No. 10 Duke women's basketball bounces back, cruises to 74-55 win over Clemson
After spending the last couple weeks on the road against N.C. State, Georgia Tech and SMU, there was a certain excitement emanating from the court as the blue lights shined bright and each starter was greeted by the usual applause at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
The Blue Devils — who took a couple minutes to catch their stride — adapted to Clemson’s fast playstyle and defeated the Tigers 74-55.
“It's good to see our defense back,” head coach Kara Lawson said. “In that first quarter, I thought we played with the type of effort and discipline that we need to play with on that end.”
Duke (18-5, 9-2 in the ACC) began implementing off-ball screens and, in combination with great passing sequences, the Blue Devils created mismatches and good scoring opportunities. Oluchi Okananwa’s agility and speed kept her at the center of this, as the sophomore guard drilled two key 3-pointers. While the Tigers certainly put up a fight, they weren’t able to contend with the fortitude of Lawson’s signature Duke defense. As the first period ended at 14-8, both teams looked like they had a claim to the game.
This didn’t stay the case for long as a blocked shot by senior forward Tessa Miller resulted in two points for the Tigers and gave Clemson (11-12, 4-8) the opportunity it needed to gain some momentum. Just a few possessions later, the score was leveled at 18-18. As relentless back-and-forth play ensued, no team would give an inch; the Tigers seemed to have a response for everything the home side came at them with. Nonetheless, Toby Fournier and Reigan Richardson put in salient performances, bringing the Blue Devils back into the driver’s seat and reinstating a fairly comfortable five-point lead as the half came to an end.
Coming back from the locker room with the score at 32-27, the Blue Devils seemed determined to take complete control over the game. Relentless on defense and poised on offense, Richardson put up each of the Blue Devils’ first three buckets, giving the home squad a commanding lead. Duke didn’t let up though; just a few sequences later, Emma Koabel scored a deep 3-pointer and a nice layup bringing the score to 45-29, forcing Clemson to take its first timeout of the half.
“I didn't want to put [Jadyn Donovan] in with the three [fouls] to start the third,” Lawson said. “... So I just thought going to the four guard lineup and being able to still defend them a little bit smaller helped us.”
Much to the dismay of Tiger head coach Shawn Poppie and the away contingent, the discussion with his team didn’t yield any success as the Blue Devils came back out looking electric. The ball seemed to consistently find its way back into Fournier’s hands as the freshman forward played a decisive role in bringing Duke’s lead to 54-34 with 2:15 left in the period.
When the third quarter came to an end, the home cheer section ran out from the baseline carrying large blue flags that spelled out Duke while the band played triumphantly. The excitement from the crowd was unwavering with 10 minutes to go.
“I thought the pivotal run in the game was when Koabel and de Jesus came in and were able to make some plays,” Lawson said. “Those guys are really good players, and it's nice to see them have an impact on the game tonight.”
After a 3-pointer by Ashlon Jackson brought the score to 58-39, it seemed clear that the Tigers were not only discouraged, but they’d lost the offensive production that kept them in the game during the first half. When the Blue Devils approached the back end of the quarter, the contest turned into one of collection and consistency as defensive rebounds and avoiding turnovers seemed to be the name of the game.
As Miller fouled out for the Tigers, the lyrics “Be humble, sit down” from the song “Humble” by Kendrick Lamar rang throughout the stadium, signifying the end of Clemson’s trip to Durham. The game shortly concluded in a dominant win for Lawson’s group.
Next up, the Blue Devils will stay home for a Sunday matchup against Miami at 2 p.m.
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.
