Tomko: Historic Programs Meet For Non-Conference Showdown

DURHAM, N.C. ? Duke and Stanford are nearly mirror images of each other. Both reside on opposite coasts and are two of the most prestigious academic schools in the world. Very few other universities can claim the academic and athletic standards that the two schools represent.

On Tuesday night the two women's hoop powerhouses will meet inside Cameron Indoor Stadium for the first time since Nov. 1998, when they met in a neutral site game in San Jose, Calif., with Duke walking away with a 77-57 win.

Ten years have passed since the schools last met with the current matchup scheduled as a last minute addition to Duke's schedule.

Duke head coach Joanne. P. McCallie took a final look at the schedule and felt it was missing one marquee home game. She made phone calls personally to Stanford and Connecticut in hopes of landing another prestigious program.

“I found out that they [Stanford] were playing South Carolina,” McCallie said. “I said, ?wait a minute you got to be kidding me, you're going to come all the way out here and play South Carolina and not play Duke.'”

After some text messages back and forth the contest was locked down.

“It is really a celebration of two of the greatest academic institutions in the world,” McCallie said. “We are talking worldwide stuff here.”

No. 11 Duke (6-1) will host No. 3 Stanford (7-1) at 7:30 p.m. with the game being televised on ESPN. The game will also be available online at www.espn360.com.

The matchup is the second against a ranked opponent for the Blue Devils this season. Duke opened the season with a 77-68 win over 14th-ranked Oklahoma State and will take what they learned in their come-from-behind victory against a quality opponent with them into the Stanford matchup.

“Confidence wise it [Oklahoma State] showed that we can match up against the best of the best,” senior Chante Black said. “You always enjoy games like this that bring the best out of both teams.”

Black has displayed her best each and every game this season, leading the team with 16.1 points per game and 8.1 rebounds. The senior has also dealt with double and even at times triple teams through the first seven games of the season.

“They're [other teams] definitely paying attention more and looking at me more as a threat,” Black said. “I am getting double teamed and triple teamed a lot. A lot of people are playing a sagging man so it is not as easy to get off shots. I am getting boxed out a lot as well.”

The senior credits the fact that she is both physically and mentally stronger this season to withstand the pounding she has taken in the paint each night from opposing teams this season, crediting the coaching staff for her maturation on the basketball court.

“You just have to keep going in there and hopefully you get the calls,” Black said. “I am taking some hits, we all are, but hopefully the whistle blows the right way.”

One thing that separates Black from other post players is her ability to put the ball on the floor and face the basket.

“If I didn't have that ability to face the basket I think I would be in a whole lot of trouble. The contact and pressure that I am receiving I wouldn't be able to get as many shots off or spread the defense out.”

The added attention has opened things up for her teammates to produce in the paint with forwards Carrem Gay and Joy Cheek taking advantage of the attention Black draws from opposing teams. Gay notched a season-high 12 points in Duke's win over Michigan on Dec. 7, making 6-of-11 field goals and grabbing nine rebounds.

Cheek has emerged, scoring in double figures in four straight contests and averaging 12.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.3 steals and 1.0 assists over that span. During the last four games, Cheek is also connecting on 53.7 percent of her shots.

Duke will need to out-hustle, out-compete, out-rebound and score points inside if they are going to take down Stanford.

“They are an excellent team of course,” McCallie said. “Their strength seems to be in their front court obviously with [Jayne] Appel, [Kayla] Pedersen and [Nnemkadi] Ogwumike. They are huge. They are a big team. Even their guards are six foot or 6'1”. They are very big, very strong and they try to pound it inside.”

“This one is a challenge,” Black said. “I know they have two great post players if not three or four. I definitely know two of them. You go in and you see where you match up against them. Obviously the better team will win and you learn from those things. Big games like this are a learning experience and it also prepares you for the rest of the season.”

McCallie will continue to preach execution on the court and good decisions with the basketball as the Blue Devils will push the tempo and play multiple combinations of the full court press to make life uncomfortable for the Cardinal forwards.

“We will try very hard to move them as much as you can,” McCallie said. “We want an up-tempo game... [We need] lots of running, pressing, athleticism and using our quickness and athleticism to benefit us.”

Luckily for McCallie she has an extremely athletic team that was willing from the beginning to play high pressure defense.

“From day one this team was all set to press a lot,” McCallie said.

Stanford's only loss on the year came against Baylor, with the Bears using a similar high pressure style to knock of the Cardinal 81-65.

“Stanford is a great team,” Black said. “I really feel like it is going to be a good challenge and a good game for women's basketball.”

If the Blue Devils want to emulate the success of the Cardinal, which have two NCAA championships and reached the NCAA Tournament finals last year, the best way to start will be Tuesday night.