Hurricanes Open ACC Play Wednesday at No. 3 Duke

Jan. 2, 2007

CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The University of Miami women’s basketball team opens ACC play on the road against No. 3 Duke Wednesday evening at Cameron Indoor Stadium at 7 p.m.

Miami (9-6, 0-0) at No. 3/3 Duke (14-0, 0-0)
Wednesday, January 3, 2007 / Cameron Indoor Stadium / Durham, N.C. / 7:00 p.m.
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Radio: WVUM 90.5 FM
Web/Live Stats: www.hurricanesports.com
Internet Video: None
Internet Audio: www.wvum.org

Head coach Katie Meier, who was a four-year letterwinner at Duke from 1986-90, makes a return to her alma mater for the first time Wednesday evening.

Meier and the Hurricanes are 9-6 after splitting a pair of games at the UM Holiday Tournament last weekend in Coral Gables.

Averaging 27.5 points over the last four contests, senior guard Renee Taylor leads the Hurricanes with an ACC-leading 21.1 points per game.

Junior guard Maurita Reid (13.9) ranks second on the UM roster in scoring and is second on the team in rebounding with 5.7 boards per game.

A Look at Duke

The third-ranked Blue Devils take on Miami with a perfect 14-0 record behind an impressive 32.6 scoring margin. Through 14 games, Duke has only allowed 50 or more points in three games while averaging 77.8 points per game.

Duke’s starting lineup boasts two National Player of the Year candidates and senior guard Lindsey Harding and senior center Allison Bales.

A Preseason All-ACC selection, Harding (13.1) ranks second on the team in scoring behind sophomore guard Abby Waner’s 13.9 points per game. Bales, who is Duke’s all-time leading shot-blocker, is third in the team in scoring (11.5) and first in rebounding (7.1).

The Series

Wednesday’s game will mark the fourth meeting between Miami and Duke with the Blue Devils holding a 3-0 all-time series advantage. Duke won the last meeting, a 99-93 double-overtime thriller Feb. 19, 2006 in Coral Gables last season.