From the field to the court, the Blue Devils provided fans and media members alike plenty of memorable moments. With 2014 coming to a close, The Chronicle is taking look back on the year's biggest stories. We continue our countdown today with No. 9 by looking back at Ka'lia Johnson's triple-double at Old Dominion Nov. 20.
Thursday, Nov. 20 was supposed to be a day to remember for Duke football, with a highly-billed showdown with North Carolina on ESPN in prime-time. Selective amnesia may have set in for most Blue Devil fans with respect to the events of that evening, but for senior Ka'lia Johnson, it was a night she'll never forget.
Playing at Old Dominion—a stone's throw from where the Chester, Va., native grew up—Johnson recorded the seventh triple-double in program history to lead the Blue Devils to a 82-66 against the Lady Monarchs. Johnson tallied a career-high 18 points, dished out a career-best 13 assists and grabbed a career-high-tying 11 rebounds.
Most of the damage inflicted by Johnson came in the second half, during a pivotal run in which the Blue Devils seized control of the game. Duke scored on seven of eight possessions, five of which were aided in some way by the captain. Johnson drilled a pair of triples and handed out three assists to help her team pull away for good.
The senior's standout performance in Duke's second game of the season was a sign of things to come. Johnson has stepped into a bigger role in her final season in Durham, asked to become one of Duke's primary ball-handlers and a veteran leader of an inexperienced squad. As her minutes have nearly doubled from a season ago, she has responded by stuffing the stat sheet.
Through Dec. 22, Johnson is the team leader in assists with 47 and ranks third in the ACC in assists at 4.3 per game, and is averaging 6.5 points per contest. On a team that boasts nine players 6-foot or taller, the 5-foot-10 guard is fifth on the team with 4.7 rebounds per contest, and is second on the team in steals. Heading into ACC play, the senior's role as a facilitator will go a long way toward determining whether or not the Blue Devils contend for the conference crown.
READ on Johnson:
Johnson's triple-double leads Duke women's basketball past Old Dominion
Changing of the guards for Duke women's basketball
Previously in The Chronicle's Top 10:
10. Shaun Wilson runs past Kansas, into record books
Check back in with us on The Blue Zone tomorrow to see what moment we have at No. 8 on our list.
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