2 | monDAY, november 29, 2010
the chronicle
women’s basketball
Duke survives squeaker against UNC-Charlotte by Danny Nolan THE CHRONICLE
The Blue Devils started a four-game road trip this past week, looking to keep their early perfect record intact against Pittsburgh and Charlotte. While Duke’s first contest against Pittsburgh, did not prove challenging with the team winning by 38, the second game was a different story. Saturday, CharDUKE 61 lotte (3-2) gave UNCC 55 the Blue Devils all they could handle, No. 6 Duke DUKE 93 with (6-0) shooting a 55 season-low 29 perPITT cent from the field and managing only 15 points off the bench. The team overcame its struggles, though, and beat the 49ers 61-55. “I feel like this is a great game for us to learn from as a team,” head coach Joanne P. McCallie said. “You find yourself in a tough, ugly game, you’ve got to be a little bit tougher and you’ve got to find a way. And finding a way is a sign of an excellent team, a special team.” Duke came out cold, falling behind 22-7 to the 49ers before a rejuvenated defensive effort sparked a comeback. The Blue Devils started to contest more three-point shots, slowing down a hot Charlotte team that started the game
shooting 6-for-7 from downtown. This, plus the devastating interior defense, resulted in a 21-6 Duke run to end the first half, bringing the score to 28-28. Senior center Krystal Thomas led the inside battle and turned in her most dominant performance of the season to help the Blue Devils, scoring 10 points while also collecting 14 rebounds and swatting eight blocks in the game. The turning point in the game came right after halftime. The 49ers went on an 8-0 run to take a 38-30 lead early in the second half, but did not hold that advantage for long. The Blue Devils went on a scoring rampage, led by senior forward Karima Christmas, who had 12 points in the game, seven of which came in an 18-2 run that gave Duke a lead it would never relinquish. Before the come-from-behind win against Charlotte Saturday, the Blue Devils put together their best team outing of the season Wednesday night against Pittsburgh, winning 93-55. Six different players scored in double-digits for Duke, led by senior guard Jasmine Thomas, who scored 16 points. The bench was the real story, though, scoring 44 points to help the effort, in comparison to the Panthers’ dismal two points from an all-freshman bench. The Blue Devils also scored at will in the paint, taking a 46-18 advantage over Pittsburgh. Junior guard Shay Selby, who has been
faith robertson/Chronicle file photo
Senior Krystal Thomas led Duke in its come-from-behind win against Charlotte Saturday, scoring 10 points. bothered by an injury for the season thus far, scored a career-high 15 points, nine of which came from three-point range. The Panthers (3-2) clung to a lead early, but were no match for Duke’s hot
shooting. The Blue Devils shot 51 percent from the field, as well as 41 percent from behind the arc. Duke will continue its road trip Tuesday at 7:00 PM against James Madison.