HALFTIME: No. 2 South Carolina 30, No. 14 Duke 26

COLUMBIA, S.C.—The last time the Blue Devils knocked off a top-five opponent was Dec. 22, 2013, against then-No. 5 Kentucky—today they have a chance to change that.

After two quarters of play, No. 14 Duke trails No. 2 South Carolina 30-26 in Columbia, S.C, led by six points apiece from freshman guard Kyra Lambert and junior forward Kendall Cooper. Junior center Alaina Coates leads the Gamecocks with 10 points, and sophomore forward A'ja Wilson has chipped in eight.

The Blue Devils opened the contest with a promising possession that included a second and third chance opportunity, but ultimately ended in a turnover. That play proved to be an apt introduction to the game, as both teams have struggled from the field—shooting less than 30 percent from 3-point range.

Despite only shooting 35 percent from the field, Duke has been able to keep the game close thanks to 10 South Carolina turnovers.

Here are some observations from the first two quarters:

• Duke head coach Joanne P. McCallie received a technical foul with one minute left in the second quarter.
• After shooting 50.0 percent or better from the field in its last five games, Duke is draining just 35 percent of its shots against the Gamecocks
• The Blue Devils led by four points at the midway point in last year’s dramatic 51-50 loss to South Carolina.
• Wilson has shutdown Duke sophomore forward Azurá Stevens offensively thus far, as Stevens—the Blue Devils' leading scorer and rebounder—to two points on 1-of-6 shooting.
• Duke’s starting guards have committed just two turnovers through the first 20 minutes.
• Duke arrived in Columbia riding a five-game win streak, but a two-loss skid against ranked opponent. A win here would give the Blue Devils their first win against a ranked opponent since March 22 when they defeated then-No. 12 Mississippi State in the second round of the NCAA tournament.