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Monday, Mar. 20 8:35pm ET
Schweitzer, Mosch combine for 50 points in win

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DURHAM, N.C. (AP) -- Georgia Schweitzer played the way a conference's top performer should, and freshman Sheana Mosch picked the best time for a breakthrough game.

Schweitzer, the ACC player of the year, and Mosch each scored 25 points as second-seeded Duke beat Western Kentucky 90-70 Monday in the second round of the women's NCAA East Regional. It was a career high for Mosch.

"I want to be like Sheana," Schweitzer said. "She has just come so far, attacking the basket. She has gotten much better with staying focused the whole game."

Duke (28-5), last year's national runner-up, advanced to its third straight final 16. Missy West and Krista Gingrich added 11 points apiece and Rochelle Parent pulled down 11 rebounds for the Blue Devils, who rebounded from a poor offensive showing against Campbell in the first round.

Duke will meet third-seeded LSU, a 57-45 winner over Stephen F. Austin, in the regional semifinal in Richmond, Va. on Saturday.

Western Kentucky (22-10), seeded 10th, lost in the second round for the second straight time. ShaRae Mansfield scored 21 points and Jaime Walz and Jamie Britt added 17 points apiece.

Western Kentucky had rallied from seven points down in the second half to hold on for a 68-65 win over Marquette in the first round, but it could not pull off a repeat against Duke.

"I don't think it was really a 20-point game. We are fortunate to come out with the win," Duke coach Gail Goestenkors said.

Mosch helped by drawing fouls as she drove to the basket. She was 11-for-11 from the foul line.

"Sheana had an exceptional game. She is playing her best basketball right now," Goestenkors. "I thought tonight she made great decisions with the basketball."

Mosch said she was able to get over her NCAA Tournament jitters in Duke's win over Campbell on Saturday.

"I felt a little more comfortable," Mosch said. "It's such a higher level than I've ever played before and the games are just so much more important."

Down by six a halftime, Western Kentucky tied the score after an 8-2 run to open the second half. During the span Britt scored two baskets and her second made it 40-40 with 17:01 left.

But the Lady Toppers, able to score under the basket through double-team defense earlier, started to fade despite rallying throughout the season for wins.

"I think we ran out of gas," said Walz, one of only nine Lady Toppers on the roster. "It took a lot of us to do that."

The Blue Devils responded with a 10-1 run the next four minutes after it was tied, and after West and Schweitzer each hit a 3, Duke led 50-41 with 13:30 to go.

West made another layup and Schweitzer converted a fast-break layup to increase Duke's lead to 61-46 with 10:09 remaining.

"In the end, I think we did wear them down," Goestenkors said. "I felt like if we could hang in there and keep pushing the ball and keep making them work defensively, sooner or later we would wear them down."

Western Kentucky cut it to seven twice over the next five minutes, the last at 7:12 left after Natalie Powers made two free throws to trim the lead to 67-54.

The Lady Toppers got no closer than 67-57 at 6:43 the rest of the way.

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