Since losing to Maryland in last April?s NCAA national championship game, Duke has reeled off 28 straight victories.
The latest of which came Sunday night as the top-ranked Blue Devils remained as the only undefeated women?s basketball team in the country following their 69-57 win over the sixth-ranked Terps in front of a sellout crowd of 17,950 fans at Comcast Center. The game was the second sellout of the season and the third in school history for a women?s basketball game.
Senior guard Lindsey Harding had 29 points, senior center Alison Bales had 12 points and 12 rebounds and sophomore forward Carrem Gay scored 14 to lead Duke, which shot 49.2 percent for the game. With the win, the Blue Devils clinched the ACC regular season title.
“We?re just very confident in big-game atmospheres,” Duke coach Gail Goestenkors said.
Duke (28-0, 13-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) opened the second half on a 15-8 run and led 50-37 with about 14 minutes remaining following a basket from Wanisha Smith. Maryland (25-4, 9-3) answered with a 9-3 spurt and pulled to within 55-48 with about 6:36 remaining in the game following a basket from Marissa Coleman.
However, the Blue Devils outscored the Terps, 14-9, the rest of the game to sweep the season series. Duke defeated Maryland, 81-62, Jan. 13 in Durham, N.C.
Both teams traded baskets throughout most of the first half. Maryland led 12-11 less than six minutes into the game following a basket from Shay Doron. However, Duke went into intermission with a 35-29 lead after outscoring Maryland 24-17 over the final 14 minutes of the first half. The Blue Devils took the lead for good at 25-23 with 5:18 remaining after a basket from Smith.
Harding was the difference for Duke in the first half as she connected on 9 of 10 shots. The rest of the Blue Devils? roster shot 7 of 21 from the field over the first 20 minutes.
“Once again Lindsey showed she is one of, if not, the best player in the nation,” Goestenkors said. She does whatever we need her to do and tonight we needed her to score.”
Still, Maryland stayed in the game by shooting the ball well as a team overall. The Terps shot 52 percent in the first half, but just 33.3 percent over the final 20 minutes.
Maryland closes out the regular season Sunday when it plays at Boston College. Tip-off for that game is 3 p.m.
