Duke 77, Clemson 53, FINAL: Clemson managed to keep it respectable in the end, and the 40 point blowout that we were all expecting was mercifully avoided. A few statistics to put the game in perspective: Duke scored 31 points off 23 turnovers, and destroyed Clemson on the glass, outrebounding the Tigers 50 to 31. 18 of those 50 rebounds were on the offensive end-- the Blue Devils wound up with 17 second chance points. Duke was able to overcome a sub-par shooting day (40%) by attacking the glass and taking the ball away. McCallie will most likely be pleased with the victory. More on the game later after post-game interviews.
Duke 71, Clemson 43, 3:54: You know the game is a blow-out when fans are filing out in droves with 4 minutes left before its over. But it was one of those games-- the division in talent between the two teams was very apparent from the start, and the Tigers never really had a chance. I do find it a bit strange, however that Waner and Black are both still out on the court. One would think that, up 28, the two seniors would be resting, but apparently coach McCallie does not share this view.
Duke 57, Clemson 35, 11:27: Clemson is on a sort of mini-run right now. The Tigers have actually outscored the Blue Devils 16-6 in the second half, and this could be the start of some trouble for Duke. OK, I may be manufacturing drama right now. But the fact is Duke has been outplayed in the last ten minutes.
Duke 50, Clemson 21, 15:56: If there ever was a song that described the state of the Clemson Tigers, it was just sung by the pep band-- Bon Jovi's "Livin' on a Prayer." Clemson trails Duke by 29, and they have no answer whatsoever for the duo of Careem Gay and Chante Black, both of whom have scored basically un-defendable (not sure if that's a word) baskets in the new period. Also, I think it is fantastic that we have a new mascot that is safer and everything, but I'm not a fan of its ability to jump on press row. My Macbook just came within about 8 inches of a Blue Devil foot to its screen.
Duke 44, Clemson 19, HALFTIME: When one wants to try out different line-ups, being up 25 is a good time to do it. The Blue Devils ended the first half with only one starter on the court, and look for not much to change in the next period. Freshmen Shay Selby, Kathleen Scheer (who hit a 3 in the first half's closing minutes), and Chelsea Hopkins will get a chance to test their mettle against ACC play for the next twenty minutes. So for the dozens watching at home, if you are looking for a reason to keep watching the game, just tell yourself that you get to see the future of Duke women's basketball.
Duke 39, Clemson 14, 3:44: Although the Blue Devils do lead the game by 25 (!), they are still not afraid to get a little dirty. At the 5 minute mark, Waner dove for a ball, passed it to Shay Selby, who took it down the court and was fouled hard on a lay-up. Joy Cheek didn't like seeing her teammate treated that way, and shoved Clemson's Kirstyn Wright. Play is a little chippy, despite the game being a blow-out.
Duke 32, Clemson 14, 6:33: Why any player listens to the advice of fans will never cease to amaze me. At the 9 minute mark, a Clemson player had the ball. With 16 seconds left on the shot clock, the band started the 10-9-8-7 countdown. They, of course, yelled Zero! with 6 seconds left, and the player launched a desperation heave at the basket. The Crazies went nuts. On a more serious note, one of the main reasons Duke leads the Tigers by 18 right now is its absolute dominance on the glass-- on both the offensive and defensive ends. Chante Black is the tallest player on the court by far and is exerting her will on Clemson. Don't be surprised if she winds up with an easy double-double tonight.
Duke 24, Clemson 8, 11:50: The Blue Devils are storming out of the gate. They are not forcing any shots and are taking quality looks and capitalizing on them. Clemson, on the other hand, looks overmatched. The Tigers continue to turn the ball over and even had a shot clock violation at the 14 minute mark. This one may be a blowout. Also, this is unrelated, but those watching at home just missed one of the greatest media timeout diversions ever-- 4 year olds racing on tricycles. The competitive drive the young tots showed was intense.
Duke 12, Clemson 6, 15:34: Duke coming out of the gate has reminded me of two things. No. 1 is that Abby Waner has looked like John Stockton (without the short shorts). She has been absolutely dead on with her passing, tallying three assists already, including two bb's that found a wide-open Bridgett Mitchell. (Mitchell started the game, by the way, which she was not expected to. When we find out why we will let you know.) No. 2 is the fact that the Blue Devils' defense looks remarkably like the lady Tigers' male counterparts. The relentless press Duke is putting against Clemson conjures up images of the Duke men's team looking befuddled trying to get it up the court. Too soon?
PREGAME: It's game time at Cameron Indoor Stadium! No. 4 Duke is taking on the unranked Clemson Tigers, in a game that the Blue Devils hope will erase the memory of the loss against North Carolina on Monday night. The scene before the game is touching- Clemson is wearing all pink jerseys, with warm up shirts that say "Yow Forever". Duke is also wearing pink warm -up shirts, and most players are sporting pink Nikes. The amount of pink in the fan section is dramatic, as well.
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