowpersons. That and Riley bombing from what seemed to be midcourt pushed them up 9 at the half. Fortunately, she cooled off a bit (20 in the first half, 9 in the second I believe.) We went to what looked like a 1-2-2 zone for a while, with Gay on the top, which helped shut Riley down.

Not much bench play beyond 7 tonight. Christmas and Jackson played extensive minutes, Krystal Thomas, Mitchell and Shelby some spot time (Krystal's still recovering from knee surgery, I presume.) Chante better stay hydrated (she had a leg cramp with about 4 minutes left) because she's going to need to play a lot of minutes.

[PumpkinFunk]

An 18-point swing in the second half--that was impressive! I feel more optimistic about this year already. A lot of students missed out on a great game.

The sad thing about the attendance is that I actually thought it seemed better than usual for a women's game.

It was. Playing ranked opponents brings students out... and this one had more than a normal women's game would ever have.

I thought we played a sloppy game fundamental-wise... Abby missed some easy lay-ups and we had free throw troubles... but still did well. Our guards played badly, but our frontcourt did great - Carrem and Chante really saved that game for us, as well as some of the momentum-changing 3s that Abby hit (she's doing much better already from 3). We let Riley take too many 3s, given her range, in the first half, but managed to shut her down enough in the 2nd. I worry about our offense more than our d, but I worry most about atrocious rebounding. Letting them get 3rd chances is bad.

[Ders24]

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncw/recap?gameId=283190150

In case anyone is looking for the write-up. I didn't realize we had a 20-0 run.

[Ders24]

Offense? We have an offense? What I saw for much of the first and beginning of the second half was Coach P waving the team to hurry downcourt after a turnover or a steal. Jasmine does not need to hurry things (she's fast enough) because a rushed shot or turnover occurs. Of course, if we don't have many halfcourt plays, rushing down and shooting quickly doesn't look so bad. Chante makes up for a lot of bad shots by getting rebounds and good follow shots.

Well I think the reason she was trying to get them to hurry is because the best way to beat a zone is to not let it set up. Not really disagreeing with anything you said, but since our outside shooting was pretty off that was probably her thinking.

[jimsumner]

"but I worry most about atrocious rebounding. Letting them get 3rd chances is bad."

You do realize that Duke outrebounded OSU 57-42? 26-16 edge on offensive rebounds, 29-7 edge on second-chance points.

Black and Gay each had a double-double. Black had 28 points, 10 rebounds, 4 blocks and dominated inside. With a capital D.

Of all the things to complain about.

[cbfx3]

I'da loved to come to this game but my daughters had b-ball practice tonight.. side note.. Wanisha Smith is coaching one of the teams in my daughters league! cool huh?? She has a team of older girls (7th and 8th graders) I live in a tiny farm town (Red Oak NC) We have a great little saturday league for boys and girls from 1st the 8th grade.. Imagine my suprise seeing her walk in the first night with a whistle on!

[CameronBornAndBred]

The sad thing about the attendance is that I actually thought it seemed better than usual for a women's game.
I wouldn't call that sad, I'd call it a promising start for the year.

[miramar]

Several students that I know don't have very fond memories of last year, but games like this can begin to turn that around. Considering that the ACC probably won't be the powerhouse conference it has been the last few years, as shown by the Maryland score, WBB has a real opportunity to change perceptions this season. Let's hope that this game will be the start of bigger and better things.

[merry]

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncw/gamecast?gameId=283190150
Good to win. Abby and Jasmine need some shooting practice.
AW 2 for 13
JT 3 for 16
Chante domination 13 for 17; 28 points

Chante knows how to get the ball and knows what to do with it when she gets it!

As for Jasmine, sure the shooting percentage wasn't good but did you notice: ZERO turnovers?

Box score says attendance was over 6000 but Cameron didn't look 2/3 full to me. OK State is a ranked team and Riley is a top player so on the face of it you'd think we'd have drawn more people, but I dont really expect attendance to pick up until the ACC begins. Would be nice, but 16 years of attending the games has taught me a few things.

[jimsumner]

The announced attendance was tickets sold not fannies in the seats. Lots of season-ticket holders stayed home. Maybe it was the weather.

I think Merry's estimate is generous. Half-full at best. So, a lot of people paid money to miss a pretty-good early-season game. Pity.

[zingit]

I wouldn't call that sad, I'd call it a promising start for the year.

Yes, of course--all I meant was, "Isn't it sad that WBB is so underappreciated that a crowd as small as that--less than half-full--is still better than usual?" I was actually happy when I came in and saw what a nice crowd they had gotten there. Then I came on DBR after the game and some of the first few posters commented on low turnout, and it reminded me how far WBB has to go, even if last night was better than usual.

But I'm not too upset about it. Duke WBB does have significant support, and if they keep playing like they did in the second half yesterday, then more people will come. I don't have exact statistics on attendance in the 06-07 season, but it seemed to me that people did start showing up more once they realized how good our team was that season. I don't think it will be like last year, where even the UNC game had pathetic turnout.

Edited to add that the opposing coach mentioned the crowd in the post-game press conference:

Opening Statement:
“I’ll start by saying I think that this was a great women’s college game tonight, two good teams out there for game one, battling for 40 minutes. I’m very proud of my kids, coming into a very hostile environment, and to what I think is probably a top 5 team."

On playing a tough opponent this early in the season:
“It might not be the smartest thing I’ve ever done, I would have loved to have a couple games under my belt, but again, I think we need more games like this in women’s college basketball. I think we are to a point now that maybe we can be considered one of the top 20 or 30 teams in the country, and I think it was good for us. Losing to LSU in the Sweet Sixteen, we felt like we could play with a lot of people last year, and we want to throw some of the new ones out there to see what they can do. I was pretty pleased with them. It’s my first time here, I’ve never been here, and most of the girls haven’t either. So it’s great to come and show them places like this, tradition-rich. They always talk about how Cameron Indoor and Gallagher being two of the loudest gyms in America. They held up their end, so we will do it next year.”

That's the kind of reaction I want every opposing team to have--that Duke is a hostile environment for them.

[MHTorringjan]

Yeah, I feel bad that I wasn't able to make it to the game, but Friday games are tough for me to make it to on weekends when I go out of town. I especially feel bad that it turned out to be a really exciting game. Then again, not sure if my voice could have taken it... :-\