NORFOLK, Va. — No. 4 Duke scored the first 10 points and never looked back in an 85-23 win over the Norfolk State University women's basketball team on Thursday night in front of 1,982 fans at Joseph G. Echols Memorial Hall. The Blue Devils became the first ACC program to play the Spartans at Echols Hall.
Alexis Davis led the Spartans (1-3) with five points and six rebounds, going 5-of-6 from the free-throw line. Sana'a Garrett also scored five points and added four rebounds and a block. Cire Worley pulled down a team-high seven rebounds, and Asia Keels recorded two steals. Twelve Spartans saw action, including Niylia Wilkins and Niyah Gaston, who made their season debuts and scored two points each.
How It Happened
- Duke scored the game's first 10 points, six of them from Toby Fournier. Garrett got Norfolk State on the board with a free throw at the 5:29 mark of the first quarter.
- The Blue Devils led 28-5 after the first quarter. They opened the second with a 12-0 run and took a 51-13 lead into halftime.
- Duke outscored the Spartans 21-6 in the third quarter to lead 72-19 entering the fourth.
- Norfolk State did not make a field goal in the fourth quarter. Davis scored all four of the Spartans' points in the period on free throws.
Inside the Numbers
- The Spartans shot 7-of-43 (16.3 percent) from the field and 0-of-9 from 3-point range.
- Duke shot 54.7 percent from the field and outrebounded Norfolk State 42-25. The Blue Devils scored 56 points in the paint, 34 fast-break points and 26 points off 19 NSU turnovers.
- Fournier led Duke (3-0) with 20 points on 9-of-13 shooting. Aaliyah Crump added 14 points, six rebounds and four assists, and Riley Nelson finished with 11 points and seven rebounds.
Coach Wood's Comments
"What a talented team. What a disciplined, focused team," said head coach Jermaine Woods. "Kudos to Kara for having those young ladies compete the way they did. They don't play against their opponent. They just play the game, and they showed tonight why they're a top-five team in the country."
"It was a good experience and a pretty good crowd. We didn't give them much to cheer for, but we didn't quit either."
"They really pressure the ball. They wall up and make it tough to score and tough to get downhill. But I did see some good things offensively that we can build on for our next game."
"There were a lot of young people in the stands tonight, young women, basketball players and student-athletes, who got to see Duke in person instead of on TV. That's the most important thing for me."
Duke Head Coach Kara Lawson's Comments
"I've been a big supporter of HBCU programs. We've played at least one every year since I've been at Duke," said Lawson. "When Coach Woods was at Coppin State, he asked if I would ever come on the road to play his team. When he moved to Norfolk State, I honored my word and came here, and it was a great experience overall."
"I'm from Northern Virginia, so there's a lot of familiarity for me with Norfolk. What a great city, and a great basketball area. Tidewater has always been really good in basketball, and there's a lot of history here, not just at Norfolk State but at HBCUs across the country."
"The band and the dancers were phenomenal. I had to keep a couple of my assistant coaches focused during timeouts, because they wanted to dance."
Up Next
Norfolk State opens its road schedule Saturday, Nov. 14, when it crosses the water to face Hampton in the Battle of the Bay at the Hampton Convocation Center. The two historic HBCUs sit only 15 miles apart. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m., and the game will stream on FloHoops.
