Late Rally Comes Up Short as Duke Falls to No. 16 Notre Dame, 70-62

Monday, February 19

Durham, N.C.

7 p.m.

Duke University

16-9,8-6ACC

Notre Dame

19-6,9-5ACC

Notre Dame

Duke

Photo by: Duke Athletics

Late Rally Comes Up Short as Duke Falls to No. 16 Notre Dame, 70-62

2/19/2024 9:15:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)Postgame Notes (PDF)Coach Lawson Quotes (PDF)Duke Player Quotes (PDF)Opponent Quotes (PDF)Coach Lawson Presser Richardson Postgame Availability Highlights Photo Gallery

DURHAM – Duke junior Reigan Richardson scored a team-high 23 points, but a 14-0 third-quarter run by Notre Dame proved to be the difference in a 70-62 setback to the 16th-ranked Fighting Irish in ACC women's basketball action in Cameron Indoor Stadium Monday night.

Richardson went 8-of-17 from the field and knocked down all four of her free throws for her fourth 20-point performance of the season. Duke freshman Jadyn Donovan had a solid all-around game with 10 points, eight rebounds, two assists and two steals.

Trailing by 15 points early in the fourth quarter, Duke (16-9, 8-6) outscored Notre Dame 21-14 in the final seven minutes before ultimately running out of time for a comeback. The Fighting Irish, led by Hannah Hidalgo's 23 points, improves to 19-6 overall and 9-5 in league action.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

The opening 10 minutes of action was back and forth as the period featured a trio of ties and four lead changes.
Reigan Richardson paced the home squad with eight points in the quarter – five of those coming during an 8-0 run that gave Duke a 13-7 lead at the 3:13 mark.
Notre Dame issued a response, closing the quarter by scoring nine of the final 11 points to take a 16-15 lead after one.
The Blue Devils outscored their opposition 15-11 in the second period to carry a 30-27 ledger into the break. Kennedy Brown and Richardson led six Duke scorers with four points each.
Both sides traded buckets across the opening four minutes of the third quarter before the big run by Notre Dame put the Fighting Irish in front, 48-37, with under two to play in the quarter.
A pair of Richardson free throws halted a five-minute Blue Devil scoring drought and pulled the home team back within single digits.
Notre Dame led by as many as 15 in the fourth quarter, but Duke showed its toughness chipping away at the deficit. The Blue Devils used a 9-2 spurt to slice the deficit in half, pulling within seven, 63-56, after Ashlon Jackson cashed in a transition three at the 2:04 mark.
Duke kept battling until the final buzzer, but Notre Dame made a couple of late baskets and drained six free throws down the stretch to hold off the Blue Devil rally in the eight-point win.

GAME NOTES

Duke falls to 16-9 overall and 8-6 in ACC play. The loss also snaps Duke's nine-game winning streak at home.
Monday's contest featured five ties and eight lead changes.
Three players finished the game in double figures for Duke – Reigan Richardson (23), Taina Mair (12) and Jadyn Donovan (10).
For the game, Duke shot 44.4 percent from the floor (24-of-44), 30 percent from deep (6-of-20) and 88.9 percent (8-of-9) at the charity stripe.
The Blue Devils outrebounded Notre Dame 29-28 and tallied more assists than the Fighting Irish, 15-12.
On the defensive end, the Blue Devils tallied seven steals, blocked seven shots and forced 17 Notre Dame turnovers.
Duke finished plus-eight in points in the paint, outscoring the opposition 32-24 inside.
24 of Duke's 25 opponents have now been held below their respective season scoring averages on the year. Notre Dame's 70 points were 11.3 points below its average of 81.3.
Junior Reigan Richardson notched her fourth 20-plus point outing of the year as she paced the offensive efforts for the Blue Devils with 23 points, which was tied for the game-high.
Taina Mair added 12 points, three assists and two rebounds. It marked the sophomore's 11th double-figure scoring output of the season and her 16th game with three or more assists.
Freshman Jadyn Donovan turned in another solid all-around performance with 10 points, a team-best eight caroms, two assists and two steals.
Senior Kennedy Brown tied her career highs in blocks (5) and assists (4). She also added four points, five rebounds and two steals.

UP NEXT
The Blue Devils make the trek north to Syracuse, N.Y., for a midweek battle against the 17th-ranked Orange on Thursday, Feb. 22 at 7 p.m., live on ACCNX.

To stay up to date with Duke women's basketball, follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook by searching "DukeWBB."

Duke Centennial
In 2024, Duke celebrates its Centennial, marking one hundred years since Trinity College became Duke University. Duke will use this historic milestone to deepen the understanding of its history, inspire pride and strengthen bonds and partnerships, and prepare for a second century of continued excellence and impactful leadership. To learn more, please visit 100.duke.edu.

#GoDuke