Duke took a bite out of the Big Apple in its second matchup against Columbia in program history. The 13th-ranked Blue Devils were hot off of their five-game win streak and came into the game ready to continue it, taking the matchup 77-61.
“Coming off of a great past week, it could be easy to settle and be satisfied with that,” Graduate guard Vanessa de Jesus said post-game. “But for us, we knew this team was a very veteran team, a very smart team, and we just couldn't take them for granted.”
After a timeout late in the fourth, senior guard Reigan Richardson and junior guard Ashlon Jackson took control of the ball, each scoring a layup of their own. Then, Richardson flew into the air for a gritty rebound, which she flung towards junior guard Taina Mair for a delicious fast-break layup. Duke was up 20 points.
Columbia (6-3) was stymied by Duke’s defense at first; the Lions won the tipoff but the shot clock ran out when they were on the Blue Devils’ side of the court. Sophomore Jadyn Donovan was quick to open up scoring for Duke after that, bringing the ball to the bucket with ease.
The Lions finally broke through the Blue Devils’ defense just over two minutes into the first quarter with a layup by senior guard Kitty Henderson, and Duke’s dam seemed to open up — five more Columbia points followed, including a pretty three by Henderson.
From there, it was a fight — and both teams could run. The Blue Devils (8-0) led by 1 point going into the timeout.
“We took this game because they're a fantastic team. We took this game because they can beat us,” Lawson said. “Good teams show you where you're weak.”
After that, the Duke bench saved the day. Hotshot freshman forward Toby Fournier immediately made a layup for the Blue Devils, de Jesus followed, and then Fournier once again put up two on the fast break. Then went sophomore guard Oluchi Okananwa, then sophomore forward Jordan Wood. Everyone got their points in. The Lions posted 6 points throughout the Blue Devils’ bonanza.
“It was an immediate impact in the first quarter,” Lawson said of the bench. “Not just Woody and Toby, but Vanessa and then also Oluchi, they all came in in that first quarter, and changed the tempo of the game.”
Columbia didn’t have the same depth available. In the first quarter, the Blue Devils scored 12 points off the bench, and the Lions didn’t score any. In a fight as gritty as Sunday’s, Duke needed to capitalize on its bench’s fiery energy coming out onto the court, and it did — in total, the team scored 32 points off the bench compared to their opponents’ measly 6.
“We place a high priority on having multiple players in our program that can impact the game,” Lawson said. “The players that come off the bench across the world in different levels of basketball help you win championships.”
By the end of the first half, the Blue Devils seemed to have outrun the Lions. De Jesus and Donovan sealed the deal with a 3-point jumper and layup, respectively, in the final minute, so that Duke led 43-30 going into halftime.
The Blue Devils shined in rebounds, which allowed them room for error in shooting. In the first half, Duke made 9 second-chance points and grabbed 22 rebounds compared to Columbia’s 12. It was a team effort.
“When your whole team can do it, it just takes a lot of pressure off of one specific player,” Lawson said. “Although Jayden and Oluchi and Toby, in their history as players, have shown to be really good rebounders. And I think there's another level all three of them can get to.”
In the second half, Duke wasn’t playing around. Sophomore forward Delaney Thomas made the first Blue Devil bucket. Columbia wasn’t ready to give up, but Duke continued its rampage, especially when it came to triples. Richardson and de Jesus were the three-point duo of the game, each landing the ball from the 3-point line within three minutes of each other. In total, the duo went 4-for-5 on threes.
“De Jesus really changed the game for us,” Lawson said, “Hit a couple big threes for us … She was a bright spot. And then Richardson as well.”
After a timeout, the Blue Devils ran even faster. A stunningly quick string of passes led the ball into the basket by Richardson. After that, the teams scored back and forth like fireworks. A quick break for free-throws by Fournier and Columbia’s sophomore guard Riley Weiss at the end of the third quarter didn’t seem to dampen the energy between both teams. However, the Blue Devils maintained their lead and ended the third quarter leading by 12.
In the final period, Duke relied on its tried-and-true defense. When the Lions came to their territory, the Blue Devils were always there to block their opponents’ advances. A satisfying block by Duke earned a “good job” from Coach.
“Our biggest thing has been our defense,” de Jesus said. “I think that's what makes us one of the best teams in the country, is that urgency and that disruptiveness on the defensive end.”
However, towards the end of the game, the Blue Devils got messy, and there were turnovers aplenty — 21 for Columbia, 23 for Duke.
“I didn't like how we threw the ball all over the gym,” Lawson said, “We can't turn the ball over at this frequency and expect to win many games.”
They certainly can’t against the Gamecocks. The Blue Devils come face-to-face with No. 4 South Carolina away from home for a late-night matchup Thursday.
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