For Georgia Tech’s visit to Durham on Friday, 32 was an unlucky number.
The Yellow Jackets committed 32 turnovers, pulled down a mere 32 rebounds to the Blue Devils’ 45 and lost to No. 3 Duke 69-32. It was also the 32nd straight victory for the Blue Devils against Georgia Tech, a streak that dates back to 1994.
Despite a slow start in the first half, Duke (18-0, 4-0 in the ACC) played a dominating second half to maintain its unbeaten record for the season and put away Georgia Tech (16-5, 4-1) convincingly, handing the Yellow Jackets their first loss in conference play.
“I think going undefeated is good, but when we show dominance, I think that adds to it,” freshman Chloe Wells said. “Winning is good, but we’ve got to keep it going so they know, ‘Oh, okay, I see Duke coming.’”
With a season-high crowd of 6,744 in attendance for head coach Joanne P. McCallie’s 100th career victory with the Blue Devils, Duke was led by senior Krystal Thomas’s 11 points and 10 rebounds, her third double-double of the season.
It took the Blue Devils a while to settle into the game, missing their first six shots from the field, until sophomore Allison Vernerey finally connected with 11:45 left in the first half. During this difficult spell, Duke’s defense and rebounding proved to be enough to overcome cold shooting.
Although the Blue Devils finished the half shooting a poor 28 percent from the field—far below their season average of 41 percent—they forced Georgia Tech into even worse shooting struggles. The Yellow Jackets shot 25 percent in the first period, with Duke’s defense blocking shots, causing turnovers and forcing its opponent to shoot late in the shot clock.
“That’s always a point of emphasis defensively, to take the team out of what their normal rhythm is,” Thomas said. “We were more effective tonight than we have been the past couple games. But it was good for us to get in the passing lanes and take them out of what’s normal for them.”
Georgia Tech’s rhythm was also disrupted by the early fouls picked up by its star player Alex Montgomery, who was charged with her second foul after just over two minutes of play. The Blue Devils held her to two points and no field goals.
“I think it’s always important to be aware of go-to players and special players like [Montgomery],” McCallie said. “I thought we defended as a team against her.”
Duke’s own star player, Jasmine Thomas, also missed parts of the game and didn’t make a field goal until midway through the second half. An ankle injury sidelined Thomas with 14:05 left in the first half. However, she returned a few minutes later and played through the pain, putting up eight points—below her season average of 15.2.
This was still enough to earn the senior praise from Georgia Tech head coach MaChelle Joseph as one of the “top five players in the country,” and the one who “does it all” for the Blue Devils.
Without Thomas’s usual high scoring, other members of the team picked up the load. Five players scored at least eight points, and all 11 got on the scoreboard. Duke turned the 32 Yellow Jacket turnovers into 26 points, had 28 points in the paint and scored 19 points off second chance opportunities. The Blue Devils also exhibited strong rebounding, with 21 of the 45 boards coming on the offensive end.
“Today was a team win,” freshman Tricia Liston said. “Everyone contributed.”
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