Krystal Thomas

Krystal was quite passive offensively in the first half and frequently set up too far away from the basket to do anything. She did have a bunch of rebounds and a couple of blocks, but otherwise was clearly thinking about how to defend Lavender. I did like that she was a bit chippy in the first half as she tried to be physical, but that backfired when she drew an offensive foul. She was much more aggressive in the second half as she attacked the basket, got to the foul line, blocked out with power and took several good shots (only one fell). This was the most emotional I've seen her in a game, and she noted that it was only natural to get excited when her team had so many people playing well. Her 32 minutes were a career-high, a testament to her improved health and increasing impact on the game.

Joy Cheek

Joy looked brilliant in the early going and it appeared that she would be a huge match-up problem for OSU. Then she turned her ankle and it seemed her night might be over. She subbed in during the second half to the surprise of all and managed to get a board and assist, but only played four minutes. I'm guessing that she'll stay off her feet for a couple of days and will likely be a game-time decision for Southern Cal.

Bridgette Mitchell

Bridgette took an awkward shot in the first half and then headed to the bench after she picked up two quick fouls. In the second half, she hit two huge shots that gave Duke some breathing room, but more foul trouble kept her on the bench.

Keturah Jackson

KJ's experience and maturity were key elements in Duke's victory. In the past I've been critical of KJ's occasional bad decisions on offense, so let met say right away that this was one of her best floor games - especially since it came against an elite opponent. She took good shots (nailing a couple of short jumpers that opened up other aspects of her game), drew defenders away from the basket and delivered some precise strikes for scores. It was her defensive intensity that was truly impressive, making OSU's star Prahalis have to use everything in her repertoire just to get by her. Once Prahalis lost her composure the game changed, and KJ deserves much of the credit for that.

Jasmine Thomas

This was a career high for Jasmine in a game that reminded me of Lindsey Harding torching Maryland as a senior. After settling for jumpers in the first half and seeming a bit tentative overall, Thomas went into attack mode in the second half. There was a chip on her shoulder in that second half for whatever reason, and that emotional fuel put her into a rhythm that OSU wasn't able to knock her out of. Jasmine did know when she was "in the zone" and when she wasn't (and shot accordingly), and Coach P praised her for being able to play at different speeds. She knocked down 6 jumpers (including a couple of enormous threes) and scored on 4 drives. She also cleaned up at the foul line, going 7-8 (with several on three-point plays). With the ball in good hands with Selby & Jackson, J.Thomas had plenty of opportunities to hunt her shot and did so with a vengeance.

Allison Vernerey

Vernerey was dominant in the first half as OSU didn't defend her well at all, but she forced her last couple of shots in the half. Her turnovers came as a result of trying to jam the ball into the post despite Krystal being heavily covered. That said, the amount of fight she displayed was impressive. The deeper into the game she went, the tougher she got on the boards. She blocked a couple of Lavender's shots and conceded nothing to her. Her ability to step in for Cheek and give Duke a boost was crucial during a period where Duke could have easily let down. At this point, the main thing she needs to work on is foul shooting. She has a hitch in her shot and generally looks uncomfortable at the foul line, which is unfortunate because she has the potential to do so much damage there in her career.

Karima Christmas

After several games where she didn't have a huge impact, Karima's daring and propensity for the dramatic made her another impact player off the bench. At this point, she can fill in virtually anywhere. When Duke went small, with a lineup of Thomas, Selby, Jackson, Christmas and Vernerey, Karima was playing power forward and giving OSU fits. She had a key stickback, a steal and layup, and three more scores off drives to the basket. Christmas powered right through OSU's half-hearted 2-3 zone that they threw on in the second half, and did her usual fine job in disrupting defenses with a couple of steals and a powerful block that resulted in her own rebound.

Shay Selby

Shay's 20 minutes played were also a career high, and she helped her team in all sorts of ways. Her hustle was tremendous, as was her defense. She read defenses, hit a couple of huge shots (including a three and layup at key moments) and dug out the toughest rebound of the game. That play established that Duke was going to do whatever it took to win. The charge she took on Prahalis was yet another key play for Duke.

Chelsea Hopkins

Chelsea got some spot duty in the first half but mostly sat after Selby became such a spark.