Double-Figure Quartet, Strong Defense Leads Duke to 77-61 Dub Over Columbia

Sunday, December 1

Durham, N.C.

12 p.m.

Duke University

8-1,0-0ACC

Columbia

6-3,0-0Ivy League

Columbia

Duke

Photo by: Nat LeDonne / Duke Athletics

Double-Figure Quartet, Strong Defense Leads Duke to 77-61 Dub Over Columbia

12/1/2024 3:42:00 PM | Women's Basketball

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DURHAM, N.C. – Senior Reigan Richardson paced four Duke players in double figures while the Blue Devil defense delivered a strong all-around performance en route to claiming a 77-61 victory over Columbia Sunday afternoon at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Richardson reached double digits for the third straight game and sixth time this season, spearheading the Duke (8-1) charge with 19 points, seven rebounds and a pair of assists. She was joined in double figures by graduate student Vanessa de Jesus, freshman Toby Fournier and sophomore Delaney Thomas who each scored 10 apiece. Thomas tied for the team high in rebounds with seven caroms of her own, including four on the offensive glass, while de Jesus quarterbacked the offense with precision tallying a game-high six dimes to just one turnover.

Defensively, the Blue Devils held Columbia (6-3) to their lowest point total (63) and field goal percentage (.375) of the year, and also forced the Lions into a season-high 23 turnovers.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The opening quarter started off as a back-and-forth affair featuring one tie and six lead changes across the first five minutes of action.
Duke created some separation shortly thereafter and opened up a 22-13 advantage courtesy of a 12-2 run.
Richardson paced the offense during the frame with seven points and four boards while junior Taina Mair and Fournier each added four, as Duke held a 25-17 lead after one.
The tandem of de Jesus and Thomas got going in the second, combining for 11 of Duke's 18 second-quarter points on 5-of-7 shooting.
Thomas posted six points and de Jesus added five to lead five Duke scorers, as the Blue Devils finished the period with a plus-five margin on the scoreboard and a 43-30 lead at the break.
Columbia managed to cut into the deficit via a solid third-quarter showing, pulling within a dozen at the end of three (63-51) after winning the period, 21-20.
Richardson cashed in another seven points for the Blue Devils to increase her point total to 15, with Fournier and sophomore Jordan Wood adding four each.
de Jesus and Thomas also provided scoring contributions and finished the quarter with 10 points each, joining Richardson in double figures.
Stifling defense was the story of the fourth quarter as Duke turned up the intensity to put the finishing touches on the game.
The Blue Devils limited Columbia to just three field goals and held the Lions to just 18-percent shooting across the final 10 minutes en route to locking down the 77-61 win.

NOTES:

Duke improved to 8-1 overall and extended its win streak to six consecutive games.
With its 77 points Sunday, Duke has scored at least 70 points in each game this season and extended its streak of consecutive games with 70 or more points to nine.
The Blue Devils are one game shy of matching the team's longest streak of 70-point outings to open the year, dating back to 2013-14. Duke scored 70-plus in each of its first 10 games that year.
Duke turned in another solid shooting performance and finished the game shooting at a 52-percent clip from the field (34-of-65), 33 percent from distance (4-of-12) and 83 percent at the foul line (5-of-6). The Blue Devils have now hit a three in 219 straight games.
The Blue Devils swept the superlative battle, holding the advantage in bench points (32-6), points in the paint (52-40), in transition (20-13), off turnovers (22-20) and on second chances (15-11).
Defensively, Duke held Columbia (6-3) to its lowest point total (63) and field goal percentage (.375) of the year. The Blue Devils also forced the Lions into five shot clock violations along with a season-high 23 turnovers.
Four Duke players - Reigan Richardson, Vanessa de Jesus, Toby Fournier, Delaney Thomas - registered double figures. The Blue Devils have had at least three players score double digits in each game this season.
Richardson reached double figures for the third straight game and sixth time this season after the senior posted a team-high 19 points, seven rebounds and two assists.
She concludes a 3-0 week for Duke averaging 23.3 points on 53.8 percent shooting and 50 percent from deep, 4.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game.
de Jesus provided a spark off the Duke bench with 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting, six assists and three rebounds.
The graduate student committed just one turnover on the afternoon en route to finishing the game with a 6:1 assist-to-turnover ratio.
Thomas had a strong performance with the sophomore tallying 10 points and seven boards, the latter tying Richardson for the team high. Four of her rebounds came on the offensive glass.
Fournier had her hand all over the stat sheet with 10 points, three rebounds, two blocks and a steal. The rookie shot 4-of-5 from the field and knocked down both her free throws, extending her streak at the charity stripe to six consecutive makes.

UP NEXT:
The Blue Devils are back on the road for another top-15 matchup, making the trip to Columbia, S.C., for a date with No. 4 South Carolina Thursday, Dec. 5 as part of the 2024 SEC/ACC Challenge. Tipoff is slated for 9 p.m., ET live on ESPN.

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