May 2, 2002

DURHAM, N.C. - Duke University women's basketball head coach Gail Goestenkors announced on Thursday the Blue Devils will host the reigning NCAA National Champion University of Connecticut on Feb. 2 in Durham, N.C.

"I am very excited about the opportunity to play the University of Connecticut, especially at home," said Goestenkors. "Connecticut has been a program with great tradition and is the defending national champion. They have been where we would like to go."

The Connecticut game will be played in the historic Cameron Indoor Stadium. It has a very good chance to be the first ever sellout for a women's basketball contest at Duke. The largest crowd for a women's basketball game was on Feb. 21, 1999, versus North Carolina with 8,572 fans. The 9,314-seat Cameron Indoor Stadium has drawn two crowds over 8,000 for women's basketball games in 27 years.

"This is an exciting time for our team and our program," said Goestenkors. "We are hoping the Connecticut game will be our first ever sellout in Cameron Indoor Stadium."

Goestenkors also announced the Blue Devils will play Tennessee on Nov. 24 in the Jimmy V Women's Basketball Classic at the Entertainment and Sports Arena in Raleigh, N.C. Both the Connecticut and Tennessee contests will be aired by ESPN or ESPN2.

Duke and Connecticut agreed on a two-year contract which will have the Blue Devils play the Huskies in New England during the 2004 season.

The 2002-03 Blue Devils return seven of eight letterwinners from a 31-4 squad which advanced to the NCAA Final Four. Duke will welcome one of the top two recruiting classes in the nation with five incoming players-- Brooke Smith (Marin Catholic, Calif./San Anselmo HS), Mistie Bass (Parker, Wisc./Janesville Parker HS), Lindsey Harding (Tomball, Texas/CY-Fair HS), Jessica Foley (Australia) and Caitlin Howe (Rochester, N.Y./Fairport HS). Smith, Bass and Harding have each been selected to All-America squads this season.

- d - u - k - e -