Duke Blue Devils Women’s Basketball Achieves 11th Consecutive Victory
The No. 21 ranked Duke Blue Devils women’s basketball team achieved their 11th consecutive victory by decisively defeating the Pittsburgh Panthers 95-41 on Saturday. The game took place a day earlier than originally scheduled due to a major winter storm affecting the southern and eastern United States.
Key Player Performances
Toby Fournier emerged as a key player for Duke, contributing 19 points. Remarkably, freshman Arianna Roberson also scored 19 points while securing her first double-double with 12 rebounds. Additionally, Riley Nelson marked a milestone of her own with an 18-point, 10-rebound double-double. Other notable performances included Delaney Thomas, who added 16 points, and Taina Mair with 12 points to bolster the scoring efforts for the Blue Devils (14-6, 9-0 ACC). With this victory, Duke shares the top position in the Atlantic Coast Conference with the No. 8 Louisville.
Game Highlights
Pittsburgh’s Mikayla Johnson led her team with 15 points during the match. The Blue Devils started strong, establishing an early lead of 9-4 before allowing Pittsburgh to score their first basket only with 3:50 left in the first quarter. Duke concluded the first period leading 22-8, having shot 75% from the field in that quarter.
The dominance continued in the second quarter, during which Duke shot an impressive 68%, finishing the half with a commanding 51-16 advantage after a 19-4 run.
The Panthers had their best scoring stretch in the third quarter, as they tallied 14 points—marking the first time they reached double digits in a quarter. However, by the end of the third, Duke maintained a significant lead at 76-30. The Blue Devils heightened their lead to 85-30 in the final quarter with an initial scoring burst of nine points before ultimately sealing the win.
Looking Ahead
This 11-game winning streak ties Duke’s longest under coach Kara Lawson, previously achieved during last season.
Looking ahead, Duke is set to face Miami on Thursday, while Pittsburgh will take on Virginia Tech on the same day.
