By Aaron Beard
The Associated Press

DURHAM, N.C. - The Duke women struggled to deal with the pressure of hosting Connecticut in a matchup last season of the nation's best teams. The result was a loss by the top-ranked Blue Devils in front of the first sellout crowd in program history.

The Blue Devils find themselves in a similar position today. No. 1 Duke faces No. 2 Tennessee before another packed house at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Coach Gail Goestenkors hopes for a better result this time, one that would further cement the Blue Devils' emergence as one of the superpowers of women's college basketball.

"Sometimes you have to go through the experience to learn your lesson," she said. "Going into that experience, I could feel that we had a lot of hype and excitement.

"I don't think I realized until afterward, when it was too late, that it was having an adverse effect on us. I feel much more confident and comfortable in this situation."

Duke (15-1) hasn't lost since falling 85-77 to Texas to open the season, and assumed the No. 1 ranking after beating Connecticut 68-67 on a last-second 3-pointer by Jessica Foley on Jan. 3. The win snapped the Huskies' 69-game home winning streak.

Tennessee (15-1) has won eight straight games since absorbing a 70-60 loss last month to Texas.

It is the second straight season that Duke and Tennessee have met ranked 1-2. Top-ranked Duke beat No. 2 Tennessee 76-55 in Raleigh in November 2002.

Duke hopes All-American Alana Beard - whose jersey will be retired before the game - won't be limited by a strained groin muscle sustained Tuesday at practice.

Beard, who leads the team at 16.7 points a game, has been through ice, electric stimulation and whirlpool treatments. She missed practice Wednesday and Friday and played just 21 minutes in the Blue Devils' 78-48 win against Maryland on Thursday.

In last season's 77-65 loss to Connecticut, Duke fell behind early and never recovered.

"That was a whole new beast for us," Goestenkors said. "We feel much more comfortable in this situation."