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WBB: Black, Gay and Waner named tri-captains for 2008-2009

Apr 29, 2008

DURHAM, N.C. – Duke Head Coach Joanne P. McCallie has announced the Blue Devils will feature tri-captains for the 2008-09 season with senior’s Chante Black, Carrem Gay and Abby Waner being selected.

“We are really excited about our tri-captains for next season,” said McCallie. “For Chante, her leadership became so self-evident last year as she started demanding the ball more and being more vocal as the season went along. She has earned it. Abby played hard and has done some great things for us. First thing is her academic leadership has been outstanding. Carrem got on board early and accepted her role as the sixth player this past season. Her character and intelligence speaks to her leadership.”

A native of Winston-Salem, N.C., Black had a stellar season for the Blue Devils after returning from missing the entire 2006-07 year due to injuries. The 6-5 center made her presence felt as she was the only Blue Devil to start all 35 games, while leading Duke in scoring (14.1), rebounding (7.1), blocked shots (81), field goal percentage (52.5) and free throw percentage (77.8).

Black earned second team All-ACC, State Farm All-America finalist, Associated Press Honorable Mention All-America and was on the John R. Wooden Award and Naismith Player of the Year midseason lists. She led Duke with nine double-doubles on the year.

Gay, who came off the bench in 24 of 35 games for the Blue Devils in 2007-08, has been a key component of Duke’s success over the last three years. A product of New York, N.Y., Gay averaged 6.6 points, 5.1 rebounds. 1.6 steals, while hitting 47.8 percent of her field goals as a junior.

In three years, Gay has played in 95 career games and made 45 starts. She averaged 8.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.4 steals as a sophomore when she started all 34 contests.

Waner, a product of Highlands Ranch, Colo., is coming off averaging 10.3 points, 3.8 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 2.6 steals in 31 games played for the Blue Devils.

A 2008 third team All-ACC and Associated Press Honorable Mention All-America, Waner hit 49 three-pointers on the season and will enter her final campaign at Duke with 167 three-pointers, which ranks fourth on Duke’s all-time list. She needs just 36 more treys to break the school mark of 2002 held by Georgia Schweitzer.

In 2007-08, Duke registered a 25-10 overall record while advancing to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16. The Blue Devils reached the 25-win mark for the 10th straight year, advanced to the NCAA Regionals for the 11th consecutive season, collected their 11th straight 10-win ACC season and finished ranked No. 9 in the Associated Press national rankings.

The Blue Devils will return four of five starters and 10 of 11 letterwinners in 2008-09, while welcoming the fifth-ranked recruiting class in the nation. The class includes Shay Selby (Cleveland, Ohio), Chelsea Hopkins (Las Vegas, Nev.) and Kathleen Scheer (New Haven, Mo.).