I am coming to you live for the Duke-Maryland women’s basketball battle at the Comcast Center. You can keep it here for live updates or tune in to the game on ESPN2 starting at 3pm ET.
The Blue Devils took the first matchup just two Mondays ago at Cameron Indoor Stadium, but they have lost two in a row in College Park. I was here last season for the thrilling finish (Alyssa Thomas blocked Haley Peter‘s three pointer at the buzzer).
It is a big crowd (but I expected a bigger one) and with fans encouraged to wear white, we will see what effect the “White Out” may have. Will it top last year’s attendance of 15,150, which was eighth most in the ACC’s history? Seven Duke at Maryland games are in the top ten. UPDATE: It has gotten bigger as the game has gone on.
Who will win this intense battle of the top two teams in the ACC? Duke is looking to prove they are a good TEAM and can win without All-ACC guard Chelsea Gray. Maryland is looking to get closer to an ACC title (two games back of Duke) and give the Blue Devils their first conference loss.
Here are the starting lineups:
Duke: Elizabeth Williams, Haley Peters, Richa Jackson, Alexis Jones, and Tricia Liston. It’s the same as Friday night.
Maryland: Alicia DeVaughn,Tianna Hawkins, Alyssa Thomas, Katie Rutan, and Chloe Pavlech. It looks like Rutan is without the mask.
And I just received a glow stick for the Maryland player introductions. One of the Terps men assistant coaches is wearing white shoes. The boos are loud for the Blue Devils as they take the court about three minutes until game time.
And the tip is up…and goes to Duke.
Jackson scores first and Hawkins picks up her first foul on offense just 30 seconds into the game.
Shots are falling early (except for Peters and the 3s). I like the defense being played by Jackson on Thomas early. Duke looks stagnant on offense, alot of standing around and dribbling.
Subs set to check in, two each. Hawkins has as many points now (six), as she had in the whole first game. At the first media timeout, 12:58 to go, Duke leads 15-11.
Checking in for the Terps are Malina Howard and Tierney Pfirman. For Duke, Allison Vernerey and Chloe Wells are in.
We’re at another media timeout, 11:53 to go, and Duke leads by the same score. On a side note, I’m a little disappointed that Coach Brown’s sweater is toned down today.
Williams is struggling right now under the basket with her shot. Coach Frese is hot right now. Duke is battling under the boards and she wants fouls to be called. There have been a total of three so far.
Out of the MD timeout, Duke presses and gets the immediate turnover (but cannot capitalize). It is getting ugly inside, with bodies all over the floor.
Loose balls and rebounds seem to be going Duke’s way. With 6:40 to go in the first half, Duke leads 26-15.
The game was on ESPN2 and Maryland was celebrating Team Tyler, in trying to stop leukemia (which Coach Frese’s son has).
Duke hasn’t gone to a zone defense yet, but their man-to-man has been solid so far. Torrey Smith of the Super Bowl champion Ravens is in the house. He’s right next to the ESPN2 analyst across from the benches.
Jones is handling alot of the point guard duties so far for Duke. At the under four media timeout (3:43), Duke leads 33-23.
And Duke has gone to a zone and full court pressure. But the zone was short lived. Maryland has called another timeout, as Duke has pulled ahead by 14.
The Terps have gone cold and are one-and-done. Coach P has subbed players in and out pretty regularly in the first half.
At the half, Duke leads 37-25, with the Terps not getting shot off. Apparently, the Duke women’s lacrosse team is also in town, but they have just (I think it was 15-5).
The top two scorers in the ACC, Hawkins and Thomas, were held to a combined ten points and seven rebounds. Howard has been the Terps sparkplug with six points off the bench. They are shooting 38.7% from the field and have committed ten turnovers.
For Duke, Liston has ten points, Jackson has eight points, Peters has seven points, and Williams has six. Vernerey has scored four points off the bench. They are shooting 47.1% from the field and have committed eight turnovers. Duke won the rebounding edge, 20-17, with nine offensive boards.
And there was zero foul trouble for either team.
In men’s basketball news, Duke is blowing away BC, 86-57 with a little more than three minutes to go. I guess they were made about almost losing a few weeks ago up in Boston.
The second half is underway…or not. I guess we’re having some technical difficulties.
When finally underway, the Terps took down the shot clock and got a layup at the end of the clock by Hawkins. So far, the two teams are just trading baskets. Hawkins is heating up and Duke is looking a little sloppy on offense. Coach P called a timeout with 16:09 to go as another Hawkins basket cut the lead under ten points (43-35) and the crowd got back into the game.
With 15:13 to go, Duke leads 45-35 and looked good after the TO.
The Duke zone has forced two straight shot clock violations. And Williams is playing some defense!
With 11:53 to go, Duke leads 52-37 with great zone defense right now.
Maryland injured guard Laurin Mincy was just singing “Hit Me Baby One More Time” on the video board. She wasn’t bad.
With Vernerey at the top of the zone now, Duke is getting beat inside on the rebounds. Thomas has beaten them in two straight possessions. Six straight points for Thomas has the Terps within 11 points.
The crowd is erupting as Duke struggles on offense and a Rutan 3 has the lead under ten again. Too much dribbling now by Jones.
With 6:32 to go, Duke leads 56-46.
In other ACC women’s scores, FSU lost another road game, this time to Virginia Tech (badly). Miami also lost on the road to Georgia Tech.
There are seriously no fouls being called inside today. DeVaughn has been the only Terp to head to the foul line. Wells is finally on the board for Duke, with a nice move by Pavlech for a layup.
At the final media timeout (3:29 to go), Duke leads 61-47.
The Terrapin mascot was just trying to do cartwheels on the court during a timeout.
Now Maryland is just trying to foul to get their totals up to where Duke will shoot free throws with 1:50 to go. With ice in her veins, Jones made both. Then Williams made both. A 3 by Pavlech cut the lead to 68-55 with 1:30 to go, as MD called a timeout.
And fans are exiting the building, as Liston hits a 3.
And Coach Frese has called off the fouls.
Duke wins 75-59 to clinch the ACC title!
