LYNCHBURG, Va.,— Extinguished.
Basketball is all about momentum, both within games and over the course of the season. Particularly in those early contests, teams come out looking to pick up some wins as the season careens towards conference play.
Duke certainly got rolling during its second matchup of the season, traveling to Liberty and coming out with the victory in a 83-67 defeat of the Flames.
With the pressure building and the lead shrinking, Duke (2-0) finally began to turn the ship around in the third quarter. Ashlon Jackson drained a 3-pointer to kick the half off, and senior Reigan Richardson followed it up with another deep shot. The Blue Devils also began to bring more bodies down low on defense, as Delaney Thomas and Jadyn Donovan doubled up center Bella Smuda to force a jump ball. Another Jackson 3-pointer expanded the lead further, and Duke appeared back in control.
Junior guard Taina Mair let one fly from behind the arc after finding herself wide open in the corner to bring the margin back to double digits. Just past the halfway point in the third period, the visitors led by 17 and were in the midst of a 20-8 run.
Jackson, in particular, impressed throughout the game. She finished with 22 points on 7-for-10 shooting and a 71.4% clip from deep. Her defense also was felt by the Flames (1-1), as she picked up with two steals.
On the block, it was freshman Toby Fournier who had the most impressive night. The Canadian proved her ability to play taller than she is, finding ways around the towering Smuda and creating her own opportunities down low. With the clock winding down in the third, Fournier caught the ball low and spun down the baseline, finishing with an impressive reverse to solidify a 14-point lead heading into the last quarter. Duke had regained its confidence with a 25-point period, leading 64-50.
The Blue Devils started the game off hot, as Jackson got a screen from Donovan, stepped up and buried a shot from deep. The defense showed out early for the visitors as well, and Liberty struggled to get its offense going. The Duke press forced turnovers and kept the pressure high, running down the shot clock and causing issues for the Flame attack. The length of the Blue Devil guards proved to be an issue, and the hosts especially struggled to move the ball around the perimeter.
Duke also used its subs early and often. Forward Jordan Wood made an impact down low, as Jackson picked a ball off and dished it to the sophomore for the easy layup. Liberty’s shooting kept the Flames in the game, but Duke’s defense and athleticism opened things up. It was a high-scoring first quarter for both teams, and two foul shots from freshman Toby Fournier expanded the lead to 14 by the buzzer.
That said, Liberty came out of the break with some momentum. The Flames attacked forward Thomas — playing as an undersized center — down low, and opened up with a pair of buckets. From there, it was another jump shot as the home squad went on a 7-0 run. It took nearly four minutes for the Blue Devils to record their first points, which was on a free throw. Liberty had a size mismatch down low, and it took advantage. When the ball popped out to Flame guard Emma Hess after an offensive rebound, she drained a shot from deep to cut the lead to just a point.
More struggles ensued as the clock wound down in the second quarter. The Duke offense looked disjointed and struggled to generate quality shots, while Liberty found its groove and made some tough buckets. The Blue Devils led by just two points at halftime, 39-37.
With another game under their belt against a tough opponent, the Blue Devils now prepare for a big-time ranked matchup against No. 18 Maryland Sunday afternoon.
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Martin Heintzelman is a Trinity junior and Blue Zone editor of The Chronicle's 120th volume.