Balanced Scoring Effort Pushes Duke Past Dayton on the Road, 70-56

Friday, November 12

Dayton, OH

7 P.M.

Duke University

2-0,0-0ACC

Dayton

1-1,0-0Atlantic 10

Duke

Dayton

Photo by: Duke Athletics

Balanced Scoring Effort Pushes Duke Past Dayton on the Road, 70-56

11/12/2021 10:54:00 PM | Women's Basketball

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DAYTON, Ohio – The Duke women's basketball team featured a balanced scoring effort on the road at Dayton Friday evening as the Blue Devils collected a 70-56 victory over the Flyers at the University of Dayton Arena in Dayton, Ohio.

Graduate student Lexi Gordon drained five 3-pointers for the second straight contest en route to a team-high 15 points, while freshman Shayeann Day-Wilson and junior Celeste Taylor chipped in 13 and 11 points, respectively. Graduate student Jade Williams also added 10 points, while senior Elizabeth Balogun posted a team-high 10 boards along with nine points.

Duke jumped out to an early lead, but the Flyers battled back to tie the game, 6-6, at the 5-minute mark. Taylor collected back-to-back buckets and Day-Wilson sparked the Blue Devils on a 12-2 run, scoring eight straight points for Duke.

The Blue Devils led by as many as 12 in the opening period, as Gordon drained her sixth 3-pointer of the early season, before going on to hold a 24-14 lead at the end of the first 10 minutes. After Day-Wilson's hot start, the rookie picked up her second foul and would sit the rest of the half.

Dayton made a run of its own, 8-1, to open the second quarter, before Duke head coach Kara Lawson called timeout at the 7:11 mark. Williams, who is from The Colony, Texas, cut into the run with a layup, but the Flyers responded with a 7-0 run to take their first lead, 29-27.

With Dayton leading, 31-29, Gordon drained back-to-back 3-pointers and Duke would outscore the Flyers, 12-3, to conclude the half with a 41-32 advantage.

At the half, Gordon led the Blue Devils with nine points, while Williams and Day-Wilson each added eight. Eight different Duke student-athletes scored, while sophomore Vanessa de Jesus dished a game-high five assists.

Duke had a slow start to the third quarter as Dayton went on a 10-3 run to tie the game, 44-44, but four free throws by Taylor and another 3-pointer by Day-Wilson helped the Blue Devils regain the lead and hold a 54-46 advantage heading into the final frame.

In the fourth quarter, the Flyers cut the Duke advantage to six points on three different occasions, but the Blue Devils were able to collect key buckets to stay ahead. The last was Gordon's fifth 3-pointer of the contest which gave Duke a 61-52 lead.

Duke went on an 8-0 run hitting all five field goal attempts, while its defense clamped down on the Flyers and forced them to miss six straight attempts. Balogun drained her first 3-pointer of the contest at the 2:42 mark, forcing Dayton to call a timeout with Duke leading 66-52.

The Blue Devils (2-0) blocked eight shots in the contest with Williams and Balogun collecting three each. Duke finished the game with a season-high 10 three-pointers.

Dayton (1-1) was led by Makira Cook with 18 points.

Up Next:
Duke will return home to face UNC Wilmington Sunday, Nov. 14 at 2 p.m. The game will be aired live on ACC Network Extra in Cameron Indoor Stadium.

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