No. 6 Duke 75, Southern Cal 50, FINAL
With tough defense and strong play in the paint, the Blue Devils have picked up their second win of the season over USC, and Coach P has picked up the 400th win of her career. Duke's next game is Nov. 18 away against Auburn.
No. 6 Duke 68, Southern Cal 47, 2:30 2nd Half:
As the game comes to a close, Chelsea Gray has ensured that Duke is coming away with a win. Showcasing her many talents, Gray dropped a trey, drove to the hoop, and then hit Krystal Thomas down low with a quick pass. Freshman Tricia Liston also took advantage of her playing time, hitting a three from the corner.
No. 6 Duke 54, Southern Cal 35, 11:29 2nd Half:
Vernerey and Peters continue to control the post and put points on the board, but the Trojans refuse to go away. Led by vocal guard Ashley Corral with ten points, USC is hanging in there. The Trojans are being very aggressive on both sides of the ball, forcing the Blue Devils to commit fouls on defense. For Duke, Thomas continues to roll with 12 points.
No. 6 Duke 40, Southern Cal 22, Halftime:
It's been a very physical game thus far, but the Blue Devils have overpowered the Trojans and head into the locker room sitting on top of an eighteen-point lead. Even though the Blue Devils have a plethora of sharpshooters on the outside, they have been absolutely dominating in the paint on both sides of the ball. Of their forty points, 22 were picked up down low. Vernerey has been cleaning up under the basket with five offensive rebounds, and freshman Haley Peters has brought down seven rebounds on defense. The Duke defense has been very strong, forming a wall on the perimeter and forcing the Trojans to take bad shots.
No. 6 Duke 35, Southern Cal 20, 3:24 1st Half:
Senior Jasmine Thomas is up to her usual tricks, cutting hard to the basket for lay-ups and on defense, swatting balls into the crowd. She also picked up a steal and broke away down the court for an easy two, bringing her total to nine points. Duke has gotten noticeable more aggressive on defense and committed several fouls. However, USC hasn't been able to take advantage and the Blue Devils have established a fifteen-point lead.
No. 6 Duke 24, Southern Cal 16, 7:51 1st Half
As each Blue Devil freshman cycles into the game they make an impact on the offensive side of the ball. Richa Jackson hit a three-pointer and then added another bucket, while Chelsea Gray tallied a score and a steal. Duke was beginning to pull away and its defense was solid until several lapses opened the door the the Trojans to fight back into the game.
No. 6 Duke 13, Southern Cal 7, 14:46 1st Half:
Both teams got off to a slow start, committing meaningless fouls and having trouble penetrating on offense. However, Duke began to build a lead after freshman Chloe Wells hit a trey from the corner that sparked the scoring. Sophomore Allison Vernerey entered the game and immediately made her presence felt by picking up a bucket in the paint despite being fouled. She made the foul shot and later followed up with another score.
Pregame:
After a hard fought win in their season opener against BYU Saturday night, the Blue Devils are anxious to get off to a faster start against the USC Trojans. Cameron is somewhat empty, but the fans that came out tonight are excited for tonight's matchup. Duke head coach Joanne P. McCallie is looking to win the 400th game of her 19-year career.
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