Duke's and North Carolina's women's basketball teams were battered by No. 2 Connecticut this season, upstaged in nationally televised games that seemed to knock the luster off the ACC programs.
The No. 3 Blue Devils (21-1, 7-0 ACC) were rocked early and often by the Huskies last week, and the No. 15 Tar Heels (20-3, 6-2) fell hard against them on Jan. 17. Neither team made a game of it, floored by UConn senior Maya Moore and her teammates.
Yet it's how the Devils and the Heels have responded in the days since their respective debacles that makes their matchup tonight at Carmichael Arena intriguing. Both have posted impressive wins over ranked opponents leading into this rivalry game, with Duke crushing No. 18 Miami 82-58 on Thursday and UNC thwarting No. 19 Florida State 84-75 in a road game on Wednesday.
In those games, the teams showcased their versatility, operating half-court offenses to complement their defensive rebounding and transition strengths.
"UConn can make you feel really low sometimes," UNC senior Cetera DeGraffenreid said. "You just want to go out and prove you are a good team."
For the Devils and the Heels, proving themselves lately has meant figuring out how to use an abundance of talent and play together offensively. Sharing the basketball and creating high-percentage opportunities for each team has been a challenge at times.
"It's sad that we're this far along in the season and we're not playing like we trust each other as far as being able to move the ball and find open teammates," Duke senior Jasmine Thomas said. "It's too far along to be talking about that when you know this team is good enough to do that."
In the 78th meeting of the ACC rivals, the advantage is likely to go to the team that starts with urgency and shows fluidity on offense, finding and passing to open players and finishing.
Against Miami, the Devils were spectacular at moving the ball, generating 22 assists and shooting 54.7 percent.
It was the type of unselfish play coach Joanne P. McCallie has requested more often.
"We've got to be that 22-assists, strong-rebounding team," McCallie said.
Similarly, the Heels found success with DeGraffenreid spreading the ball around and four players scoring in double figures against Florida State. The Heels shot 50 percent as senior Jessica Breland turned in a 22-point performance.
Both Duke and UNC were cautious and unnerved against UConn, never emerging from flat starts and never executing on offense.
"[Connecticut] beat us by 26, they beat Duke by 36," UNC coach Sylvia Hatchell said. "I think everybody that they beat up on has to say, 'What can we learn from this, and how can we get better?' "
