GREENSBORO, N.C.—Sometimes the value of a game can transcend the final scoreline.
Duke came away with another ugly, hard-fought victory at the Greensboro Coliseum when the top-seeded Blue Devils knocked off No.4 Florida State 72-66 in the semifinal round of the ACC tournament. Duke survived the Seminoles’ second half thanks to tough defense and timely shooting—but more importantly, each of the Blue Devils played within their new roles and found different ways to contribute.
Since losing junior Co-ACC Player of the Year Chelsea Gray, Duke has approached life without its starting point guard as a new season. After eking out close wins against a few ranked opponents and enduring the Blue Devils first and only conference loss of the season, the team still had yet to settle into a rhythm and lacked a solidified rotation.
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The question has lingered over the team since Gray dislocated her kneecap against Wake Forest Feb. 17: who will account for Gray’s lost production? Saturday afternoon, the question was answered—no single player could. But the Blue Devils were able to pick up bits and pieces of their injured point guard’s production from each of their role players, all of whom had moments to shine in Duke’s victory against the Seminoles.
“We’re in January as we develop, and we’re trying to speed that process up of our development as a team in the new season after losing Chelsea,” head coach Joanne P. McCallie said. “I think another game gives us another opportunity to learn.”
Haley Peters paced the Blue Devil offense from the game’s opening tip, helping Duke jump out to a 9-0 run to start the game with five early points. Peters was a force inside, finishing the game with a game-high 17 points—11 of which came in the first half—and 13 rebounds. Her tenacity inside was one of the keys to the Blue Devils’ 28-10 rebounding advantage in the first half.
With Florida State surging early in the second half and Duke struggling to hold onto its lead, junior guard Chloe Wells commanded both ends of the floor. After the Blue Devils forced just one turnover in the first half, Wells was a menace on the defensive end down the stretch. Although she stands at just 5-foot-7, Wells’ defensive play in the second half was of a much larger stature. Her hands were constantly in the passing lanes, slowing the Seminoles ball movement and helping to create pressure and force turnovers.
On the offensive end, Wells scored just two points but added four crucial assists.
“Four assists, no turnovers, directing traffic and then the intangibles of playing great defense with deflections and steals. She had a lot of confidence and gave us great energy,” McCallie said. “She came off the bench and gave us a huge lift.”
When the Seminoles had drawn back to tie the game, it was Tricia Liston’s turn to step into the spotlight. Liston shot 4-of-12 on the afternoon, but knocked down a 3-pointer from the right wing to give Duke a 58-55 advantage. She shot with confidence throughout the contest and stepped to the line to make clutch free throws to ice the game.
After Florida State answered with a three to tie the contest, freshman point guard Alexis Jones put the game out of reach. Jones threaded the needle to Peters for an easy lay-in to give Duke back the lead for good. Jones found Richa Jackson for an open jumper on the Blue Devils’ next possession, then used a stutter step to pour in a floater and drove to the hole for a lefty layup to push Duke’s advantage to six points. She only scored six points on the afternoon, but four of them came in the game’s final three minutes.
Jackson made her presence known as well. After coming off the bench in the Blue Devils’ last two contests, she returned to the starting lineup against Florida State and made hustle plays for Duke, scoring seven points and grabbing four rebounds in 30 minutes.
“I just liked her aggressiveness. She went hard. She played hard and she wasn’t afraid to mix it up. She got some rebounds for us and was aggressive offensively,” McCallie said. “I think her timing is coming back to her. Now being in the lineup, I think she’s in a really good spot to get comfortable.”
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