Upcoming Event: Swimming & Diving versus Davidson on October 10, 2025 at 4 p.m. Diving / 5 p.m. Swimming
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4 p.m. Diving / 5 p.m. Swimming
Swimming & Diving
vs Davidson
Quotes: Duke 69, Georgia Tech 32
Duke Head Coach Joanne P. McCallie
Opening Statement:
"[It] was just a great game for us to really grow. We were 11-for-11 for anybody who went in that game played incredibly tough, dove for loose balls and did all the little things. We've been trying to grow towards these types of games. The 43 points in the second half was outstanding. Eventually we'll get to where we can possibly do that in two halves. I think everything is a process there. Incredible defense, great leadership ... I thought Krystal [Thomas] was very, very strong. Chelsea [Gray]'s rebounding was fantastic and very dominating and frustrating because the ball was kind of up, missed so quickly. When our guards rebound, it's very important to us because we can get out quicker and get down the floor quicker. I really appreciated Chloe [Wells'] just fight, the shots she took and I thought her six steals were amazing; she was all over the place. For somebody who is more pint-sized, it's like she inflates out there with her arms. I mean that in a nice way. So again, Chloe's game was terrific as well. The rebounding speaks for itself, the dominant rebounding. Forcing 32 turnovers and we're excited and trying to go two-for-two in a very positive way this weekend, meaning trying to bring our energy like that for two games, which we really haven't done. So that's the next challenge for us, but this was a terrific basketball game."
On the team's ability to battle throughout the game:
"I would say tonight was a different kind of night for us. It gave us a chance to really focus and separate a little bit. I also think that when Jas [Thomas] went down, that was a little bit scary. I thought the team understood that very clearly. Sort of made a point to me, I know I felt that way. I know it wasn't exciting early because it was a low-scoring game, but I was not the least bit concerned because we were rebounding, we were defending and we were figuring out some of the pressing and the broken play issues that were causing some problems early on. Of course those were figured out early on."
On the final margin of victory:
"You never know the way a game's going to break; you just keep playing. Tonight, I felt, we were really in the moment. I don't even think people even knew the score half the time to be honest. You're so focused on what you're trying to do with your teammates that I really felt that from the team. I don't think anybody was anywhere but in that one spot."
On Georgia Tech's Alex Montgomery picking up four fouls:
"I think it's always important to be aware of go-to players and special players like [Montgomery]. I thought we defended as a team against her and I can't remember the first charge taken on her but there was one and that can kind of disrupted a little bit. But she's a terrific player, outstanding player. I felt the team did a great job. And yes, fouls are always important, to get other teams to foul and be able to go after them further. But she's a very, very good player."
On the team's balance on offense:
"The way I look at that stat sheet, five double figures when you have people at eight and nine. If it cuts that way, it's terrific. We'll work with it, but I love the fact that everyone was attacking."
Georgia Tech Head Coach MaChelle Joseph
Opening statement:
"First of all I just want to say that we didn't, I think that was one of the worst games I've ever seen us play in my last four or five years that I've been with Georgia Tech. it started from the very first play when Alex Montgomery passed up a wide open shot, and it kind of went down hill from there. You know, one of the things, great players make plays. Jasmine Thomas, that's why she's one of the top five players in the country. You know, I have tremendous respect for her, and what she's done here at Duke, and what she will do throughout her career. She's just a tremendous competitor. You know, obviously for us to get out-rebounded as poorly as we did, shooting as poorly as we did, you know, that's going to make for a bad night. You know, Duke's a great defensive team. I felt like in the first half we both did a great job defensively. We both did a great job with the defensive struggle. Then in the second half, you know, I felt like their key players came out and really made plays. And we weren't able to recover from that.
On Alex Montgomery picking up her second foul and disrupting the rhythm:
"Well it definitely hurts our team, and it hurt our whole team because you're over there and you've got Sasha [Goodlett] out and MiMi out. We can't get any rhythm offensively because I'm subbing, you're in, you're out, you're in, you're out. You know, you're in transition, you're not in. one made basket, so it was a struggle. It was a struggle for the entire team, especially Alex. She can't get two fouls in the first minute of the game. I mean I didn't see the charge call. I'll have to look at it on tape, because I couldn't see it from where I was. But I was a little surprised by that call because I thought she made an aggressive play at the rim, but it is what it is. I mean, you know, one of the things we've got to learn is to play without her. And, you know, I think one of the things up to this point we've played the ranked teams and the top teams, we've relied on a freshman to carry us, and when you come into a place like Duke you can't relay on a freshman to do everything for you. And Alex Montgomery has to take more than seven shots. And I've told her that all year long. You know when you get into these kinds of situations, you know, you cant take seven shots. If you're the go-to player, you have to take eight to fifteen to twenty, and you have to let your freshman play off of you. And I don't feel like tonight she took on that responsibility. You know, we're not going to win many games when Alex, Deja [Foster], and Mimi are two for 12. and those are our upperclassmen. You know, they're going to have to hit more shots than that."
On Duke ending GT's long winning streak:
"Yeah I really was [shocked]. I was really shocked with how we played offensively. You know, again, it was like first half I was pleased with our defense. I feel like we could have gotten some more scores, some more offense. You know, but because we could have scored, we could have set our defense and get more offense from our defense. But when you're not scoring, you can't get your defense, and your presses, and that's a bad combination for us."
On the atmosphere after the half:
"They seemed really positive you know. Felt like really good that I said we can't play any worse, and I was wrong. We played worse in the second half, you know. I tried to give them confidence and tell them, but confidence comes from within and you've got to be ready to play every night. In this league, you can't go on the road and expect to just show up and go through the motions. You've got to go after people. You have to be the most aggressive team on the floor when you're on the road. It doesn't matter who you're playing, but especially when you've playing the No. three team in the country."
On Maryland's game plan coming into Duke:
"I think Duke's very good. I think the thing that separates Duke is their three seniors. I think, I mean you may not see it on the stats sheet, but the physical play that they have off the ball, I mean we didn't move without getting hit. And, you know, I'm not complaining, because that's how I want to play. So that's not a negative thing to me, that's a positive thing. But those three are tough, they're physical, they understand this league. You've got to wear people down. You know Karima Christmas may not score 15, 20 points, but I'm going to tell you what, she takes away 15 or 20 points away from other teams because she is very, very physical. And she does her job, she plays her role, and she does a great job defensively. And you look at Krystal Thomas, she may not score 15 and 10 every night, but she's physical in there. She takes away ten points in the post because her blocked shots, her physical presence. And then Jasmine Thomas just does it all. When they need a basket, she just goes and gets one. And that's a great player."
Duke Senior Krystal Thomas:
On pushing the tempo:
"That's always a point of emphasis defensively, to take the team out of what their normal rhythm is. We were more effective tonight than we have been the past couple games. But it was good for us to get in the passing lanes and take them out of what's normal for them."
On staying focused with such a physical team:
"It's easy to stay in the moment either way, whether it's physical or not. We have to go out there and win the game. We're always trying to reach the goals we set before each game, so there's a lot of things to focus on regardless of what the other team is doing."
On how the guards were able to disrupt Georgia Tech's offense:
"They were very, very aggressive. I was really pleased with the way they played in this game. I thought they definitely rose to the challenge defensively. They were in the passing lanes, getting steals. I mean Chloe [Wells] had six steals in 17 minutes, that's unbelievable. The rest of the guards as well, really setting the tone from the beginning, whether it was full-court or half-court, I was really proud of them."
Duke Freshman Chloe Wells:
On being undefeated:
"I think going undefeated is good, but when we show dominance, I think that adds to it. Winning is good, but we gotta keep it going so they know, 'oh okay, I see Duke coming.'"
Duke Freshmen Chelsea Grey:
On the team's chemistry:
"It was better than usual. I'm not sure how many assists we had, but we've been trying to stress assists. Getting those is how we feed off each other."
On adjusting to the pressure:
"I felt like I had to be more precise and know when I had to pass it and how I had to pass it. I didn't put too much pressure on myself about assists, but I just had to find a way to get it there."
