10 | THURSDAY, MARCH 4, 2010 THE CHRONICLE

Six-foot-four Krystal Thomas and 6-foot-5 Allison Vernerey have several inches on the Cornhusker stars and are a force to be reckoned with in the lane. No team has been able to successfully force Nebraska to live or die by the three yet this season, but if anyone is built to do just that, it’s Duke.

Pat Summitt and the Volunteers, on the other hand, would present a defensive test for the Blue Devils. Allow-ing its opponents just 57 points per game on 34.6 percent shooting and used to playing in front of big, boisterous crowds, Tennessee will be a tough out. However, McCallie’s squad has recorded even gaudier defensive numbers in a tougher conference, and is one of the only teams that can match up with the Volunteers’ massive frontcourt, the big-gest reason Tennessee is in position to earn a No. 1 seed.

Now, Duke has issues of its own, highlighted by its over-reliance on Jasmine Thomas to create offense, but to sug-gest that the Blue Devils won’t be in the April mix is ridicu-lous. As long as they stay far, far away from Connecticut.

CUSACK from page 8

MICHAEL NACLERIO/CHRONICLE FILE PHOTO

Duke’s Krystal Thomas will be asked to guard and rebound against some of the best post players in the country in the coming weeks.

team, both in practice and in games, showing the right demeanor, right attitude, positive energy,” Mitchell said. “That’s what we’ve been focusing on as seniors.”

In game situations, the seniors’ experience enables them to be leaders on the court. They were role models for young-er players during high-pressure situations, maintaining their composure and executing when the team needed it most.

“I think the seniors have definitely been big with emotion and they’re definitely playing like this is their last year and they have nothing else but to give it all,” junior guard Jas-mine Thomas said. “Their leadership on the floor, always be-ing able to turn to them, when we need something big done in the game, whether it’s a rebound or a steal or a bucket, we can get it from any of them. They’ve been big for us.”

Although their final regular season as Blue Devils is com-plete, Cheek, Mitchell and Jackson are not ready to hang up their jerseys just yet. The trio should get to play two more games in Cameron Indoor Stadium—the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament will be held there—but this group of seniors has its sights set long past those early stages.

“I still don’t think of this as the last game,” Cheek said after Duke’s Senior Night. “I think the last NCAA game that we have will resonant a little more. I felt like I was coming back after [Friday]. That was the mindset that I had. I guess I’ll have another Senior Night.”

SENIORS from page 4

CHRISTINA PENA/CHRONICLE FILE PHOTO

Senior guard Keturah Jackson was rewarded for an excellent sea-son on defense by being named to the All-ACC Defensive Team.