North Carolina State University Athletics
NC State
Duke
NC State Falls To No. 5 Duke, 81-54
2/18/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 18, 2002
DURHAM, N.C. (AP) - Duke's new defense was too much for North Carolina State on Monday.
The fifth-ranked Blue Devils installed a "point zone" defense during an eight-day break leading into Monday's game and used it effectively for a 81-54 victory over the Wolfpack.
After watching Carisse Moody score 12 first-half points to keep N.C. State close, the Blue Devils went to their new defense and held Moody scoreless in the second half.
"We talked about it at halftime," Duke's Gail Goestenkors said. "If Moody came in, we were going to go to the point zone."
Alana Beard scored 25 points as the Blue Devils (22-3, 14-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) won their 13th straight game.
Duke has won 19 of 20 and can join the 1995 Virginia squad as the only ACC teams to finish 16-0. The Blue Devils play Florida State at home Thursday and are at North Carolina on Sunday.
Rachel Stockdale had 16 points to lead N.C State (12-13, 6-8), which has lost eight of 10 to Duke.
Moody sparked a 12-1 run in the first half to pull the Wolfpack to a tie at 30 with 2:48 left before halftime. The Blue Devils then went to the point zone, shutting off the Wolfpack's inside attack.
Duke scored the last eight points of the first half and the first 10 points of the second. Beard's jumper from the left wing put Duke up 48-30 with 17:08 remaining in the game. The Wolfpack never threatened again.
Duke's new defense was a surprise to the Wolfpack.
"We didn't recognize it right off the bat," Moody said. "That was a mistake."
Iciss Tillis added 16 and Monique Currie 14 for Duke.
"Beard and Tillis were really on tonight, and Currie hit some big shots," Wolfpack coach Kay Yow said. "Some of their shots were contested as much as can be contested without fouling, and they still hit them."
Duke shot 51 percent while holding N.C. State to 36 percent.
"We worked on defense all week," Tillis said. "It would have been pointless to come out and not play great defense. We never really talked about offense in any of our huddles."
