Duke came into Sunday’s game looking to extend its 14-game winning streak in Cameron Indoor Stadium against a Pittsburgh team still searching for its first win ever against the Blue Devils.
The streak continued for Duke.
The No. 14 Blue Devils defeated the Panthers 62-48 Sunday afternoon thanks to a stifling defensive effort that forced 15 turnovers and held Pittsburgh to just 33.9 percent shooting from the field. Junior Lexie Brown led the way with 18 points and was joined in double figures by redshirt junior Rebecca Greenwell, who contributed 11 points.
“Obviously, [it was] a blue collar game—very defensive and poor shooting by both teams. I like the fact that we outrebounded them and defensively stayed consistent,” Duke head coach Joanne P. McCallie said. “I appreciate Lexie leading the way offensively—that’s always important to have someone lead in that kind of game.”
Coming off an efficient shooting performance Friday night against No. 20 Syracuse, the Blue Devils (22-4, 10-3 in the ACC) looked to continue the success it had from the inside by attacking the Panthers in the first quarter.
Three early blocks from senior Kendall Cooper resulted in a few easy baskets for the Duke guards, as the home team scored the first seven points of the game and floated into the second quarter leading 17-8.
“Defense has always been a big factor for us. I get out there with a defensive mind—we all do actually—and it starts the game out well for us,” Cooper said. “These things set the tone for everything else. Defensive success leads to better offense.”
The Blue Devils effectively controlled the tempo of the game, but the second quarter presented more of an offensive struggle for them with six turnovers and just 25.0 percent shooting from beyond the arc in the period.
The rebounding effort kept Duke afloat, though, as the Blue Devils outrebounded Pittsburgh 21-15 by halftime and finished with a 42-37 advantage on the boards and 10 second-chance points. Freshman Leaonna Odom led the team with nine rebounds and also notched seven points, but Duke’s veteran post players did not provide much offense alongside her. Cooper and senior Oderah Chidom combined for just six points on 2-of-7 shooting.
The Panthers (12-13, 3-9) capitalized on the offensive stagnation to cut the Blue Devil lead to six points with three minutes to go in the second quarter, but Duke recovered and took a 29-19 lead into halftime.
The third quarter was the Blue Devils’ cleanest period of play, as they committed only one turnover while forcing four from Pittsburgh. Eight quick points from Greenwell helped Duke open the quarter on an 11-4 run to put the game out of reach, and sophomore Faith Suggs scored five of her season-high seven points after the break.
“Everyone got an opportunity,” McCallie said. “Faith gives us good energy—she’s just always ready to go and she did some nice things offensively. We’re still trying to get the most out of everybody, but I think we took a few steps forward today.”
The fourth quarter saw another increase in turnovers for the Blue Devils in addition to trouble in transition defense, as the Panthers added 17 points and outscored Duke by six to make the final score respectable. The Blue Devils finished with just eight assists and 13 giveaways, lacking much of a flow on offense.
Duke shot just 36.2 percent from the field and 5-of-18 from beyond the arc, but its defense left little doubt about the outcome of the game.
Pittsburgh was ice cold from the perimeter all day, shooting just 3-of-22 from the beyond the arc and 1-of-12 in the second half, keeping the Panthers from sustaining any type of threat to get back in the contest.
“We identify the shooters, we have done a lot better with communicating because people like to move their shooters around,” Brown said. “The bottom line [in the zone] does a great job with letting the top line know where the shooters are.”
The Blue Devils have now held five straight opponents to fewer than 60 points and play at Wake Forest—which they beat 71-43 at home Jan. 29—Thursday night.
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