Duke came to Cameron Indoor Stadium on Sunday afternoon to try to bounce back after a difficult loss in North Carolina. Durham’s team came out on top despite some difficult points.
The 13th-ranked Blue Devils got off to a slow start, finishing the first quarter at 15-10 with six turnovers and shooting 35.7% from the field before mending ship late in the second quarter. They held up until the third quarter and finished strong, coming out of Cameron Indoors with a 62-50 victory. Led by a dynamic guard duo of sophomore Shayne Day Wilson and senior Celeste Taylor, the Duke dropped 16 and 15 points respectively.
“[The game] It was just one of those ground games. In other words, we were separated and could not be separated any further. [Syracuse] “We’ll be back,” head coach Carla Lawson said after the game.
Despite Syracuse’s valiant efforts, the Blue Devils (17-2, 7-1 in the ACC) were able to pull away late. A few quick steals and improved ball management allowed Duke to control the pace in the late game and slow the aggressive Orange attack. Extending the lead to 56-46 on the weak side, Orange (13-7, 4-5) failed to return to the game.
As with many games this season, the Blue Devils had a strong second quarter. They cut their lead to four early on with a triple from Day Wilson, from which the Toronto native exploded. After some scoring in a 22-19 win over Duke, a dime from Taylor set up another quick three for Day Wilson and just like that, Duke tied the game at 22-22.
By the end of the first half, the Blue Devils were leading 29-24 at the buzzer and built a five-point advantage. Duke scored his impressive 19 points in the second quarter alone. This is mostly due to his impressive 60% shot from behind the arc. Day-Wilson and Taylor scored 15 of their 19 total points in the second period.
“[Day-Wilson] He has managed the team and has made significant progress on the defensive side. She can shoot,” Lawson said. “She started the game competitively and I thought she was ready.”
Duke continued their second quarter momentum into the second half of play, extending the cushion to 13 points early on. Late in the third quarter, however, Blue his Devils struggled to hold on. Syracuse heated up and began to narrow their lead, drawing a foul and temporarily letting Taylor end the game. By the end of the third quarter, the Blue Devils were holding up, but not by much. He led 43–37 at home when the buzzer sounded.
Duke continued to struggle early in the fourth quarter as turnovers and missed shots cut the Blue Devils’ lead from six to four, and even down to two on several points.
Taylor proved to be the key to victory in the closing stages, scoring 6 points on 3-for-3 shooting in the fourth quarter, recording two steals and a block. She seemed all over the floor, picking the ball out of the air on defense and directing Duke’s offense.
The Blue Devils struggled to get going early in this game, occasionally allowing a spirited Syracuse team back into what could have been a dominant win for Duke at various points in the second half. Ultimately, Duke once again proved that they can close out a tight game in the second half.
“You can’t choose your winning style,” Lawson said. “I’m just thinking about winning anyway.”
The Blue Devils will have another chance to prove themselves against a ranked opponent when the No. 12 Virginia Tech comes to town Thursday at 8 p.m.
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