Chidom, Stevens fuel Duke women's basketball despite Williams' off night

Elizabeth Williams provided another head-turning storyline Thursday, but not the one she wanted.

After a dominant 33-point performance Sunday against then-No. 12 North Carolina, Williams was kept under wraps for nearly all of the No. 17 Blue Devils' 62-45 win against Pittsburgh at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The senior All-American finished with nine points, but didn't make a field goal until the 7:22 mark of the second half. Her three field goals all came in a 90-second explosion.

The good news for Duke is that it didn't need a career-high night to get past the Panthers like it did Sunday in Chapel Hill. Forwards Oderah Chidom and Azura Stevens each racked up double-doubles to power another strong night for the Blue Devil frontcourt. The bad news is that on a team searching to find consistency, the team's most imposing interior presence couldn't find a rhythm against a Pittsburgh team with just two players standing six feet or taller.

"[Elizabeth’s performance] was unfortunate. It’s really important to be a consistent player in attack mode, and she had a tough game," head coach Joanne P. McCallie said.

Williams didn't get off to a good start, picking up two quick fouls by the first media timeout and sitting for the next eight minutes. In that span, Duke used a 14-5 run to build a 22-10 lead, sparked by a 3-pointer by junior Mercedes Riggs. Six different Blue Devils scored during the spurt, showcasing offensive balance that allows them to not rely just on their 6-foot-3 center.

Pittsburgh head coach Suzie McConnell-Serio threw the book at Williams, tinkering with the game plan as the night went on. No stranger to double-teams, Williams became less effective once the Panthers stopped sending an extra defender in her direction, a choice that was made in part to prevent mismatches between Pittsburgh guards and Blue Devil forwards like Stevens and Chidom as the defense rotated.

"When we came at her with a double, she was able to pas right out of it—it was a quick release. We brought [forward] Monica Wignot to the double-team and we just decided not to go right away. If she put the ball on the floor, then we would help. And then we just said 'We're not doubling,'" McConnell-Serio said. "Our players did a nice job of helping each other. Guards were digging down and always in help position. I think we contained her, but other players take shots."

Williams didn't appear to let the cold shooting night affect the rest of her game. The center kicked the ball out to open teammates when appropriate, collecting four assists and attempting just one shot in the first half. She also caused havoc on the defensive end, forcing a pair of steals and swatting three shots, including an emphatic rejection of a Cora McManus lay-up that sent Williams crashing to the floor in the process.

Chidom, back in the starting lineup after missing two of the last three games with a shoulder injury, knocked down five of her eight shots. With Williams off-kilter and senior Amber Henson out with a sore knee, the sophomore stepped up to help the Blue Devils build a 34-16 edge in the paint.

"One person doesn’t define our team—we have so many players to add and contribute to this team," Chidom said. "[I do] whatever I can do in encouraging my teammates and bring forth their best."

Sophomore Kendall Cooper also chipped in off the bench, scoring eight points, grabbing six rebounds and blocking three shots. As is customary, Riggs provided instant energy for Duke off the bench, hitting two triples and picking up Pittsburgh guard Brianna Kiesel in the full court.

McCallie chalked up the slow night for Williams in part to poor post entry passes from the perimeter, but also expressed displeasure at the center's three rebounds. Williams averages 8.7 boards per game.

"We forced the ball, did not put Elizabeth in good situations, but she didn’t get rebounds. If you look at the rebounding stat, that’s sort of the free-market thing, there’s no restraints or regulations in rebounding," McCallie said. "You’ve got to find a way to find your eight, nine, 10, 11, 12 and try to make something out of it, but at the same time, our entries to her were very poor. We need to reverse the ball more, and we did not."

With a battle against No. 8 Louisville looming Monday night, the Blue Devils will look to establish Williams early and get the senior back to looking like the 33-point scorer who scored nearly half of Duke's points in the overtime road win against the Tar Heels.