The Nutshell by Rob CloughIn a game of runs, Duke threw big 13-0 and 17-2 haymakers in the first and
second halves, respectively, to first take control and then put away the feisty
Murray State Racers. Duke had an overwhelming size advantage and then
proceeded
to get starting MSU center Angela Brown into immediate foul trouble. As a
result, the Devils were +19 on the boards, had a 46-18 advantage in points in
the paint and a 19-5 edge in second chance points. That helped negate MSU's 8
three pointers and some very sloppy play on offense (13 turnovers and many
missed easy shots). Perhaps the most encouraging aspect of the game was Duke's
14-6 fast break point advantage; Duke ran with greater purpose and
aggressiveness than I've seen in some time. Every Duke player played and
scored, with Wanisha Smith hitting some impressive shots and Jasmine Thomas
doing it all, with 13 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists. Overall, this was a
solid performance for a team shaking off two weeks' worth of rust, and everyone
got to contribute.
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