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By Rob Clough & Orin Day
Duke retained its unbeaten status in a 15-round heavyweight fight against a plucky NC State squad. State was happy to get physical with Duke, clogging the lane to prevent easy penetration, especially from the baseline where Duke loves to attack. NC State's size let them guard Elizabeth Williams one-one-one for much of the game. They tried to get Duke to shoot contested jumpers or contested drives, and Duke shots simply did not want to go down for much of the game. The Devils turned the ball over 9 times in the first half and put the Pack on the foul line 12 times, where State converted 9-12. A tough-as-nails showing by Haley Peters (10 points, 7 rebounds in the first half) and some all-America plays by Chelsea Gray rescued Duke from a 3 point deficit in the first half. While State was hampered by Markeisha Gatling's early foul trouble (she only played five first half minutes) their bench stepped up with 15 big points. Indeed, there was a definite sense that State was throwing everything they had at Duke just to stay competitive. The Pack missed some easy shots but also faced some ferocious defense from Duke. The Devils blocked 7 shots and had 10 steals. To their credit, NC State didn't go away when Duke seemed ready to take over the game. They rallied from an early 19-10 deficit to actually take a 26-23 lead thanks to unselfishness with the ball, free throws and a tip-in. It didn't hurt that when the Pack needed points the most, they got them from some unlikely sources. For example, post player Kiana Evans, who had never taken a single three in 46 career games, smoothly drained an open trey in the first half during the run and then hit another one in the second half. Forward Kody Burke, shooting just 18% from distance, sank 2 of her 3 attempts from long range. Those low-percentage shots that happened to go in kept Duke from taking a double digit lead until the final four minutes. Early in the second half, when the score was knotted at 32, Duke went on a 6-0 run keyed by Chelsea Gray. She scored on a very difficult drive in traffic and found Williams for a rare basket. Liz handed the ball off to Haley for a baseline jumper. The next ten minutes of the game saw Duke build up a small lead, only to be met by another difficult three by Evans. With about six minutes to go, Alexis Jones drove, drew in the defense and passed back to Peters for a hard-earned three. After that, Chelsea Gray drove into the teeth of the defense to draw fouls while Barrett and Evans missed a pair of layups. That gave Duke their first double-digit lead at 57-47. The Pack never quit, Kastanek and Burke both his treys, and they managed to cut the lead to 61-57 with 47 seconds left after a Peters turnover, but Jones hit a couple of cold-blooded foul shots to ice the game. The Pack missed a couple of foul shots after that and did not score again as the Devils closed it out at the foul line. It wasn't a pretty win for Duke, but meetings between the Pack and Devils in Reynolds are rarely aesthetically pleasing. Top Performers:
Game AnalysisWhy Duke Won: The Devils capitalized on their hustle plays, especially in the second half. For the game, Duke had more points off turnovers (17-7) and second-chance points (13-6); those numbers were 9-3 and 7-2 in the second half. Those extra chances were key when Duke had the ball and started eating up clock. Why NC State Lost: The Wolfpack Women simply couldn't stop everyone on Duke and in particular had no answer for Chelsea Gray, who was able to get by State's guards more-or-less at will. The Pack also didn't hit the very few easy shots they got, as many of their points came off high degree-of-difficulty shots. The Game Turned When...: Duke turned a 50-47 lead into a 61-50 bulge, thanks to 6-6 foul shooting from Gray and a huge three from Haley Peters. The Pack missed two chippies during this late stretch as the Devils finally got a little bit of distance. X-Factor: Alexis Jones. After a terrible first half, she knocked down several important shots and was 3-4 from the foul line in a critical situation down the stretch. State made a point of getting the ball out of Chelsea Gray's hands and Jones made them pay. Areas For Improvement: Duke needs more scoring out of its bench; Duke's reserves were outscored 21-4 in this game. They did grab 11 rebounds, however. The Devils had periods where one or two buckets from its reserves could have turned the game around earlier. This is a work in progress, as Chloe Wells and Richa Jackson slowly work their way back into the rotation. Ramifications: Duke picks up its first ACC road win in a building it doesn't like very much, in a game where a lot of shots didn't fall. NC State is now 0-2 in the ACC with UNC coming up next week; they desperately need a signature win. ACC WBB Digest Photo Gallery
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