It's no coincidence that the last time UNC shot under 37% from the field was the last time they lost - it's the rare team that can stop the Tar Heel women from getting the ball into the basket. As of tonight, Duke is one of those teams, holding Carolina to 27% shooting. Ivory Latta was 3 for 20, and Elana Larkins a shocking 1 for 8. A lot of that was good Duke defense - though towards the end the shot selection was poor to say the least - but some was just shots that didn't fall. Lay-ups, jump shots, all of it fell not in the hoop but in the hands of Duke players.
The defensive effort was better. LaToya Pringle racked up six blocks, most against the larger and offensively ineffective Alison Bales. The team managed nine steals and held Duke below 40% shooting but couldn't finish it off with the baskets not falling.
A loss may be good for this team. They had gotten pretty complacent of late, and this might shake them into finishing the conference strong. Time will tell.