'It's really an advantage': Bench productivity, resilience lead No. 11 Duke women's basketball to win against Liberty

Vanessa de Jesus contributed with four steals and six rebounds.
Vanessa de Jesus contributed with four steals and six rebounds.

Resilience followed by brilliance.

In a game that could have slipped away, No. 11 Duke’s women’s basketball found itself holding on to a precarious lead to a strong Liberty side on the road. The Flames clawed back to cut their 14-point deficit to only two at halftime. 

The 83-67 win was a test for Duke of more than just confidence and poise, but also one of character and resilience as the Blue Devils faced their most difficult challenge of the season thus far. They showcased their depth by wearing down the opponents throughout the contest, with four double-digit scorers and 10 players getting meaningful minutes. 

Duke started off dominant, clearly riding the wave of last week’s definitive 89-36 thumping of Radford. Delaney Thomas won the tipoff, leading to a nice offensive sequence quick 3-pointer for the Blue Devils. The rest of the quarter was similar. Junior Ashlon Jackson scored eight and Duke held off Liberty's offense with Lawson’s signature high-intensity defense. But, the Flames came out firing in the second quarter. 

“They wanted it more than us in that second quarter, and it was evident. The hustle plays, they tilted in their favor,” head coach Kara Lawson said after the game. “They made some tough shots defensively. We had a hard time getting quality looks. They changed the rhythm of the game on us, and that's a credit to them.”

When the buzzer sounded and Liberty tip-toed back on the court, it came out with a new sense of conviction. The Flames immediately went on a nine-point unanswered run, bringing the score to 29-24. With Duke missing their freshman center, Arianna Roberson, Liberty found success driving through the paint, finding ways to get open shots out wide or put away easy layups. 

While the Blue Devils were able to get some points on the board, they weren’t able to hold off the Flames completely as Liberty, fueled by its crowd’s energy, put up 13 more points in the quarter. This slashed Duke’s favorable lead and brought the score to 39-37 going into the locker room. 

“To be down on the boards at half, we talked about that as a group, we've got to get on the plus side of it and then just stay disciplined in terms of not fouling as much,” Lawson said.

As the Blue Devils jogged back on the court, something had visibly changed; the team exhibited pure consistency in warm-ups. The sound of the ball cruising through the net was discernible throughout the duration of shootaround. 

This energy followed the team into the half, and Duke got right into its groove. Jackson had a monstrous offensive quarter, putting up 10 points and three assists, playing the entirety of the period. Lawson’s defense again proved challenging for the Flames to fight through, and bigs Toby Fournier and Thomas began to ease into their role of handling the taller players in the paint. 

Being able to shuffle between true point guards Vanessa de Jesus and Taina Mair — a luxury not afforded to Lawson last year — was also a huge benefit to the Blue Devils. They both played a key role defensively while commanding the offense, leading to a 25-point third quarter. 

“Vanessa gives us such great experience. It's awesome to have her back out on the floor,” Lawson said. “She has a great understanding. I thought she was amazing tonight, rebounding the ball with six boards. She had four steals. She made some game changing plays for us.”

With these performances extending Duke’s lead to 64-50, the Blue Devils carried this momentum into the fourth quarter. Lawson took advantage of her squad’s depth, as many players got on the board. Senior Reigan Richardson put up eight points, concluding a strong game for her and adding to the team’s wide range of double-digit scorers. Jordan Wood and Oluchi Okananwa also put on strong performances off the bench, which were key to the squad holding off its opponents in the victory.

“There's just a confidence with all those players for me off the bench and how valuable it is for me as a coach to be able to have that type of depth,” Lawson said. “It's really an advantage.”

In their most difficult challenge of the season yet, the Blue Devils certainly exhibited resilience as they turned a game that could’ve been anyone’s at half into a comfortable victory in the third quarter against a strong Liberty side. The depth of this year’s squad compared to last certainly played a factor. The showing could be a major green flag for the Blue Devils as they prepare for No. 18 Maryland Sunday, but also as they look to challenge the top teams in the ACC. 

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