Duke Has Enough to Deny Georgia

Duke, getting 42 points from its two ex-Purdue players, used a late first-half surge as a springboard into Sunday’s women’s national championship game with an 81-69 victory over Georgia Friday night.

Nicole Erickson, who with Michele VanGorp transferred from Purdue to Duke in 1996, led the way for the Blue Devils, particularly with her offensive show to close the game.

A 5-foot-6 senior guard from Fullerton, Erickson carried her team in the stretch, especially during a 1:26 burst in the game’s last five minutes, inside a 14-3 Duke run.

Erickson somehow got off a wild-looking layup while covered by two bigger Georgia players inside, beat the shot clock with a 14-footer the next time down, then threw in a three-point shot from the corner with 4:24 to go.

And when Lauren Rice made a three of her own, Georgia (27-7) was done, 76-57, with 3:10 left, and Andy Landers was again denied a national championship in his sixth Final Four appearance.

Erickson seemed startled afterward when asked how her team could withstand Georgia’s pressure defense so easily.

“We withstood all of Tennessee’s runs,” she said. “We knew we could do this.”

The game’s theme was clear early, when Georgia had VanGorp well contained but still couldn’t overhaul Duke.

But VanGorp turned attacker shortly before the first half ended, and finished with 20 points and nine rebounds. Erickson had 22 points. Erickson also was four for seven on three-point shots and Duke’s nine were a national semifinals record.

Landers said afterward Duke presented a textbook game.

“Duke executed their stuff really well,” he said. “They spread you out defensively, they get those threes--and they can make those shots--but while they have you spread out all over, they yo-yo the ball around and you’re vulnerable inside.”

The Blue Devils (29-6), in their first Final Four, talked like champions.

“Georgia made some great runs and my players showed so much poise and confidence,” said Coach Gail Goestenkors. “They doubled up on Michele early, so we made an adjustment. But Michele also began demanding the ball and began attacking instead of shooting fadeaways.

“I think we showed that you don’t have to be great athletes to be great players--we play together and we look to exploit things.”

A sagging Georgia zone in the first half did an efficient job of taking VanGorp out of the game--for 17 1/2 minutes.

With 2:44 to go in the half, she had one rebound and six points and Duke’s lead was 34-31, after a Hilary Howard three-pointer.

Then the 6-6 senior with the 18-inch blond pony tail went to work.

She shook loose inside to give Duke a 36-31 lead, then on the next possession got her second offensive rebound and passed to Howard, who scored on a 10-footer.

With 28 seconds left, Erickson, from Fullerton, made the prettiest play of the half.

Driving to the basket, she made a great pass to a wide-open VanGorp, who scored inside.

And when Kelly Miller missed a 15-footer at the other end with five seconds to go, VanGorp hauled it in, only her third rebound of the half but her second of the last two minutes.