The Nutshell by Rob CloughDuke stunned Maryland with one of their sharper offensive games of the year
against a good opponent, along with an active, trapping defense that forced 19
turnovers. Duke kept their own miscues to a minimum (10), and that helped them
survive foul trouble and getting outrebounded. Duke turned a negative (Chante
Black getting into early foul trouble) into a positive, as they switched to
what looked like a variant of motion-style offense, getting a number of great
looks for Wanisha Smith, who capitalized to the tune of 22 points. Joy Cheek
battled Maryland's imposing front line hard all afternoon, piling up 16 points
and 8 rebounds. Without Black in the game, Duke trapped a lot more, jumping
into lanes to pick off passes or anticipating loose dribbles when the Terps
devolved into a one-on-one team late in the game. This win is a big feather in
Duke's cap for seeding purposes in the NCAA and may guarantee them a #3 seed.
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