Coming off the announcement that it was ranked No. 2 in the preseason AP Poll for the first time in eight years, Duke capped off its exhibition schedule with a 102-50 blowout of Division II opponent Coker College Sunday at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
“Good stuff all the way around,” head coach Joanne P. McCallie said. “And we can score a lot more points than that if we really have all cylinders working.”
With Coker only boasting one 6-footer in its starting lineup compared to Duke’s three, the Blue Devils dominated the post, grabbing 53 rebounds and scoring 74 of their points in the paint.
Haley Peters, Elizabeth Williams and Oderah Chidom all used their size advantage down low to control the block.
Showcasing their speed on both ends of the floor, the Blue Devils compiled 24 forced turnovers and scored 36 fast-break points, which was an integral part of their success.
“Easy buckets are always important. Paint scores are always important,” McCallie said. “It’s fun to control the tempo and be aggressive. I think we’re faster foul line to foul line than we have been in the past, and we’re still trying to get faster.”
Center Elizabeth Williams’ emphatic block in the first three minutes was a sign of things to come as Duke recorded 12 blocks and Coker couldn’t even muster one. The Cobras only managed to shoot 20.7 percent from the floor in the first half of play.
“[We had] better ball pressure and more anticipation. The way [Elizabeth] played above the rim was very inspiring,” McCallie said. “I know I felt that and the team did as well.”
After building up a 32-4 lead in the first 10 minutes of the contest, Duke continued to apply full-court pressure in the first half and refused to give the Cobras even an inch of space.
The gritty Coker squad refused to quit, going on a 7-0 run and capping the first half with a 3-pointer at the buzzer. Even though Duke built up a 28-point cushion to start the game, the Blue Devils only outscored the Cobras by four points in the final nine minutes of the half.
“It’s a lot of nerves, a lot of ‘Oh my goodness, this is Cameron Indoor Stadium,'” Coker College head coach Jenny Finora said. “Once we settled down, the last 10 minutes were pretty even. If we could just negate the first 10 minutes, maybe it’s a different ball game coming out.”
In the closing minutes of the half, senior Richa Jackson drove towards the basket but was knocked hard on her back. She continued to play for the next possession but was clearly grimacing in pain, forcing her to leave the game. She did not return.
“Just from a safety measure, I kept her out. [She’s] just sore in her back a little bit,” McCallie said. “There was no need to push it, so I was pretty conservative.
Williams scored a game-high 29 points and finished 14-of-15 from the field, adding 10 rebounds for Duke. Senior guard Chelsea Gray posted double-digit assist numbers for the Blue Devils' second straight exhibition tilt, leading the team with 12 helpers.
Freshmen Kendall McCravey-Cooper and Chidom provided energy off the bench and demonstrated their acclimation to the speed of the college game. Chidom finished with 17 points and five rebounds, and McCravey-Cooper finished with seven rebounds and four blocks, showing off her athleticism when she stuffed a Cobra offender and then sprinted down the court to finish off the fast break with a layup.
“I loved Oderah and Kendall off the bench. I thought they looked more like sophomores today, the other game they looked like freshmen,” McCallie said. “They looked a little bit older, a little more mature.”
Despite coming away with a 52-point win, Duke will go back to the drawing board to make improvements before its season opener Nov. 10 on the road against No. 9 California. The Blue Devils committed 27 fouls against Coker, with three players finishing the game one whistle away from fouling out. Additionally, Duke shot just 53.4 percent from the free throw line, compared to just 74.1 percent on the 2012-13 season.
“I think we’re a pretty good team, and I think we want to become a great team,” head coach Joanne P. McCallie said. “And the only way you become a great team is to get after it.”
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