The Duke women closed out their 2023-’24 home schedule with a dominant wire-to-wire 73-54 win over Virginia Thursday night.
The win is Duke’s third straight and leaves the Devils at 11-6 ACC, 19-9 overall going into Sunday’s short bus trip to Chapel Hill.
Unlike recent victims Syracuse and NC State, Virginia wasn’t ranked. But they came into Cameron as one of the ACC’s hotter teams. After starting 2-9 in the ACC the Cavaliers had won four of their five most recent games, including wins over Miami and Louisville, the latter at Louisville.
They never had a chance. Duke buried them under a 9-0 start, then 13-3, then 15-4.
It was a blend of a characteristically tough defense and a suddenly scintillating offense.
Reigan Richardson said Duke’s hot start is a function of focus and “being locked in” from the opening tip.
Kara Lawson said her maturing team is doing a better job of understanding the scout and what they’re trying to accomplish.
“At the beginning of the game they have a better understanding of how the other team is trying to attack us, they have a better understanding of how the other team is trying to defend us. Over the course of the game there’s just more adherence to scheme.”
Richardson jump-started the latter with a 3-pointer for 3-0, then a layup for 7-0, then two foul shots for 9-0, then a layup for 11-2, nine points in the first 3:22.
“I’ve really been working on being more composed while playing. Just focus on staying calm and just relaxing.”
It was 17-12 after one.
The Cavaliers put game pressure on that one time. After scoring the final four points of the opening period, Virginia’s Paris Clark scored in transition and it was 17-14.
Before Duke fans could begin to get worried Duke responded with four layups, Kennedy Brown, Jadyn Donovan, Donovan again, Brown again, while forcing three straight Wahoo turnovers.
That made it 25-14. Crisis averted.
Duke shot 61 percent in the first half (14-23) and led 40-27, after Ashlon Jackson again beat the game buzzer with a 3-pointer.
Richardson had 13 points at the half, Kennedy Brown 12.
Duke maintained control in the second half. Virginia scored first to make it 40-29 but Jackson hit a 3, Richardson had a transition layup, then Jackson hit another 3 and it was 48-29.
Duke led 53-38 after three, Duke’s defense rendering meaningless some offensive doldrums late in the third.
Virginia didn’t get any closer than 15 in the final quarter.
Richardson led everyone with 24 points, her highest total since a 27-point outburst against Richmond in the season opener.
“I thought she came out aggressive,” Lawson said, “really attacking. I’ve said this before when she plays well offensively, we’re a really hard team to beat.”
Brown ended with 13 points, Jackson 11. Jackson had five assists and no turnovers, Taina Mair six assists and one turnover.
Then again freshmen Donovan, Delaney Thomas and Oluchi Okananwa combined for nine turnovers against two assists.
Maybe a lesson there.
Duke out-rebounded Virginia 35-24 and held the Cavaliers to five assists. Lawson said the goal was to limit catch-and-shoot opportunities for Virginia, a goal clearly accomplished and one that led to the low assist total.
Virginia shot 37 percent from the field, 1 for 12 from beyond the arc. Duke ended at 51 percent and added 87.5 (14-16) from the line.
Carolina next then the ACC Tournament, where Duke is going to have to win four games to cut down the nets and then on to the NCAAs, any earlier doubts about going dancing long since eliminated.
Lawson says her team has played its best ball in February a pretty good place to be going into the month when banners are being handed out.