Game Recap by Rob CloughDuke overcame an early 12-4 deficit and 25 turnovers to wallop the young
Clemson
squad in Littlejohn. The Tigers knew they had no chance in a grind-it-out,
halfcourt game, so they tried to force tempo. They picked up 17 steals with
this approach, but the Devils gave as good as they got and outscored them 30-19
in points off turnovers. As expected, Clemson was no match for Duke on the
boards, as the Devils outrebounded them 54-34. Duke cleaned up on the
offensive boards, with their 20 o-boards leading to 22 points. The best news
for Duke is that Abby Waner broke out of her shooting slump with 4 threes,
while Chante Black & Joy Cheek had 15 apiece.
Five early Duke turnovers helped contribute to Clemson's early lead. Bridgette
Mitchell came off the bench and had a stickback along with a steal & layup to
cut into the lead. Waner put Duke up 15-12 with her first three of the game,
and the Devils eventually pushed that run to 16-0. After Clemson pulled to
within 22-15, the Devils ripped off a 15-0 run, highlighted by back-to-back
threes by Waner and another Mitchell stickback. After that run, the Tigers
never seriously threatened again. Every Duke player in uniform scored, and all
but one had a rebound. The Devils showed an impressive commitment to defense,
holding the Tigers under 30% from the field. The Devils keep pace with
Maryland, and now have an opportunity to pull even with the Terps on Sunday.
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