Blue Devils Women Snap Three-Game Losing Skid with Dominant Win over Pittsburgh

PITTSBURGH, PA — The Duke women’s basketball team responded to falling out of the AP Top 25 with a 54-39 win in a conference matchup versus Pittsburgh.

The Blue Devils came into this matchup on a three-game losing streak but were graced with the return of coach Kara Lawson, who missed those last three games due to health and safety protocols.

Duke (13-7, 4-6 ACC) also was gifted with the return of their star Celeste Taylor, who hadn’t been in action since January 9th following an upper-body injury.

Texas Tech transfer Lexi Gordon led the Blue Devils with a dozen-point performance; 10 of her 12 points coming in the first half. Freshman guard Shayeann Day-Wilson also added 10 points, giving her a team-high 16 games in double figures this season.

This ACC matchup was a low-scoring affair with the Blue Devils holding their opponent under 40 points for the first time this season. The Blue Devils defense was sensational, holding the Panthers season leading scorers Jayla Everett and Dayshanette Harris to shoot a combined 3-of-23 from the field.

Duke managed to limit Pittsburgh’s offense by extending pressure and trapping Harris and Everett to force others to step up and score on their own. Pittsburgh as a team shot 23% from the field.

Lexi Gordon and Onome Akinbode-James scored 13 of the Blue Devils 15 first-quarter points as they led 15-4 after one. The Panthers shot 1-for-13 from the field in the first quarter.

Following their offensive struggles in the first quarter, the Panthers turned on the pressure defensively in the second quarter and capitalized off forced turnovers from a full-court press.

Pittsburgh (11-10, 2-8 ACC) managed to trim Duke’s lead to 8 at the end of the first half after nearly holding them scoreless for the final four minutes of the half. Duke shot 3-of-15 from the field in the second quarter.

The story of this game was scrappy defense on both sides with both teams shooting below 35% from the field. Duke’s defense picked up the pressure in the second half.

Senior guard Miela Goodchild nailed a three-pointer out of the gate to start the third quarter, extending Duke’s lead to 11. Panther forward Amber Brown responded with a spinning bucket on the other end plus the foul.

On the ensuing possessions, the Blue Devils turned up the pressure once more forcing turnover after turnover. Duke managed to get stop after stop throughout the third quarter.

Duke would extend their third-quarter lead to 15 following second chance buckets from Okinbode-James and Goodchild, who led the Blue Devils with a team-high nine rebounds.

Taylor and Day-Wilson came alive late in the fourth quarter, going on an 8-0 run in five minutes. Day-Wilson dished out six assists in the contest, one being to Taylor late in the fourth who extended the Blue Devil lead to 19 at 54-35.

Pittsburgh didn’t have a single player in double-digit scoring.

The Blue Devils return to action Sunday evening by hosting another ACC matchup against Wake Forest live on ACC Network.