DURHAM, N.C. (AP) -- North Carolina State's Kay Yow could see it
coming, and all she could do was scream as a Duke lob pass and
layup crushed the Wolfpack's hopes for an upset.
|  | | Duke's Alana Beard had seven points and five rebounds before injuring her thumb in the first half. |
Yow yelled and waved her hands to alert her team that they had
all clumped too close to the sideline as Duke prepared to inbound
the ball with 21.8 seconds left Thursday night.
Too late. North Carolina State's Nanna Rivers arrived at the
basket just as Duke's Georgia Schweitzer caught a 35-foot lob pass
from Sheanna Mosch and laid it in for the last basket in No. 5
Duke's 62-59 victory over N.C. State (No. 19 ESPN/USA Today, No. 22 AP).
"I was screaming, but that's all I could do," Yow said. "She
(Rivers) heard me right at the end, and she made a valiant effort,
but she just missed."
Yow could have been screaming in frustration as much as a
warning.
Her team had lost Sunday in overtime at North Carolina. The loss
to Duke was the fifth in seven games for N.C. State.
"The last two have been very frustrating because they were both
so close," Yow said. "I would be even more frustrated if I
thought the team had given up. But they're still trying."
Duke's Gail Goestenkors was almost as frustrated. She said a
week ago after an 86-83 win over Georgia Tech that winning close
games was essential for ACC success, but she still hated them.
"If you're a fan, I guess you enjoy coming to our games,
because we sure make them close ones that go down to the wire,"
Goestenkors said.
Schweitzer's basket came after Tynesha Lewis made two free
throws to draw the Wolfpack (11-6, 2-5 ACC) within one at 60-59.
Duke (17-1, 5-1) then worked the clock down to 21.8 seconds before
calling a timeout.
Duke then stunned the Wolfpack when Mosch lobbed the ball from
in front of the Blue Devils bench to a leaping Schweitzer, who
caught and tossed in the ball in one motion.
"It's a play we don't run very often," Goestenkors said. "We
only use it when we have to have it."
N.C. State's Amy Simpson tried two 3-pointers in the final 12
seconds, but one was partially blocked by Iciss Tillis and the
other bounced off the back of the rim.
Rochelle Parent had 13 points for Duke. Schweitzer had 11 points
and four assists, and Sheanna Mosch added 10 points. Lewis led N.C.
State with 17 points, Carisse Moody had 15, and Simpson added 11.
Schweitzer ended up with 11 points and four assists for Duke,
which now has its best start over 18 games at 17-1 overall, 5-1
ACC. Rochelle Parent led Duke's scoring with 13 points.
Duke's Alana Beard had seven points and five rebounds before
injuring her right thumb on Duke's last possession of the first
half. She will be out 3-4 weeks.
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ALSO SEE
Women's College Basketball Scoreboard
North Carolina State Clubhouse
Duke Clubhouse
Duke freshman star Beard out 3-4 weeks with thumb injury
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