Duke Rallies for 55-52 Win in Opening Round of ACC Tournament

Wednesday, March 2

Greensboro, N.C.

3:30 P.M.

Duke University

17-12,7-11ACC

Pitt

11-19,2-16ACC

Pittsburgh

Duke

Photo by: Duke Athletics

Duke Rallies for 55-52 Win in Opening Round of ACC Tournament

3/2/2022 6:47:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score POSTGAME NOTES DUKE QUOTES BOX SCORE (PDF)PRESS CONFERENCE GALLERY HIGHLIGHTS

GREENSBORO, N.C. – ACC Freshman of the Year Shayeann Day-Wilson poured in a game-high 22 points to lead the Duke women's basketball team to a come-from-behind 55-52 win over Pittsburgh in the first round of the ACC Women's Basketball Tournament Wednesday afternoon at the Greensboro Coliseum.

The rookie scored 13 of her points after halftime and led the team with five assists. Junior Celeste Taylor also finished the game in double figures with 11 points, while freshman Lee Volker snagged a career-high eight rebounds to lead the efforts on the glass.

Taylor and Day-Wilson combined for all nine Duke points in the opening quarter. Taylor started the game scoring with a pullup midrange jumper, then Day-Wilson followed with the next seven beginning with a perfect trip at the charity stripe. The rookie followed that up with a pullup jumper from midrange then buried a triple from straightaway. However, at the end of 10 minutes Pittsburgh held a double-digit advantage.

Three more Blue Devils joined the scoring efforts as Onome Akinbode-James finished through contact, Vanessa de Jesus split a trip at the line and Amaya Finklea-Guity added another bucket inside. Two more free throws by Day-Wilson and three points from Taylor pulled Duke within single digits at the half, 31-22.

Day-Wilson led Duke with nine first-half points and one assist. Volker led the team with five rebounds.

The Blue Devils got off to a quick start in the third with six of the first eight points to pull within five via baskets from Elizabeth Balogun, Taylor and Lexi Gordon. Duke was able to inch a little closer and sliced the deficit to 34-31 after Day-Wilson cashed in a jumper, then sank the free throw to complete the old-fashioned three-point play. An 8-0 spurt at the end of the stanza pulled Duke within a point heading into the fourth. Day-Wilson added three more to her total, Taylor and Volker combined to go 3-of-4 from the line, then Balogun capped off the run with a fastbreak layup off de Jesus' assist.

After both teams went nearly four minutes without a field goal, Duke retook the lead for the first time since early in the first, jumping ahead 41-40 on Akinbode-James' finish through a pair of defenders. Pitt responded to surge ahead by five, but the Blue Devils would have final response. Behind a 7-0 run, Duke regained a 48-46 advantage and never looked back. Day-Wilson drained a pullup from the free throw line before cashing in a three after dispatching her defender with a crossover, then Balogun added a step back jumper to put the Blue Devils up by four, 55-51.

Liatu King led Pittsburgh with 13 points.

Game Notes:

Nine different Blue Devils scored, led by Day-Wilson (22) and Taylor (11)
Freshman Shayeann Day-Wilson became the fourth Duke freshman to score 20+ points in an ACC Tournament game and just the second to do so in their first appearance.
Freshman Lee Volker made her first-career start and pulled down a career-best eight rebounds.
Duke scored 14 points off 16 Pitt turnovers and had more outrebounded the Panthers 14-12 on the offensive glass.
The Blue Devils faced a 16-point deficit early in the second quarter before rallying for the win.

Up Next:
The Blue Devils advance to the second round and will face seventh-seeded Miami on Thursday, March 3 at 6 p.m., live on RSN-TV.

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