An unyielding defense plus a fiery offense sparked by junior Jasmine Thomas proved to be a winning combination for the No. 10 Blue Devils this week at the Caribbean Challenge in Cancun, Mexico. Duke (5-1) gave previously unbeaten Western Kentucky its first loss of the season, rolling past the Lady Toppers 70-47 Thursday. It was more of the same Friday, as the Blue Devils thumped Marquette 74-43.
In last year’s contest against Western Kentucky, Duke—hindered by sloppy play—squeaked by the Hilltoppers 59-56. But the Blue Devils made it clear from the start of Thursday’s game that they were hungry for a wider margin of victory this time around.
The Lady Toppers (3-2) jumped out to an early lead, but Duke responded with an 11-0 run, spurred by seven points from Thomas. From there, the Blue Devils found their offensive stride and led by as many as 12 in the first half. Thomas propelled the attack, hitting 3-of-4 shots from behind the arc and 5-of-6 field goals in the first period.
“I just waited for the shots that I wanted to take,” Thomas said. “I think I was just focused.”
Thomas’s offensive effort was matched by a stellar Duke defense. The Blue Devils forced 13 turnovers in the first half and held Western Kentucky to 32 percent shooting from the field to give Duke a 28-19 lead going into the break.
The Blue Devils started the second half in dramatic fashion, pulling away with a 12-3 run. And though the Hilltoppers cut down the lead to 42-27 with a 3-pointer from Kenzie Rich, Duke quickly expanded its lead back to 20 points.
Freshman Allison Vernerey added 10 points from inside, and Joy Cheek posted nine points and grabbed eight rebounds to round out the Duke offense. On the defensive end, the Blue Devils stumped Western Kentucky’s starters, holding the starting lineup to only 18 points. Duke registered 13 steals and outrebounded the Hilltoppers 37-30.
It was the same story against the Golden Eagles (4-2) Friday, as a historic performance from Thomas propelled the Blue Devils to victory. The junior posted a triple-double against Marquette, with 11 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists, becoming only the third Blue Devil to do so. Thomas joined the distinguished ranks of Monique Currie and Katie Meier as the only players to achieve the feat.
“To join that sorority, that’s pretty special right there,” McCallie said. “[Thomas] is so athletic and quick, but she is also so determined, she has such a work ethic and she never relents. Nine defensive rebounds is possible because she works so hard.”
It was an evenly matched battle early, with neither team taking more than a three-point lead. However, Duke gathered offensive momentum and posted 10 straight points to make it 19-9 with 7:04 remaining in the first half. With 38 seconds to go before the half-time buzzer, Thomas sunk a 3-pointer and Bridgette Mitchell hit two free throws for the Blue Devils to close the period with a bang.
In the second half, Duke’s staunch defense frustrated Marquette’s attempts to find offensive rhythm. Duke utilized many different defensive sets to hold the Golden Eagles to just 25 percent shooting. McCallie said the team quickly adjusted to the unique formations and showed great flexibility, a characteristic that will benefit it later this season.
“Everybody was hustling and really playing very, very hard,” McCallie said. “We have really had a great defensive tournament. Everyone played their part defensively. It wasn’t any one person.”
The same balance was shown on offense, as the Blue Devils had five players score in double figures. Mitchell led the team with 13 points, while Vernerey and Krystal Thomas both chipped in 12 points. Joy Cheek and Jasmine Thomas balanced the attack, adding 11 points apiece.
“I loved our fight, [and] I love how we found shots,” McCallie said.
Coming off the two wins, Thomas said she hopes that the team progresses from its success this week.
“We just played well down here. This is something we have to keep in mind and build off of,” she said. “We don’t want to go backwards. We want to stay consistent.”
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