COLLEGE PARK, Md. - A fan watching the first 10 minutes of the second half of the Blue Devils' game against Maryland might have thought that the Terrapins would have no problem playing 2-on-5 against Duke.
Seniors Kristi Toliver and Marissa Coleman led Maryland to a 77-59 victory Sunday night in the Comcast Center by combining for 58 points-one shy of the Blue Devils' total offensive output-and scoring 27 consecutive points between them to open up the second half.
The No. 9 Terrapins (23-4, 10-2 in the ACC) used a 22-5 run sparked by the backcourt duo to pull away in the closing period and avenge a prior loss to No. 7 Duke (22-4, 9-3).
"I don't think I've ever seen a stat sheet of 34 and 24 for two guard spots," head coach Joanne P. McCallie said, referring to Toliver and Coleman's respective scoring outputs. "That's pretty remarkable and obviously speaks to some nice things that they did and some really very poor defense that we played in the second half."
In the first half, however, the Blue Devils played the kind of defense that usually results in a victory, holding the Terrapins to 28.1 percent shooting in the period. They also outscored Maryland 18-8 in the paint, hinting at their dominance in the low post. But Duke only held a 33-31 lead at the break despite forcing nine Terrapin turnovers.
After intermission, Toliver and Coleman took matters into their own hands and quickly left the Blue Devils scrambling for a response to their scoring barrage. A short jumper by Coleman tied the game at 33 with 19:33 remaining. After Toliver knocked down a jumper and her fourth 3-pointer of the night, Coleman followed up with another bomb from beyond the arc, capping off a quick 10-0 run.
In a span of less than two and a half minutes, the Terrapins jumped out to a 41-33 lead that they would never relinquish, thanks in large part to the three turnovers Duke committed on its first four offensive possessions of the period.
The Blue Devils tried to use their full-court zone press to stem Maryland's run, but the Terrapins found a way to get to the basket time and again despite the increased pressure. They used their speed to exploit Duke in the transition game as well, outscoring the Blue Devils 10-0 in fast break points.
Senior center Chante Black led Duke with 13 points, still remaining the only ACC player to score in double figures in all of her team's game this season.
Unfortunately for Duke, it was not enough, and the Blue Devils never really established their leading scorer down low, struggling to work the ball inside in the second half.
What made Coleman and Toliver's performance even more impressive was the fact that they shot the lights out in front of the fourth-largest crowd in ACC history, as 16,344 were in attendance.
Toliver's 34 point-output was one shy of her career high, and Coleman's 24 points made her only the eighth ACC player to score 2,000 points and grab 1,000 rebounds in a career.
With the victory, Maryland moves into second place outright in the ACC and Duke falls to third with two games remaining before the ACC Tournament.
The last time the Blue Devils and the Terrapins met in Cameron Indoor Stadium Jan. 12, Duke came away with a 68-65 win, and Toliver left Durham saying that it was "a little too early in the season to break the Dukies' hearts."
Apparently, with the regular season coming to a close and the ACC race tightening up, she decided Sunday was as good a time as any.
"I think the timing was right, and it was great to do it at home in front of all our fans," said Toliver, whose step-back 3-pointer in the 2006 national championship lifted Maryland to an eventual win. "We still might have another opportunity in the ACC Tournament and NCAA Tournament to do it again."
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