After Louisville’s overtime win over Clemson on Thursday night, Tajianna Roberts had a clear message for Duke.
“You guys already got them once,” ESPN commentator Pam Ward said. “And we’re going to get them again,”
Roberts responded. Except the only thing Duke got was bulletin-board material.
The No. 3 seed Blue Devils defeated No. 6 seed Louisville, 61-48, on Friday night behind a commanding defensive performance. Duke, ranked No. 11 in the most recent AP Top 25, will face Notre Dame at 2:30 p.m. Saturday for a chance to make the title game.
The semifinal appearance will be the second in three seasons. With Duke advancing, all three Power Four women’s basketball teams from the Triangle will play in the ACC Tournament semifinals after North Carolina and N.C. State won their games Friday. “Each team presents different problems.
They demand different things of you defensively,” Duke head coach Kara Lawson said on Monday. “But there’s no doubt, if we feel like we can impose our will on that end, then we have a good chance of winning the game.” Her squad’s defensive prowess was on full display against Louisville.
The Blue Devils held the Cardinals to 18 first-half points — Louisville’s lowest single-half scoring output this season — on 30.8% shooting. They recorded just seven points in the second period. Additionally, Duke forced 11 early turnovers. By comparison, the Cards average 43.5% shooting from the field and commit just under 16 turnovers per game. The Blue Devils’ aggression took no time off in the second half.
They held the Cardinals to 12 points in the third, including two points in the first five minutes. Louisville started the fourth on a 7-0 run to cut Duke’s lead to single digits, but its late push fell short. It never finished with 20 points in a single quarter. Duke didn’t just stop the scoring, though. The Blue Devils fought for rebounds on every possession.
They also notched six blocks, 12 steals and 13 points in transition. Those numbers don’t even include efforts to corral loose balls. Louisville didn’t have any blocks or fast-break points; it notched three steals. Louisville deserves credit for effectively utilizing its own defense. In fact, turnovers seemed just as prevalent as scoring. In the second quarter, the teams combined for seven points and seven turnovers apiece in the first six minutes. Duke shot 41.5% from the field and 33.3% from the perimeter.
The two programs finished with 39 combined turnovers. ACC Rookie of the Year Toby Fournier struggled to find the hole. She started 2 of 7 from the field and 0-3 on free-throw attempts. She finished with 10 points on 4-of-10 shooting. Fournier shot 4 of 8 from the charity stripe. Though her offensive efficiency was lower than normal, Fournier was disruptive and played fearlessly.
She intercepted an inbounds pass with seven minutes to play and made a free throw to put the Blue Devils back up 12 points. Oluchi Okananwa, Ashlon Jackson and Reigan Richardson provided a much-needed lift on offense. The trio scored 36 points to help Duke overcome a poor shooting night, with Richardson scoring eight points in the fourth. Roberts, despite her confidence on Thursday, finished with eight points, on 2-of-13 shooting, three boards and four turnovers. It was a far cry from the 16-point and 10-rebound double-double against Clemson.
Mackenly Randolph led the Cards with 13 points. Olivia Cochran added a game-high 11 rebounds. Louisville was without leading scorer Jayda Curry for the second consecutive game with a shoulder injury. Curry averages 13.4 points and 2.6 rebounds per game. In the Cardinals’ win at Duke, Curry recorded 24 points. It wasn’t a pretty game for either team, and Duke will need better scoring in its semifinal matchup, but it survived and advanced.
