Fournier, Okananwa and Richardson’s individual performances led the way in No. 9 Duke's rout of Wofford

Oluchi Okananwa goes up for a finish against Wofford.
Oluchi Okananwa goes up for a finish against Wofford.

No matter how much of an emphasis modern basketball places on the 3-pointer, the ability to execute on the fundamentals has always been what separates the good and the great. 

Despite preseason concerns about the team’s ability to cash in from deep, Duke women’s basketball has shot the ball effectively from range — drilling an impressive 39.5% of their 3-pointers prior to their home game against Wofford. But when the outside shot isn’t falling, the little things suddenly grow big — exactly what any Kara Lawson team thrives on. 

So even as the Blue Devils opened the night by going 0-for-9 from distance, they never faltered. 

From screen assists to tenacious rebounding on both ends of the floor, Duke out-hustled, out-ran and out-dogged the Terriers in every which way. In the first quarter alone, the Blue Devils snagged a whopping 10 offensive rebounds, which they paired with 11 second-chance points. Every loose ball, whether off the rim or the hands of a Wofford player, seemed to end up firmly grasped against a blue jersey. 

To the Terriers’ credit, they never relented or yielded an easy possession, but by the final buzzer, Duke had put together a dominant display on the glass to the tune of a 56-20 rebounding margin.

Lawson-coached squads have historically been known for their defense rather than their offense, most of which does not come from beyond the arc. Instead, past teams elected to find their buckets in transition with producing in half-court sets often a struggle. Yet, as the Blue Devils searched for scoring, they found it in the paint — particularly from freshman forward Toby Fournier. 

Coming off a 27-point, nine-rebound showing against Virginia Tech, Fournier picked up right where she left off. In just the opening period, the Canadian scored 10 of the team’s first 12 points, and she served as a catalyst for inside-out action that sparked the Duke offense.

“[Fournier] is somebody we can play through — a player we could throw it to on the block that can score 20 every night,” Lawson remarked. “That's new for our offense.”

However, Fournier was far from alone; alongside her 23-point, seven-rebound effort was a career-high- performance from senior guard Reigan Richardson. Although Richardson struggled from the field, perhaps no player had a greater impact offensively than the Charlotte native. 

As the team hunted shots around the rim, Richardson masterfully manipulated the Terrier defense — nearly recording a double-double with a career-high 10 assists accompanied by eight points. On back-to-back possessions in the first quarter, Richardson found Fournier down low for easy looks to open scoring for the Blue Devils, and all throughout the contest, the senior-freshman connection paid dividends over and over again. 

“Last year, if Richardson had gone 3-for-12 in a game, she would have been frustrated,” Lawson said. “Now she's so much more emotionally mature. [She’s] a top scorer that could come into a game and have 10 assists — that's rare.”

While Richardson has yet to break a mini-shooting slump that began against South Carolina, the senior has continued to prove how invaluable she is as an initiator and playmaker, even when her scoring isn’t necessarily there. 

But if a single player could be chosen to represent the Duke win, there would be an easy choice — sophomore guard Oluchi Okananwa. On offense and defense, Okananwa always seemed to be in the middle of the action. A steal followed by a fast-break layup in the second quarter, a forced jump ball off a rebound that looked uncontested for Wofford — no matter where the camera panned, the Worcester Academy product was there, sprinting at full speed or jumping for a loose ball. 

After her first double-double of the season against the Hokies, Okananwa again exemplified the well-worn saying “heart over height.” At 5-foot-10, Okananwa may not be as blessed with the physical advantages that some of her teammates and opponents may possess, but the Boston native has an uncanny knack for finding the ball. 

As the Blue Devils stretched their lead to 20-plus early in the final period, “Luch” — as she is called by teammates — converted a layup through a foul, missed the free throw, but then ripped down her own offensive rebound. Okananwa finished with 20 points, six rebounds, five assists and four steals — a true all-around performance. 

“Oluchi has worked extremely hard the last six months, and she wasn't getting the type of results she hoped for at the start of the year,” Lawson stated. “I'm really proud that she stuck in there. She never wavered, she never stopped working extra. She’s becoming a player that can [have an] impact in different categories, and it's great to see.” 

If this contest demonstrated anything, it’s that this Duke team can not only play but also win in a variety of fashions. But, no matter what style or gameplan they choose, their effort and hustle, just like Okananwa, will never waver.

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