With a week off to recover from a heartbreaking last-second loss to top-ranked South Carolina, the Blue Devils looked to finally sustain a solid 40-minute effort and snap their three-game losing streak against Oklahoma.
The Blue Devils decided to get back to the basics—outmuscling the Sooners in the post and using their size advantage to secure a 57-23 edge in rebounding—en route to a 92-72 victory Wednesday.
“I’m just really proud of our fight and great second-half push. We did some nice things defensively and we were very, very aggressive offensively,” Duke head coach Joanne P. McCallie said. “Can we play better? Yes, we can play a whole lot better. But we got better tonight.”
Two days after freshman sensation Jahlil Okafor put together a 25-point, 20-rebound performance for the men’s team, All-American Elizabeth Williams did him one better with 26 points and 20 rebounds in 35 minutes of action that showed just a bit of what Duke was missing in two losses during Williams’ two-game absence earlier this season.
“Coach P kept harping on Jahlil’s game the other day and saying I was capable and just reminded me to stay aggressive,” Williams said. “It’s something that I’m capable of doing, so staying focused and keeping everyone on the same page.”
With her Blue Devil career slowly coming to a close, Williams’ highlight-reel performance—including two blocked 3-pointers and a beautiful layup on a fast break run-out—once again made clear the potential she possesses as she prepares to take her talents to the next level.
Oklahoma was able to remain within striking range for 25 minutes of the game, using a break-neck offensive pace and potent perimeter shooting, connecting from beyond the arc seven times in the first half Wednesday.
But with a surplus of skilled post players and an enormous height advantage, the Blue Devils used their power in the paint to regain control of the game whenever a run by the Sooners appeared imminent.
“I thought we did a good job, particularly in the second half, of controlling the tempo and dictating the tempo,” McCallie said
For Duke, seeing a win on the scoreboard has to feel relieving after three tough losses to top-25 ranked opponents—two without Williams— by a combined 11 points. With Wednesday’s contest the first of three in five days, the Blue Devils know that the win was just what was needed to gear up for the challenges ahead.
“We’re very motivated by some things that happened in the past, no doubt about that,” McCallie said. “It kind of rubs you the wrong way a little bit.”
Even with the 20-point victory, clear signs of rust following the exam break were evident for the Blue Devils.
Despite having a size advantage that has allowed Duke to become the top rebounding team in the nation, the Blue Devils’ inability to take care of the basketball has continued to haunt them.
After averaging 16.7 turnovers per game during their recent three-game losing streak, Duke showed little visible improvement against the Sooners, turning it over 15 times in the first half alone. Although the Blue Devils’ turnover woes improved in the second half—committing only seven giveaways—an ugly stretch from the 11:27 to the 9:05 mark during which the two teams combined for five turnovers was indicative of what was a sloppy game throughout.
“We’re very capable of taking care of the basketball…You have two people running toward you, so the idea would be to move the ball and not dribble it,” McCallie said. “I think we had great lessons in the first half. We played too fast in the first half”.
With a tune-up against UMass-Lowell Friday, the Blue Devils will have another chance to correct their sloppy play and improve their offensive efficiency before their last big nonconference tests before ACC play begins, matchups against No. 8 Kentucky and No. 2 Connecticut.
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