No. 9 Duke Grinds Out 56-52 Win at Virginia

Sunday, February 19

Charlottesville, Va.

2 p.m.

Duke University

23-4,13-3ACC

Virginia

15-12,4-12ACC

Duke

Virginia

Photo by: Anne Evans

No. 9 Duke Grinds Out 56-52 Win at Virginia

2/19/2023 7:49:00 PM | Women's Basketball

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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Playing in its final road game of the regular season, the No. 9 Duke women's basketball team used a balanced offensive attack to grind out a 56-52 victory over Virginia Sunday afternoon at John Paul Jones Arena.

Senior Elizabeth Balogun led the charge for the Blue Devils with 12 points, four rebounds, two assists, two blocks and a pair of steals. Graduate student Taya Corosdale also finished in double figures for Duke, scoring 10 points off the bench.

Duke (23-4, 13-3 ACC) also received solid performances from sophomore Reigan Richardson and senior Celeste Taylor. Taylor flirted with a triple double as she scored eight points, dished a career-high eight dimes while snagging a season and game-high 12 boards – one shy of her career high. Richardson added nine points on 4-of-6 shooting from the floor.

Taylor Valladay scored a game-high 19 points to pace Virginia (15-12, 4-12 ACC) in the scoring column, while Camryn Taylor grabbed a team-high eight rebounds.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

The first six minutes of the ballgame was a back-and-forth affair until an 8-0 run gave the Blue Devils a 17-10 lead with 1:51 to go in the quarter.
Virginia scored five of the opening period's final seven points, but it was the Blue Devils who held a 19-15 lead at the end of one.
Six different Duke players scored in the first quarter, led by Corosdale, Jordyn Oliver and Richardson with four points apiece.
Duke held a 33-27 lead at the break, outscoring the Cavaliers 14-12 over the 10-minute stanza.
Balogun (6), Corosdale (3) and Richardson (5) combined for the team's second-quarter points and closed the period hitting five of their last six shots from the floor.
The Blue Devils opened up a 42-29 lead at the 5:37 mark of the third, forcing Virginia to burn a timeout.
Balogun cashed in a step back trey from the right benchside corner, then Vanessa de Jesus drilled one from the far-right corner as the shot clock expired to put Duke up by a baker's dozen.
Virginia issued a response of its own, closing the quarter on a 10-2 spurt to pull within five, 44-39.
Corosdale opened the scoring in the fourth quarter for Duke as she drained her second three of the afternoon to put Duke ahead by six.
After the Cavaliers pulled within a pair (47-45) at the 8:15 mark, Taylor netted a trey from the right corner off the extra pass from Corosdale, pushing Duke's lead back to five at 50-45.
Later in the period, Kennedy Brown converted inside to snap a five-minute scoring drought, then Shayeann Day-Wilson drove the lane and kissed a floater off the glass to give the visitors a seven-point advantage, 54-47, with 1:39 to go in the game.
The home team made one late final push, pulling withing three (55-52) on Valladay's driving layup with nine seconds to play, but that would be as close as Virginia would get.
Taylor hit a free throw with eight seconds remaining to clinch the win for Duke.

GAME NOTES

With the win, Duke improves to 23-4 overall and 13-3 in ACC play this season.
Duke sweeps the season the season series against Virginia and improves to 42-35 all-time against the Cavaliers.
The Blue Devils improved to 4-0 this season in games immediately following a loss.
Elizabeth Balogun finished in double figures for the 12th time this season, filling up the stat sheet with 12 points, four rebounds, two assists, two blocks and a pair of steals.
Taya Corosdale scored 10 points off the bench to tally her second double-digit scoring output of the season.
Celeste Taylor posted a near triple-double against the Cavaliers as she posted eight points, a career-high eight assists along with a season and game high of 12 rebounds.
Reigan Richardson chipped in nine points on 4-of-6 shooting from the floor.
The Blue Devils assisted on 17 of their 23 made field goals and shot 44 percent from both the field and beyond the arc.
Duke finished the game plus three on the glass (35-32) and outscored Virginia off the bench (19-7) and on second chance opportunities (11-8).
The Blue Devils forced two shot clock violations in the game, increasing their season total to 34 violations forced.

UP NEXT:
Duke closes out the regular season with a pair of home games, beginning with a midweek tilt on Thursday, Feb. 23 as the Blue Devils host NC State at 8 p.m., live on ACC Network.

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

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