With 31 seconds to go, the Blue Devils were looking at a potential loss, their first one this season. They were down by one after trailing the Musketeers for most of the game when senior Krystal Thomas was fouled and came to the free throw line.
The first--swish. The second, not so much.
And with a Xavier rebound at 45-45 with only 26 seconds left on the clock, the Musketeers (10-1) knew to take their time and wait for a cue from their coach. But with a steal from Karima Christmas followed by a foul on senior All-American Jasmine Thomas, the Blue Devils (12-0) saw a second chance to claim the lead.
Thomas knew what stood on the line--an undefeated preseason record and a big moral victory for the team--and she took her shots. The first, a miss. The second, and a one-point lead for Duke.
Two seconds to go, and Xavier throws a long pass right near the three-point line of its basket, and Jennings goes for an easy layup that is blocked by Jasmine Thomas. Chaos ensues--was it a foul? Did Duke win?
Fans erupted into loud cheers minutes later, as the clock had expired just milliseconds before Jennings's shot and Thomas's block.
"When I saw the ball in the air, I thought, 'Oh, that's a steal,' and when I saw there were none of us back there, I sprinted up and made the play. She would've made the layup, and we would've lost. I had to go after the block there was no other option," said the All-American, who amassed 16 points and 3 blocks for the game.
As for her feelings about the team's big victory tonight, one sentence would suffice.
"It's definitely a better Christmas break when you come away with a win."
The team next plays in Cameron Indoor Stadium Dec. 30 against Temple at 7 p.m.
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