ATLANTA - Georgia Tech entered Thursday night's game against Duke riding an 18-game home winning streak. The Blue Devils came in with 27 consecutive victories over the Yellow Jackets.
Something had to give-and from the opening tip, there was no doubt which streak it would be.
No. 10 Duke (15-4, 4-1 in the ACC) never trailed and rode Chante Black's sixth double-double to a 73-47 demolishing of No. 23 Georgia Tech (16-4, 3-3) in Alexander Memorial Coliseum. The Blue Devils shot 50 percent from the field for just the second time all season.
"With all due respect, I just wasn't thinking much about [Georgia Tech]," head coach Joanne P. McCallie said. "I was thinking about our team-what we need to do, what we want to do, what we want to look like on the floor. We've been working hard to get better, and we're starting to really turn some corners."
The Blue Devils have now won two straight contests by an average of 20 points since an 85-70 loss to Maryland Jan. 14. In both of those victories, Black notched a double-double. But against the Yellow Jackets, she nearly reached that landmark in the first half alone, racking up nine points and 10 rebounds as the Blue Devils raced to a 35-23 halftime lead.
"[I was] just playing," Black said. "I'm a player. I would hope anybody could pick up a double-double if they work hard, and these guards are capable."
At 6-foot-5, Black had at least a three-inch height advantage over every Yellow Jacket who guarded her. She was able to finish strong inside while also possessing the quickness to drive past the Georgia Tech defenders for easy layups. She was just as strong on the defensive end, registering four blocks and three steals.
"Chante's just one of the best there is because she works so hard," McCallie said. "There's a lot that she can do, but without question it's the work ethic that separates the greats. They just come ready. They're very focused, they know what they do and they like to go out there and do it. They don't take nights off, and [Chante] does not take nights off."
Black's success in the paint opened up opportunities for her teammates from the outside, most notably junior guard Abby Waner. Waner had struggled mightily in her last four games, shooting just eight percent from beyond the arc.
But she started heating up against the Yellow Jackets, breaking an 0-for-14 3-point slump in the second half and shooting 5-for-11 for 15 points. She also contributed six rebounds and five assists.
"She looked like she was having fun," McCallie said. "I don't like any of our players to be defined in a narrow sense. Shooting is shooting.. The point is what kind of complete player can you be."
Waner and the Blue Devils, however, did not have a completely stress-free night. They struggled with ballhandling, as Georgia Tech forced them into 24 turnovers.
The Yellow Jackets' full-court press caused problems for Duke at times, but the Blue Devils adjusted and were able to use an attacking mentality to beat the press and get easy looks at the basket. Those high-percentage shots contributed to Duke's second-best shooting night of the year.
The Blue Devils, however, was even more effective on the defensive end of the floor than Georgia Tech was. Duke's changing defenses and presses successfully disrupted the Yellow Jackets' offensive flow, Georgia Tech head coach MaChelle Joseph said.
And although they never trailed, the Blue Devils never relaxed. They continued to add to their lead into the final minutes of the contest.
"It shows that we can go and play a dominant game-a dominant 40 minutes or 30-plus minutes," senior guard Wanisha Smith said. "It just shows that we can play together as a team and regardless if we're on the road or not, we can play and just play hard. Regardless if we're up by 20, we can still keep pushing it."
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