Duke women's basketball wins Paradise Jam championship

Duke commanded the paint and tied a season-best defensive performance as it demolished Kansas to complete its perfect 3-0 run at the Paradise Jam.

No. 2 Duke routed Kansas 73-40 Saturday afternoon at the University of Virgin Islands Sport and Fitness Center in St. Thomas. The Blue Devils had three players finish in double digits and held a 44-10 advantage in points in the paint to roll past the Jayhawks.

The first half did not come easily for the Blue Devils (8-0), who struggled to take care of the basketball on offense, turning it over 14 times in the game's first 20 minutes.

“I think we did a lot to slow down the pace of the game," head coach Joanne P. McCallie said. "We had too many turnovers. Our defense was consistent but the first half was tough because we were sloppy with the ball, which caused an ugly first half for us.”

“We learned a lesson on how to focus and execute,” McCallie said. “The second half we got to play like Duke basketball. We shot 55 percent and were much more ourselves.”

Elizabeth Williams and Tricia Liston led the Blue Devils offensively. Williams scored 17 points on the game and added four blocks. Liston, who earned MVP honors of the tournament, finished with 19 points—she scored in double-digits each game of the tournament— and eight rebounds.

“Tricia is consistent in scoring but she’s also aggressive on the boards," McCallie said. "When she is rebounding she is incredibly dangerous because it gives her the opportunity to be on the ball that much more and not have to wait and get it. She goes and gets it.”

Along with Liston’s consistent scoring, Williams’ formidable defense managed to silence Kansas’ leading scorer, junior forward Cheslea Gardner, the entire contest. Gardner, who came into the contest averaging 17.5 points per game, finished the night with just two points and four fouls.

“We definitely wanted to frustrate her, double her, limit her touches and be aggressive in defending Gardner,” McCallie said. “Elizabeth is quite a presence. She did a great job, along with the team, to stop someone of her caliber.”

Despite missing senior forward Haley Peters, the Blue Devils were able to play at a high level throughout the tournament due in large part to the team's depth. Duke has relied heavily on freshmen Oderah Chidom and Kendall McCravey-Cooper and redshirt freshman Amber Henson to manage Peters' absence and Saturday’s contest proved no different.

Chidom helped jumpstart the Blue Devil offense in the second half with seven points and 14 rebounds. Her dominant presence on the glass—she grabbed nine defensive boards—held the Jayhawks to seven second-chance points.

“It is so great to see Oderah step up with 14 rebounds today. She was a difference-maker. She’s all over the boards and she plays with a lot of confidence for a first year,” McCallie said. “Oderah, Kendall and Amber all offered their different strengths. Oderah really rose to the occasion with the absence of Haley.”

Kansas never got closer than 20 points for the rest of the second half as the Blue Devils finished an impressive three-day run at the tournament.

“We got better. There were three games and we learned from each game. There was a lesson from each one. We worked hard in watching film and being prepared,” McCallie said. “We reinforced the idea of how to focus. It's great to be away as a group to have some shared experiences. It’s a nice reward for working hard and staying focused.”