University of North Carolina Athletics
No. 9 Carolina Visits No. 6 Duke Monday
February 7, 2010 | Women's Basketball
Feb. 7, 2010
DURHAM, N.C. --- North Carolina (16-5, 4-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) will look to get back on track against a familiar opponent when the Tar Heels face rival Duke Monday night at 7 at Cameron Indoor Stadium. UNC dropped its second straight game Thursday night, an 80-69 setback at Miami. Duke is also coming off a loss, a 61-57 decision at Boston College on Thursday. Carolina is ranked No. 9 in the AP poll and No. 15 in the coaches' poll. Duke is ranked No. 6 in both polls.
AT A GLANCE
Records: North Carolina 16-5 (4-3 ACC), Duke 18-4 (6-1 ACC)
Rankings: North Carolina is ranked No. 9 in the AP poll and No. 15 in the ESPN/USA Today coaches' poll. Duke is ranked No. 6 in both polls.
TV: ESPN2. Bob Wischusen (play-by-play) and Stephanie White (analyst) have the call.
Radio: Tar Heel Sports Network, a division of Learfield Communications. Brad Heller (play-by-play) and Jan Boxill (analyst) have the call.
On The Web: TarHeelBlue.com (UNC), GoDuke.com (Duke)
DUKE SERIES NOTES
• North Carolina is 45-31 all-time against Duke, including a 14-18 mark in Durham.
• Carolina and Duke split the season series in 2009, with each team winning at home. UNC triumphed 75-60 in Chapel Hill, while the Blue Devils prevailed, 81-79, in an overtime decision in Durham.
• Last season was the first time since 2000 that the teams split the season series. In each of the previous eight seasons, the team that won the first meeting swept the season series. The Blue Devils swept the Tar Heels in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2007, while UNC had the upper hand in 2005, 2006 and 2008.
• Carolina has won nine of 12 in the series since losing 12 in a row from 2000-04.
NOTING THE BLUE DEVILS
• Duke is 18-4 on the season and 6-1 in the ACC following a 61-57 loss at Boston College Thursday.
• Junior guard Jasmine Thomas leads the Blue Devils in scoring with 16.3 points per game. Senior forward Joy Cheek (10.1 pts/game) is the only other player averaging double figures.
• Junior central Krystal Thomas is tops on the squad in rebounding with 7.3 boards per outing.
LAST TIME OUT
Feb. 4: Miami 80, No. 9 UNC 69
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) --- Shenise Johnson had 25 points and 10 rebounds as Miami snapped a three-game losing streak with an 80-69 victory over No. 9 North Carolina on Thursday night. Johnson also had six assists and eight steals as Miami won its second game of the season over a ranked team. The Hurricanes defeated No. 13 Florida State Jan. 10. The Hurricanes broke a 61-61 tie with 10 consecutive points late in the second half. Johnson scored seven points during the spurt and her two free throws with 3:18 remaining capped the run. Waltiea Rolle scored 20 points for North Carolina (16-5, 4-3), which lost its second straight.
TAR HEELS TOUGH TO BEAT AT HOME
Carolina's overall home record since the beginning of the 2004-05 season is 97-4. The Tar Heels have won 51 of 53 in Chapel Hill, including 19 of their last 20 home conference games. In addition, UNC has won 88 of its last 89 non-conference home games.
CAROLINA IN THE NATIONAL STATISTICS
The most recent NCAA statistics report was released on Feb. 4, and the Tar Heels are highly ranked in a number of categories. UNC is among the nation's top 10 in three categories - scoring, blocks and three-point field goal defense. Here are the categories that feature Carolina in the top 25 (all stats per game):
• Scoring - 5th (80.5)
• Blocks - 7th (6.1)
• Three-point Field Goal Defense - 7th (25.8)
• Rebound Margin - 12th (+8.5)
• Scoring Margin - 17th (+15.2)
• Assists - 20th (16.1)
FREE THROWS EQUAL WINS FOR DeGRAFFENREID, TAR HEELS
The Jan. 25 win over NC State marked the 16th time in her career that junior Cetera DeGraffenreid has attempted at least 10 free throws, and the Tar Heels are 15-1 in those games. DeGraffenreid and classmate Italee Lucas both rank among the top 10 in school history in career free throw percentage.
CAROLINA IN CARMICHAEL
• Carolina returned to Carmichael Dec. 29 after a year and a half absence, during which the Tar Heels won 25 of 26 games at the Dean E. Smith Center.
• UNC is 379-84 (.819) all-time in Carmichael, its primary home since the first varsity season of 1974-75.
• Prior to the most recent renovation, the Tar Heels were on quite a roll in the historic gym. Beginning with the 2001-02 season, Carolina posted a 103-6 home record in Carmichael.
DeGRAFFENREID JOINS 1,000-POINT CLUB
With seven points in the win over Kennesaw State on Dec. 29, junior Cetera DeGraffenreid became the 31st player in school history to reach 1,000 career points. She currently stands 29th overall with 1,109 points.
LUCAS MOVES INTO THREE-POINT TOP 10 LIST
With three made three-pointers Dec. 13 against Gardner-Webb, junior guard Italee Lucas took over sole possession of 10th place in the all-time UNC career threes list. The Las Vegas, Nev., product has made 129 career threes in 91 games, and is also in the top 10 in career three-point percentage with a 35.8 (129-360) percent mark.
DeGRAFFENREID NAMED TO WOODEN MIDSEASON LIST
The top 21 candidates for the Women's John R. Wooden Award, the nation's most coveted college basketball honor, were named today by The Los Angeles Athletic Club's John R. Wooden Award Committee, and North Carolina junior guard Cetera DeGraffenreid was among those recognized. Because of a tie in the voting, 21 players were named rather than the traditional 20. Composed of the players who will compete for this season's player of the year award, the midseason list is based on individual excellence and team record during the first half of the season.
Just as players who are not on the preseason list are eligible for the Midseason Top 20, players who do not make the Midseason list are still eligible for the national ballot, which will be selected in March and will consist of approximately 20 players, chosen by the Wooden Award National Advisory Board Committee. Players selected to the national ballot will have to be certified by their university as making progress toward graduation and maintaining a cumulative 2.0 GPA.
