BLACKSBURG, Va.—Not often do two Duke players score 20 points in a game, especially during ACC play, but a matchup with Virginia Tech Thursday proved to be the exception for the Blue Devils.
Junior forward Haley Peters and sophomore center Elizabeth Williams both notched 25 points—tying their career highs—and scored 65 percent of Duke’s final point total against the Hokies. For the second time this season, two Blue Devils had at least 20 points in the same contest, the previous time being the season-opener against Presbyterian.
Head coach Joanne P. McCallie was keen to praise the pair’s offensive prowess on a night when no other Duke players scored in double figures.
“I just love the production of Haley and Elizabeth, just demanding the ball,” McCallie said. “I thought that Elizabeth kept her composure early when she was being doubled and got the ball around and looked for Haley. They played very, very well off each other.”
On the high level of play from Williams and Peters, the No. 5 Blue Devils (23-1, 13-0 in the ACC) routed the Hokies (8-16, 2-11) at Cassell Coliseum in Blacksburg, VA 77-33. The pair was dominant on both ends of the court, even clogging the paint on defense, which led to the Hokies shooting 27.8 percent.
Peters, who did not tally a single point against Maryland this past Monday, took advantage of early of double teams on Williams by the undersized Hokies squad, hitting three 3-pointers, grabbing five rebounds and scoring 13 points before 10 minutes of play had passed.
Her offensive spurt early in the game got Duke out to an early 31-11 lead from which the Blue Devils never looked back.
“I think from the beginning of the game, whoever was guarding me was on [Williams] pretty much and was double-teaming her,” Peters said. “She was getting a lot of attention and just did a great job of moving the ball out of that. [Williams] was really patient and poised and just finished inside really well again.”
While Peter’s proved to be an efficient scorer from all spots on the floor, Williams’ presence in the paint shut down Virginia tech’s offensive flow and provided Duke with an easy scoring option as the game progressed. Williams had two blocks in the contest, including a powerful rejection with 7:30 remaining the first half on a breakaway layup attempt for the Hokies.
“I think we did a good job of moving the ball around, and that’s how I was able to get some good shots,” Williams said.
Williams continues to dominate play for the Blue Devils, scoring in her 57th straight game and tallying at least one block in the past 26 games. She added seven rebounds and two assists to her performance.
Combined with Peters’ 10 rebounds and two blocks, the pair had a definitive presence on a Duke squad usually highlighted by strong guard play. Both attacked the basket throughout the contest, earning multiple free throw chances in which Peters and Williams shot a combined 85 percent from the line on 14 attempts.
“Haley was doing a great job of stepping out when needed and rebounding,” McCallie said. “I thought we played physical, without fouling, and aggressive.”
Despite Williams and Peters both playing less than 30 minutes apiece, they managed to have a large impact on Duke’s confidence and consistency in the level of play against Virginia Tech.
“I think they have good size on the perimeter and those girls are all athletic,” Virginia Tech head coach Dennis Wolff. “Williams is the best player in the league and Peters is not far behind.”
It is a luxury for Duke to have two efficient post players who can produce on both ends of the court and command the flow of a game, an asset not lost on McCallie.
“I’ve never coached two post players to each get 25 [points] and I’ve being coaching 21 years of basketball,” McCallie said. “That’s a long time.”
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