Duke’s 2nd Half Surge Powers Them Past the Cavaliers (1-12-25)
By: Xavier Jones
Headline Photo Credit: Arturo Jones-LMS Network
The Virginia Cavaliers welcomed the Duke Blue Devils to the John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, VA on Saturday afternoon. UVA was looking to continue their winning ways in their matchup against the No. 14 Blue Devils, while Duke is eager to get back into the win column after dropping their last game to the Tar Heels. Entering this contest, the Cavaliers have a record of 10-7 (2-3) and Duke’s record is 13-4 (4-1).
In the first quarter, the game started slow literally after a shot clock malfunction in the beginning minutes. In my opinion, this delay may have caused a slow start for both teams. Throughout the first quarter, the Cavs and Blue Devils couldn’t find any type of rhythm, and that showed with the score being 11-9 to end the first quarter. UVA continued to keep Duke at arm’s length in the second quarter as they managed to take a 29-20 lead into the half. Olivia McGhee and Latasha Lattimore led the way for Virginia in the first half. The Cavaliers defense was fully locked in and held Duke’s offense to shooting 26% from the field and 10% from deep. However, Duke out-rebounded UVA in the first half and also grabbed 14 offensive rebounds, but only managed to score only four 2nd chance points.
Coming out of the half trailing by 9 points, the Blue Devils offense started to take shape as they closed in on the lead held by the Cavaliers. Throughout the second half, things were trending in Duke’s favor as they chipped away at the lead. The Blue Devils defense intensified more in the fourth quarter when things became nip and tuck. In the first half of the fourth quarter, UVA and Duke traded lead changes with Duke gaining the lead late in the quarter and never surrendering it. The final score of the game was 60-55 with Duke winning their 14th game of the season and their 5th in the conference. The Cavs fall to 10-8 on the season and 2-4 in the conference. UVA played to the level of Duke from the tip, but in the crucial parts of the game, things turned in the favor of the Blue Devils. Oluchi Okananwa of Duke led the way with 17 points and 7 rebounds. Despite UVA’s record, they showed that they are capable of turning things around this season. The insertion of Olivia McGhee in the starting lineup seemed to give UVA a different kind of spark that could pay off in the long run, especially around the conference tournament time.
The Virginia Cavaliers’ next game is January 16th, on the road against the Virginia Tech Hokies. The Duke Blue Devils next game is also on January 16th, at home against #18 California.
