The Nutshell by Rob CloughIn their first meeting in 24 years, Duke smothered crosstown rival NC Central
thanks to their superior size, speed and depth. However, Central didn't lack
for effort and helped force Duke to leave a lot of layups short in the first
half. A lot of those shots were rushed for Duke, as they missed 11 layups in
the first half and didn't pull away from the Eagles until the last five
minutes, when they embarked on a 12-0 run that put the Devils up by 23 points.
Again, one must strike the note that Duke played with a lot of effort but not
enough efficiency. Duke had 15 offensive rebounds but only scored 10 points
from them, and forced 21 turnovers but only converted to the tune of 18 points.
On the other hand, the Devils prevented the Eagles from doing anything they
wanted on offense. The Devils jumped their shooters, flooded the passing lanes
and sent back shots. Keturah Jackson had a career-high 6 steals and played
in-your-shorts defense during her fifteen minutes of play, leading a spirited
effort from the bench. In the second half, Duke hit 7 of their first 8 shots
to blow the game wide open with a 17-0 run. Duke shot 53% in the half, was +25
on the boards, and picked off 20 steals. Coach P noted that it was a game they
should dominate, and her team went out and did it on the eve of ACC play.
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