Tonight, a true test for rivals

Duke coach Gail Goestenkors and North Carolina coach Sylvia Hatchell each noticed it. Their teams' first matchup was scheduled a week later than it typically falls on the schedule.

Tonight's women's basketball game at Carmichael Auditorium is part of ESPN's "Rivalry Week," which happens to fall on the first week of television sweeps -- a period that helps establish advertising rates.

That's important because it signifies just how high the Duke-Carolina women's rivalry has moved up in the world.

Duke and UNC are the only undefeated teams in the country. Both rank among the top 15 of several NCAA categories -- the Blue Devils are the No. 2 defense in the country, the Heels the No. 1 offense.

Both schools anticipate learning much about themselves in tonight's sold-out game.

"[We'll learn] whether or not we have a lot of heart," UNC point guard Ivory Latta said. "A lot of people doubt us and say that we can't play 40 minutes and that we haven't played the best competition. But this game right here is going to tell who has the heart and who doesn't."

For Duke, the game is a test of both heart and mind. The Blue Devils (24-0, 9-0 ACC) have lost their past five games against the Heels. In both of their losses to Carolina last season, the Blue Devils' composure deserted them and they became uptight.

That played into Carolina's strengths. The Heels (24-0, 8-0) force turnovers -- they lead the nation in steals with 15.9 per game -- with their presses and can score bunches of points in transition. UNC is also unpredictable, a fact that threw Duke so badly in the teams' first meeting last season that it never recovered.

UNC entered the second half down 13 points at Cameron Indoor Stadium in the Jan. 29, 2006, game. It scored on its first four possessions of that half -- including two 3-pointers from forward Erlana Larkins, a player who rarely shoots from that distance.

"I didn't want to, but I didn't see any harm in shooting it," Larkins said Wednesday. "We were losing, somebody had to do something, so I just said, 'Hey, coach won't yell at me if they leave me open. So what if I miss?' "

That kind of attitude makes the Heels frustrating to face. Those 3-pointers ignited Carolina and left the Devils scrambling. They never adjusted to UNC's schemes and lost 74-70.

That game taught Duke two lessons -- don't freak out and keep attacking.

"The key thing is to keep your composure," Duke guard Wanisha Smith said. "Their pressure and their defense are really active and they're really athletic, fast and quick. You can't play into their hands."

For Duke, that means forcing Carolina into a halfcourt game. The Heels start four forwards plus Latta, making them taller but still quick. Running with UNC is trouble for the Devils because they need 6-foot-7 center Alison Bales involved in the offense as much as possible. Bales gives big minutes to Duke, but Carolina plays at a brutal pace. Carolina is averaging 89.3 points per game and Duke 77.1.

As big as tonight's game is for both programs, experience has taught them not to get too excited. On Wednesday, the Heels teased Larkins for her unkempt hair -- she was getting it styled after practice -- and forward Camille Little planned a night watching basketball on television.

The Blue Devils know their season is not at stake tonight. The two teams have a rematch scheduled for Feb. 25 in an already sold-out Cameron and there's a good chance they'll see each other at the ACC Tournament and perhaps the NCAA Tournament.

For now, this game is first and foremost a learning tool.

"This is our first time playing North Carolina and they play differently than most other teams in the nation, so the sooner you can play them, the better because then it really helps you throughout practice," Goestenkors said. "You know things that you need to work on."