By Duke Athletics

On Sunday afternoon at Cameron Indoor Stadium, Duke’s Taina Mair scored 21 points and Oluchi Okananwa, a rookie, contributed 16 points as the Blue Devils defeated Boston College 80-75 in women’s basketball.

Duke’s basketball team, the Blue Devils, had a strong performance with a 64 percent shooting accuracy (30 out of 47 shots made) and a 57 percent success rate (8 out of 14 shots made) from beyond the arc. They also limited their opponent, the Eagles, to only 37 percent shooting and seven three-pointers.

Mair contributed three steals and three assists to her overall performance, while three teammates – Kennedy Brown, Okananwa, and Delaney Thomas – each had six rebounds.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

At the beginning of the game, Boston College quickly gained momentum and maintained a lead of eight points halfway through the first quarter.

Taina Mair ignited the Blue Devil offense by hitting two consecutive three-pointers. Delaney Thomas then drove to the baseline and made a reverse layup, reducing the score difference to four points with 2:10 remaining.

During the rest of the game, the teams exchanged baskets. Duke’s points were scored by Ashlon Jackson, Oluchi Okananwa with a traditional three-point play, and Reigan Richardson with a midrange jump shot, bringing Duke within one point.

After converting eight out of their last 11 shots in the first quarter, the Blue Devils found themselves trailing by one point, 23-22, against the opposing team.

In the second quarter, Duke emerged victorious by scoring 25 points to the Eagles’ 20 points. This 10-minute period saw two instances of tied scores and eight instances of the lead changing hands.

Following a back-and-forth beginning to the period, the Blue Devils were able to establish a gap by scoring 7 points in a row, resulting in a 42-36 lead with 2:30 remaining in the half.

Mair, aged 13, and Okananwa, aged 10, led the first-half performance as Duke ended the half with a 47-43 lead.

Duke’s lead on the scoreboard was 64-56 as they entered the last quarter. Five players from Duke, including Jadyn Donovan, Mair, and Okananwa, each contributed four points in the third quarter.

UP NEXT

Duke will travel to Louisville, Kentucky for their next two games, starting with a matchup against the Cardinals on Thursday, January 4th at 8 PM. The game will be broadcasted live on ACC Network.

To keep informed about Duke women’s basketball, follow the team on social media platforms Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook using the handle “DukeWBB.”

Source: wralsportsfan.com