Duke savors victory

GREENSBORO -- No stranger to net-cutting ceremonies at the Greensboro Coliseum, the Duke women's basketball team yet again had a front-row seat as the balloons and streamers tumbled to the floor.

This time, after Sunday's 70-60 win over N.C. State in the ACC championship game, the Blue Devils could finally savor the celebration.

"We've had to watch them fall down for everyone else," Duke forward Joy Cheek said. "It's an embarrassing feeling. We didn't want to feel that again."

Amid all the talk about N.C. State being a team on a quest in its run to Sunday's final, it may have been a bit overlooked that Duke had something to prove as well. The Blue Devils hadn't exactly dominated the ACC Tournament lately, either.

It had been six years since Duke's run of five straight titles ended, and though the Blue Devils were appearing in their third straight title game, they hadn't won either of the previous two. Three years ago, N.C. State knocked them out in the semifinals. Two years ago, they lost to North Carolina. Last year, Maryland took the title in overtime.

"To have the opportunity to be here again, after having lost the last three years, it was now or never," Duke forward Bridgette Mitchell said. "That's how I approached it."

Duke dominated N.C. State on the offensive boards, pressed the Wolfpack into 23 turnovers and took advantage of N.C. State's tired legs to pull away after halftime. Yet for all that, the Wolfpack had a shot right to the end, because of Duke's own carelessness with the ball.

Playing for the fourth time in four days, the Wolfpack's legs were clearly shot coming out of halftime - N.C. State missed its first five shots and two free throws. Running out of steam, the Wolfpack at one point had two players down on the court for medical attention at once.

But as Sharnise Beal returned to the bench on crutches, the Wolfpack seemed to find new reserves of strength. Brittany Strachan, who was worked on like a boxer in her corner to close a cut on her nose, hit two 3-pointers to pull the Wolfpack to nine points down with three minutes to go.

That was as close as N.C. State got. Duke's talent, experience and desire were telling. First-year Wolfpack coach Kellie Harper's first team at Western Carolina won four straight to win the Southern Conference Tournament, but Duke wasn't waiting in that final back in 2005.

"In that locker room a few minutes ago, I was proud of them for wanting more," Harper said. "They are hurt they didn't win this game, and I am so proud of that."

The N.C. State women may have been on an unlikely quest for long-deferred triumph, but so were the Blue Devils in their own way. The women's tournament moved here in 2000, and the Blue Devils won the first five. They once owned this building, but not in Gail Goestenkors' final three seasons and not in Joanne P. McCallie's first two.

As much as N.C. State wanted a win - and the Wolfpack players deserved it, for all they have been through - Duke needed this win. Both teams will move on in two weeks. Nothing ended Sunday except Duke's six years of frustration.

"It's like the appetizer before a very big meal," McCallie said. "But it's a very, very nice appetizer."