No. 1 Blue Devils Roll To 87-Point Victory In Final Exhibition Match, 116-29

Wednesday, November 9

Durham, N.C.

7 p.m.

Duke University

116

Lander University

No. 1 Blue Devils Roll To 87-Point Victory In Final Exhibition Match, 116-29

11/9/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball

By: Duke Sports Information

DURHAM, N.C. ? The No. 1 Duke women's basketball team handed Lander University a 116-29 thrashing Tuesday at Cameron Indoor Stadium in its final exhibition match before the official kickoff of the 2005-06 season. Alison Bales led the Blue Devils with 19 points, knocking down eight of 10 shot attempts and hitting all three of her free throws. All 11 Duke players scored in the game, and eight different Blue Devils put up double-figure scoring.

Monique Currie laid in her first bucket of the game in the first four seconds to start the Duke scoring frenzy. Lander's Jennifer Hukill knotted the score on the first trip to the other end of the floor, 25 seconds in, but it would be almost 17 minutes and 50 Duke points before the Bearcats scored again with another Hukill basket. The Blue Devils frustrated Lander into scoring only seven points in the first half.

Meanwhile, Currie and Bales led Duke to 62 points in the first half with nine apiece. Currie was perfect in free-throw shooting in the game, earning five points off free-throws while collecting 11 total points. Currie took down a game-high nine points and added five assists.

Freshman Abby Waner shined in her second collegiate game, scoring 15 points, grabbing five rebounds, notching a game-high eight steals and dishing out a game-high seven assists. Mistie Williams went four of five in field goals and six of seven in free throws to record the third-highest scoring total on the team with 14 points. Brittany Mitch nailed a trio of three-pointers and notched 13 points.

Also in double figures were Carrem Gay, Lindsey Harding and Wanisha Smith. Gay threw in 12 points and came up with a game-high eight rebounds, including a game-high five offensive boards. Harding finished with 10 points after only missing one field goal and hitting each of her two three-point attempts. Smith also notched 10 points on five of eight shooting.

Lander's Bryony Crouch led the game with five three-pointers, including three straight in the final five minutes, to lead the Bearcats with 16 of their 29 points.

Duke laid in 70 points in the paint while converting Lander's 31 turnovers into 49 points. Waner, Mitch, Smith, Gay, Bales and Jessica Foley combined for 71 points off the bench. The Blue Devils came up with 26 second-chance points and scored 32 off the fast break. Duke earned its largest lead of the game with 3:14 left, when a three-pointer by Waner brought the score to 112-20.

Chante Black had seven points and five rebounds in the game, Emily Waner added three points and five rebounds, and Foley made one basket and grabbed six boards. Freshman Keturah Jackson and sophomore Laura Kurz did not play due to injuries, but are expected back for the season opener next week.

Duke opens the 2005-06 regular season Friday when it heads to Penn State for an 8 p.m. match with the Nittany Lions.

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