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EVENTS
CNNSI.com GROUP
COMMERCE
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Closer Look Blue Devils: No panic, all toughness
Updated: Sunday April 01, 2001 8:19 AM
By Albert Lin, CNNSI.com MINNEAPOLIS -- Sports is a largely physical endeavor, but Saturday night, Duke struck a blow for the mental side. Completely out of the contest in the early going, down 22 points 13 minutes into the game, the Blue Devils methodically crawled back into it -- taking a bite out of the lead here, another there -- before pulling away in the final minutes to earn yet another trip to the national championship game. "We expect excellence every time out there," senior Shane Battier said. "When it didn't happen in the first half, we really got on ourselves." In contrast, Maryland had never been to the Final Four, and it showed. Despite having played Duke as tough as any opponent three times previously and seemingly putting this contest away early, the Terps simply couldn't close the deal. Duke demonstrated more grit, more fortitude, more resolve than Maryland, which helped the Blue Devils overcome a depth and talent disadvantage. If Duke has proved anything all year, it is that it is the most mentally tough team in the nation, bar none. That discipline starts with Battier, who proved Saturday why he earned numerous national-player-of-the-year honors. With partner-in-crime Jason Williams struggling from the field and looking lost, Battier kept the game from getting out of hand. In doing everything we've come to expect from him -- hitting 3-pointers, blocking shots, grabbing rebounds, diving for loose balls -- Battier helped Duke slowly slice the margin.
"We kept sticking in the dagger a little bit, kept getting the lead closer and closer," Williams said. "We played our butts off tonight." The Blue Devils never panicked when the Terps exploded to that early advantage, even while Maryland seemed to be doing everything right and hitting every shot, while Duke couldn't get into its offense and was missing 25 of 39 attempts. The Devils never wavered from their game plan, continuing to do what they've done all season. They tightened their defense, jumping out more quickly on the perimeter; they hit the boards with renewed vigor; and they kept throwing up 3-pointers, which eventually began to find the bottom of the net. "You do get a little rattled," Williams said. "But I think our big thing is knowing that we can't get the lead back in one play. It has to be a continuous thing: Get a stop, get a score. Get a stop, get a score. We kept doing that and were able to make some easy buckets, and we kept going." By the time the Devils had clawed within striking distance, Williams snapped out of his funk and began to play like an All-American. Maryland did not fold right away, answering the first time Duke cut the deficit to one, but eventually the Terrapins wilted, as have most of the Blue Devils' opponents this season. Battier finished with 25 points, eight rebounds and four blocks. Williams chipped in 23. "We've been in that position a lot this year -- tough situations, where we can do nothing right," Battier said. "It's a matter of making a few key plays and relaxing. Once we relax, we're able to finally be Duke."
And being Duke, as the Blue Devils showed again, generally means being better than anybody else.
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