University of North Carolina Athletics
Duke 80, Canisius 48
March 20, 2005 | Women's Basketball
March 20, 2005
By AARON BEARD
AP Sports Writer
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) - Mistie Williams had 21 points and nine rebounds Sunday to lift Duke past Canisius 80-48 in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
Monique Currie added 18 points and 10 rebounds for the Blue Devils (29-4), seeded second in the Chattanooga Regional. Duke stayed unbeaten in 12 first-round games and advanced to face Boston College in the next round Tuesday.
Becky Zak scored nine points to lead the 15th-seeded Golden Griffins (21-10) in their first NCAA tournament game.
Duke had little trouble in this one, shooting 54 percent and taking a 53-30 rebounding advantage against its undersized opponent. Canisius shot just 25 percent for the game.
The Blue Devils, who are making their 11th straight NCAA appearance, are trying to return to the Final Four for the third time in four seasons.
Coming into the season, Duke had won five straight Atlantic Coast Conference tournament titles and had been a No. 1 seed in the NCAAs the last four seasons - streaks that ended after three regular-season losses to rival North Carolina.
This year's Blue Devils don't have the same athleticism and depth as their predecessors, led by the duo of Alana Beard and Iciss Tillis. Duke, with just eight players, has been hobbled by nagging injuries for the past month.
Not that it mattered against the Golden Griffins, who didn't have the size to matchup with Duke's inside game. Duke repeatedly forced the ball inside to the 6-foot-3 Williams, the 6-7 Alison Bales and the 6-5 Chante Black, hitting 14 of 20 shots to take a 33-12 lead on a layup from Williams.
By that point, Duke had scored 22 points in the paint. Canisius didn't get a bucket inside until a stickback from Karly Chesko with 4:47 left in the half.
The Golden Griffins got as close as 41-30 on consecutive 3-pointers from Zak and Cheri Wittlieb early in the second half, but Duke responded with nine straight points to push the lead to 20.
Duke guard Jessica Foley missed the game with tendinitis in her left foot. Foley, who averages 11 points a game, wore a protective boot on the sideline and was able to rest the injury with the game in hand.
Bales had felt ill Saturday, but she finished with eight points, six assists and six blocks.
