11/20/2009 - Michael Tomko, GoDuke.com

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DURHAM, N.C. - It wasn't an easy road back for Keturah Jackson.

The fifth-year senior had left rotator cuff surgery on her left shoulder on June 8, following injuring herself playing a pickup game over the summer.

Her work ethic and desire to be with her teammates during her final year as a Blue Devil compelled the Columbia, S.C. native to push through the pain.

"I'm so amazed at KJ, really," head coach Joanne P. McCallie said. "She's not supposed to be playing right now if you're anybody who's been through what she's been through. I really don't think enough has been said about that."

All the fighting and rehab paid off Thursday night as Jackson made her first start of the season in the Blue Devils home opener, taking down Georgia Southern 69-42.

Thursday evening the 6'0" guard scored 11 points, one away from a career high, on 5-of-7 shooting adding six rebounds, five assists, two steals and just a single turnover to her stat line. The five assists were also a career high.

"There's sort of this assumption [the injury wasn't that bad] because KJ has gotten back so fast," McCallie said. "You know this is somebody who has been out for seven to eight months, somebody who hasn't practiced, who has had to get through a very difficult surgery and recovery, and yet she's doing all sorts of things that you saw on the floor. So, I can't say enough about that for KJ and what that means for our team because she has so much energy."

Within the first 90 seconds of the game Jackson had already made a layup, collected an assist and grabbed a rebound as she went on to post just her fifth double-figure scoring game of her career.

"Well, I just wanted to step up and be a leader being that I'm a fifth year senior, I feel like I owe it to the team to always be aggressive no matter what side of the court I'm playing on," Jackson said. "So coming into the game I just wanted to focus first on just being aggressive on defense and when I get it going on defense it kind of feeds into my offense."

Jackson, who did not play in the Blue-White scrimmage or either of Duke's exhibition games, came off the bench in Duke's first two regular season games.

The journey back was long, but Jackson is better for it, and it showed with her improved ball handling.

"You can always get better," Jackson said. "I'm more comfortable because over the past summer I've had time to focus on being a ball handler. So, I definitely can always improve, but I feel much more comfortable than I did."

What areas of her game is she more comfortable with?

"Ball quickness, just making sure I see the floor, making sure I'm aware of the situation and getting everyone where they need to be," Jackson said. "Just basic point guard stuff."

Pairing Jackson with Jasmine Thomas in the backcourt gives McCallie two experienced point guards on the floor at the same time and is something the third year head coach likes to go with.

"I think for me, having two point guards on the floor, especially KJ [Keturah Jackson], at the same time, I like that," McCallie said. "I've always been a two or three point guard kind of coach. I like the fact that KJ can run the one and the two; immediately we can have some variability in terms of where people go. Just making sure she was okay and ready to go full. Obviously evidence by today she's ready to be full. KJ earned that. She's been injured. She probably got back in the line-up faster than most would. In fact, I know that. Most people wouldn't be able to do that yet." 

Making Jackson's journey back to the starting lineup all that more impressive.