There’s something about the Kohl Center. There’s something about the fiery red seats, luxury boxes and three massive levels of state-of-the-art amenities that brings out the best in the Badgers and forces Duke teams to fight for a victory.
For the second time during this road trip, the Blue Devils were challenged until the final seconds of the game, but thanks to offensive balance and staunch defense, No. 5 Duke defeated Wisconsin 59-51 to remain unbeaten this season.
“It wasn’t the greatest game for us,” head coach Joanne P. McCallie said. “Any game with six assists for us we’re not going to call a great game. But sometimes you have to deal with adversity and find a way. I think this was a ‘find a way’ kind of game for us.”
From the first possession, it was evident that Duke (8-0) would not receive any easy buckets from the Badgers’ relentless defense. Wisconsin head coach Lisa Stone emphasized to her team that they could give the Blue Devils “no lane,” and they executed.
All season Duke has dominated its opponents down low thanks to senior Krystal Thomas, but last night she did not have her best game. Thomas was coming off back-to-back double-doubles, but against the Badgers (2-6), she repeatedly missed open shots and had trouble maneuvering down low.
“Perhaps she was a little bit rushed,” McCallie said. “Maybe we didn’t find her as much…. Maybe balance-wise, she wasn’t where she needed to be to finish some of those shots.”
Freshman Haley Peters and sophomore Allison Vernerey provided some relief down low, adding six points each, but the Blue Devils were still uncharacteristically ineffective from the post.
Although Duke out-rebounded Wisconsin 45-30, it held no advantage in points scored in the paint.
Meanwhile, the Badgers received huge performances from guards Taylor Wurtz and Alyssa Karel. Wurtz was 4-for-9 from behind the arc, and one of her treys gave the Badgers the lead midway through the second half. Karel was deadly with the ball, using her quick crossover to open up space and create scoring opportunities. She finished with 14 points.
“I was so proud of my entire team,” Karel said. “Duke came in here, and we weren’t intimidated…. We know now that we are a good team, and we can compete with anyone.”
For Duke, senior Jasmine Thomas was steady as usual, leading the team with 14 points and hitting clutch shots to maintain the lead, and senior Karima Christmas added nine points.
However, it was freshman Chelsea Gray who stepped up in the final minute-and-a-half—scoring one jumper and four made free throws—and made sure the Blue Devils walked out of the Kohl Center with a win.
“I didn’t feel like I had to score every point or take over the game,” Thomas said. “You saw Chelsea down the stretch, going in and getting to the free throw line, and knocking some free throws down. That’s going to be characteristic of us this season.”
Nobody had the hot hand last night, as the Blue Devils shot a mediocre 33-percent from the field, but several players made necessary contributions at crucial points in the game.
Both teams fought hard through their own mistakes and their opponent’s defense, but it was Duke that had the talent and experience to come away with the victory.
“With our Charlotte game we actually had some experience with a tight game down the stretch, and we closed that one out,” Thomas said. “I think down the stretch our team showed a lot of poise in being able to close this out and feeling like we had been through this before. With having a young team, that experience is going to be important for us because every game is not going to be pretty—every game is not going to be a blowout.”
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