jjohnson@heraldsun.com; 419-6667
DURHAM -- Too much shouldn't be read into Duke's 33-point loss at the hands of No. 1 Connecticut on Monday night.
Sure, the No. 6 Blue Devils (15-3) had times when they didn't appear fit to be on the same court with the undefeated Huskies. But at others, Duke was able to execute against the team deemed to be one of the best, if not the best, collections of women's college basketball talent ever assembled.
Connecticut is on another plane right now, and the rest of women's basketball is trying to catch up.
The Huskies are there because they operate far more efficiently than the rest of the teams. They don't waste possessions, and opponents pay for their mistakes.
In the first half, Duke had four possessions that could be deemed as wasted -- that is, committing a turnover without getting a good look at the basket or a shot off. Connecticut converted each of those into points at its end and led by 10 points at the break.
There were other turnovers and miscues for Duke in the first 20 minutes, but those four cost the Blue Devils the most. The final statistics showed that Duke committed 23 turnovers, from which the Huskies produced 21 points.
"I think their efficiency is what makes them different," Duke coach Joanne P. McCallie said. "They're a much faster team. They're an excellent team that does a lot of things well."
This game was an anomaly for Duke, which is one of the more fundamentally sound teams in the country. The Blue Devils haven't been a team that tosses the ball around willy-nilly and probably won't be one as the season goes on.
Duke is the team that is accustomed to making its opponents uncomfortable. On Monday night, the role was reversed.
McCallie said she thinks her team will be better for going through the experience thrown at them by Connecticut.
"This will be a great learning experience for us," McCallie said. "Great film will come from this, and we'll get a little better and go from there."
Junior guard Jasmine Thomas said beforehand that a game is dictated by the players on the court and not by the crowd.
On that point, she was right. Connecticut was unflappable, practically ignoring the antics of the Cameron Crazies. Connecticut guard Kalana Greene said she noticed the noise the crowd made but called it more of a buzz than being able to pick out any specific chants or cheers.
So where does Duke go from here? Right back to work.
The Blue Devils return to ACC play on Thursday against Virginia Tech, which is led by former Northern star Utahya Drye, who scored 18 points Monday in a disappointing 70-56 loss to in-state rival Virginia.
The team that shakes off its Monday disappointment will have the mental advantage.
"I'm excited for ACC play," McCallie said. "We've got a great game on Thursday night. We'll move forward. Virginia Tech is having a great season and they have some excellent players, so you really want to have a game to go to after some of this disappointment."
And the grim faces along the Duke's bench Monday night will give way to smiles and celebration the next time the Blue Devils win.
