While much of the student body enjoyed its spring break last week, the Duke women's basketball players squeezed theirs into three days, and they should count themselves fortunate.

This is only the second year coach Gail Goestenkors has given her team a chunk of time off between the ACC and NCAA women's tournaments.

They returned Monday for practice and a viewing party to see themselves awarded the No. 1 seed overall in the NCAA Women's Tournament.

Duke (30-1) will play Holy Cross (15-17) at 7 p.m. Sunday at the RBC Center.

Goestenkors gave her team the time off after learning a valuable lesson last season. The Devils seemed to peak in January but then lost twice to UNC and limped to the end of the season.

Then they played a dispirited ACC Tournament and got kicked out in the semifinals by Maryland.

With her team hurting in mind and body, Goestenkors gave them more time off than normal.

Her Blue Devils came back focused and roared all the way to the NCAA title game before losing to Maryland in overtime.

"It was good last year because Monique [Currie] had foot problems, Jess [Foley] had foot problems," Goestenkors said. "We had some nagging injuries and then losing to Maryland, that was tough to take. Losing to Carolina twice in the regular season, we were emotionally and physically fatigued."

For the players, it was a welcome respite from a long season.

"You got away from basketball," said Harding, a senior point guard. "You got to relax and not think about it. It's like when you take a test. You can study so, so hard but when you step back and then come back to studying, it's so much easier."

Devils senior center Alison Bales said no matter how much she loves her coaches and her teammates, spending "five hours a day in Cameron" gets overwhelming. The time off broke the grind of the season.

"Once you're away from it, you realize how much you miss it and how much you can't wait to get back and get started," Bales said. "It provides that little break to get back to wanting it. It's a long season, and it can kind of wear on you if you don't get time off."

Once again, the week off has come just when the Blue Devils needed it. Although Duke finished the regular season undefeated, it didn't play well in the ACC Tournament and was upset by feisty N.C. State.

The loss was particularly disturbing to the Blue Devils because of poor defense. Duke has the nation's second-best defense, allowing only 51.6 points per game.

But against State, Duke allowed the Pack to cut through the paint unchecked. Goestenkors demands her team cut off "the middle," but the Pack went through the middle whenever it wanted.

"It was a tough loss, but we're going to learn so much from it," Goestenkors said. "We're highly motivated right now. Sometimes when you come off of that ACC Tournament win, you feel really good about yourselves and you might not practice as hard."

Duke is one of three No. 1 seeds not to win its conference tournament. Only UNC, the No. 1 seed in the Dallas Regional, was able to do so.

With the loss getting "everybody's attention," Goestenkors put her team through three rigorous practice days before turning them loose Thursday.

Abby and Emily Waner flew home to Colorado. They had to be back Monday for a late afternoon practice, so they didn't get to see their family and friends as much as they wanted.

"But it's worth it," Abby said with a big smile.

That's what Duke is counting on.

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