jdupree@heraldsun.com; 419-6674
Congratulations, Florida State!
In four games against ACC women's basketball teams, top-ranked Connecticut has prevailed by a combined margin of 132 points.
The Seminoles, now ranked No. 15, came the closest to a victory with their 78-59 loss on Dec. 28. Perhaps catching the Huskies in the midst of the holidays is something other teams should consider in the future.
Only No. 2-ranked Stanford has come closer, losing to UConn by 12 on Dec. 23.
No. 7 Duke took its shot on Monday night at a sold-out Cameron Indoor Stadium, only to fall 81-48 after being lapped in the second half when UConn shot 72.7 percent from 3-point range.
If the Huskies' run through five top-10 opponents is any indication, the NCAA Tournament may well develop into what one veteran women's basketball analyst predicted: A 63-team play-in to see who faces UConn for the title.
"This past weekend was unbelievable," said UConn coach Geno Auriemma, whose team beat No. 3 Notre Dame 70-46 on Saturday. "What we did on Saturday and Monday with very little turnaround, it was pretty good. It's as good as I've felt in a long time."
Then-No. 10 Texas, coached by Gail Goestenkors, lost 83-58 to start the string. The other victim was then-No. 7 North Carolina, which lost to the Huskies 88-47 on Jan. 9.
Perhaps that's one consolation for Duke fans -- the Blue Devils' margin was eight points better than that of the rival Tar Heels. OK, that's a stretch, to say the least.
In fact, UConn has won 11 straight against the ACC dating to a Jan. 15, 2007, loss to the Tar Heels.
Overall, the Huskies have won 57 in a row, trailing the 70-game streak by UConn from 2001-03.
Against teams in the top 10, the Blue Devils have an 83-67 win over Ohio State and a 16-point loss to No. 2 Stanford under their belts heading into the heart of the ACC schedule.
"I think [UConn's] efficiency is what makes them different," Duke coach Joanne P. McCallie said in comparing the Huskies to Ohio State and Stanford. "They're a much faster team in a lot of ways ... not to mention that nobody has the inside-outside combination that they do.
"There's a long list of things that I think separate them from the other teams. They're just out there on their own."
For the Blue Devils, Jasmine Thomas displayed skill levels equal to the Huskies, especially in the first half when she posted 11 points. The junior point guard finished with a team-high 17 points as the only Duke player in double figures.
"We couldn't keep [Thomas] in front of us most of the time," Auriemma said. "She's fast enough with the ball that she can go right by, and we lost her a couple of times in the first half.
"[In the second half,] we didn't give her a lot of lanes to slash through like she likes to do. You're not going to be able to guard her with one player -- she's just too difficult to guard."
Conversely, the Huskies showed their depth with all five starters in double digits, led by Maya Moore with 20 including 6-of-9 from 3-point range.
"I don't feel that the pace they play at is any different from what we're used to in the ACC," Thomas said. "But I do know that they find each other well playing at the pace that they do, so they know when to attack and when to slow it down."
The Blue Devils get back into league action on Thursday, hosting Virginia Tech -- much to McCallie's liking.
"I'm excited for ACC play," McCallie said. "We've got a great game on Thursday night, and we'll get right at it.
"A little film in the morning always brightens your day and allows us to learn what we need to learn, and we'll move forward."
Time will tell if the 2009-10 Huskies run the table and make an argument for being the best team in the history of women's basketball, but they showed too many weapons on Monday night against Duke to expect them to stumble along the way.
You may contact Jimmy DuPree at jdupree@heraldsun.com or 919-419-6674.
