The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
3-3
Duke
6-0
No. 1 Duke pulls away from No. 16 Women's Basketball for 84-70 win
12.04.2005 | Women's Basketball
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) -- Monique Currie scored 23 points and No. 1 Duke survived a surge from No. 16 Texas' new freshmen-heavy lineup for a tough 84-70 victory Sunday.
Mistie Williams added 14 points and Alison Bales had 13 rebounds for the Blue Devils (6-0), who got their stiffest test of the season after winning their first five games by at least 26 points.
Freshman Erika Arriaran's 16 points led Texas (3-3), whose upset bid ended with 3-of-16 shooting and seven turnovers over the last nine minutes after forging a 61-61 tie against the top-ranked Blue Devils.
After a 41-point road loss at No. 2 Tennessee four days earlier, Texas coach Jody Conradt decided to start three freshmen from her top-ranked recruiting class, with Earnesia Williams and Carla Cortijo getting their first career starts. The energetic freshmen made a huge difference and put up a fight the Blue Devils may not have expected.
Unlike at Tennessee, where Texas fell into a 17-0 hole and never recovered, Williams scored four of Texas' first six points, Arriaran hit consecutive 3-pointers and Cortijo had five rebounds and two assists as the Longhorns pushed a quick tempo against the Blue Devils and held the lead for most of the first half.
Duke committed 12 turnovers before finally taking a 39-38 lead into halftime when Bales put back Currie's miss with two seconds left.
Tempers flared in the second when Currie was whistled for an intentional foul on a hard screen on Earnesia Williams, who was then hit with a technical foul for her retaliation. Williams hit two free throws and Texas cut a seven-point Duke lead to 57-55 when Arriaran hit a 3-pointer from the left corner.
The Longhorns tied it 61-61 with Cortijo's crosscourt pass to Jackson for a layup before Duke answered with a layup and 3-pointer by Wanisha Smith.
That's when the Longhorns started mishandling the ball and the Blue Devils started working it inside to take advantage of its bigger lineup. Duke outscored Texas 44-28 in the paint. Mistie Williams scored four straight points that pushed the lead to 74-65 and Texas lost Earnesia Williams when she twisted her right knee and left the game with five minutes. Texas is 4-14 against No. 1 teams.
