Big second half propels No. 16 Duke women to win over No. 8 UNC
After trailing by one going into halftime, the Duke Blue Devils women’s team turned it on in the second half and ran away with a 68-53 victory over rival No. 8 North Carolina.
The win for the Blue Devils avenged a loss to the Tar Heels the first time the two teams met this season.
North Carolina scored 32 points in the first half before scoring just 21 in the second half.
The two teams were tied at 41 all with 1:28 remaining in the third quarter before the Blue Devils rattled off 11 straight points to end the quarter and pull ahead for good.
Reigan Richardson led Duke in scoring with 23 points. She averaged just 9.7 points per game entering Thursday and her 23 was her most in a contest since she scored her season high of 35 on Nov. 27 against Oklahoma.
Toby Fournier was a big contributor off the bench, finishing with 19 points and 10 rebounds. It was just her second double-double of the season and first in over a month.
Ashlon Jackson also finished in double figures with 11 points. She also added three assists and two steals.
North Carolina struggled with ball security throughout the game, as it finished with 20 turnovers, compared to Duke’s eight.
Lanie Grant led the Tar Heels in scoring with 17 points. It is her second straight game with 17+ points.
Indya Nivar and Lexi Donarski each scored 10 points and combined for seven of the 10 made free throws for North Carolina.
Both teams have just one game remaining, with Duke matching up with No. 24 Florida State and North Carolina hosting unranked Virginia on Sunday.
