The best just want it more.
In only the second matchup ever between the two programs — and the first in Cameron Indoor Stadium — Duke continued to build positive momentum in an authoritative 79-47 win over Belmont. The Blue Devils limited the Bruins to 47 points on 33.3% from the field, and freshman Toby Fournier paced the offense with 25 points on 10-for-15 shooting.
“They came out scoring a lot,” head coach Kara Lawson said. “There's going to be times they’re on a run too — that's kind of like what you're looking for as a coach … Are we strong and disciplined enough, and can we play urgent enough to wrestle that momentum back to us? It challenged us, and we had to respond.”
And save for those shaky opens to both halves, the Duke defense was simply dominant. At various points throughout the game, it seemed as though the Bruins couldn’t bring the ball inside without it being taken away or slapped out of bounds. The Blue Devils (5-1) forced Belmont (2-3) into tough shots and created 20 turnovers. Scoring 26 points off those takeaways, Duke made sure to capitalize on its extra opportunities.
Facing the No. 14 ranked team in the country — and especially after a heart-breaking loss to then-No. 12 Ohio State — the Bruins knew they needed to bring their best effort. Right from the opening tip, Belmont brought a high level of energy and competitiveness that initially seemed to catch the Blue Devils off guard. But after falling behind 9-5 early, Duke ended the first quarter on a 12-0 run fueled by gritty play and fantastic defense.
On the Bruins’ final three offensive possessions, the Blue Devils forced three consecutive turnovers — a steal, an offensive 3-seconds violation and a tripping foul. They would not surrender a Belmont point for nearly nine minutes as they built a 21-9 lead.
Regarding the two offenses, Lawson and Belmont head coach Bart Brooks have implemented completely different philosophies: In comparison to the home team, who entered Thursday’s contest averaging 16.6 3-pointers per game, Brooks’ squad came into Cameron Indoor attempting an average of 25.8 triples. Interestingly enough, the two squads have also found opposite results behind the arc. For all the threes they take, the Bruins shot a paltry 26.2% from distance in their first four games, while Duke built on its respectable 33.7% 3-point shooting with an 6-for-14 outing Thursday.
Of the Blue Devils’ 40 first-half points, Ashlon Jackson and Fournier were responsible for 28 on a combined 12-of-17 from the field. As Jackson rained down threes from outside, Fournier established her dominance in the paint — scoring 16 points in the first 20 minutes of action and generating multiple and-one opportunities.
The Toronto native maintained her all-around brilliance in the second half with shutdown individual defense, and even an above-the-break three that pushed the Duke lead back above 20. In her first six games of collegiate play, Fournier has strung together impressive performance after impressive performance. The 6-foot-2 forward finished the contest with six rebounds and three blocks to go along with her hyper-efficient 25 points.
“I think that I've always been a pretty efficient player,” Fournier said. “I don't try to force anything, but I also know when I'm able to score a bucket.”
“Toby has been able to finish like that ever since I first started watching her play. She had that from the beginning,” Lawson said. “I don't know if it's God given or she's practiced and developed it, but she just had a knack for scoring and rebounding.”
Against Belmont, sophomore forward Jordan Wood continued to demonstrate that she has taken a significant leap in her play. Although she did not record a point until late into the first half, simply looking at the box score would not tell the full story of her impact.
From generating offensive rebounds with tip-outs to stealing away Bruin possessions, the Carmel Catholic product seemed to be everywhere all the time. After sophomore guard Jailyn Banks scored six straight points to halve the Blue Devils’ second-quarter lead, Wood grabbed a key offensive rebound and kicked it out to the left wing for a Jackon trey.
“She's not thinking ‘Where I'm supposed to be?’ or ‘What I'm supposed to be doing?'” Lawson said. “She knows that already and now she can read the game.”
Next on the schedule for Blue Devils is No. 10 Kansas State, as both squads will make the trip to Henderson, Nev.
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