HALFTIME: Duke 30, Virginia 29

GREENSBORO, N.C.—The last time the Blue Devils faced off against Virginia, they were without one of their star players. Fast-forward a month later and Duke is again without one of its top contributors.

Sophomore Azurá Stevens scored eight points in her return to the lineup as the Blue Devils lead the Cavaliers 30-29 at halftime in the second round of the NCAA tournament. But sharpshooter Rebecca Greenwell—who went off for 25 points and 12 rebounds against the Cavaliers last month in a 67-52 Blue Devil victory—is sidelined by a stiff back.

Virginia guard Faith Randolph, who also missed the team's earlier meeting, has broken down Duke's zone defense for seven points and two assists thus far. But the Blue Devils combatted Randolph's offensive burst with the efforts of junior Oderah Chidom down low. The 6-foot-4 forward has 11 points to lead the team.

The Cavaliers came out of the gates on fire from 3-point range, as they hit three of their first four attempted 3-pointers to run out to a quick 17-8 lead in the first quarter. But after Duke head coach Joanne P. McCallie called a timeout, the Blue Devils went on a 5-0 run to close out the first quarter, and they continued their run, out-scoring Virginia 22-7 in a period spanning up until the last two minutes of the second quarter.

But in a game of runs, the Cavaliers battled back to end the second quarter, as Duke could not score despite grabbing consecutive offensive rebounds with the clock winding down before halftime.

Here are some observations from the half:

• Duke has been looking to use its size to its advantage, as the Blue Devils out-rebounded Virginia 23-16 in the first half.
• Freshman Kyra Lambert has provided a boost off the bench, grabbing five rebounds despite her 5-foot-9 stature.
• Virginia's Aliyah Huland El has torched the Blue Devils from 3-point range, making both of her attempts beyond the arc for nine points.
• Both teams have been sloppy handling the ball, combining for 19 total turnovers—10 for Duke.
• The winner of Thursday's game will face top-seeded Notre Dame Friday at 2 p.m. for a chance to advane to the semifinals.