WBB Duke vs. Notre Dame 2/1/2016 6 PM

[DU82]

Starting a game thread. Tens of people here right now. (Thanks ESPN for the wonderful 6PM start time!)

Same starting lineup from the previous few games, Kyra, Rebecca, Oderah, Azura and Amber.

[DU82]

10-7 Irish at the first timeout, 4:00 left in first quarter.

Decent zone defense EXCEPT that good teams with good ball movement find the open three point shooter, and 22 for ND has hit two. It'd be more, but ND has taken a few bad shots.

We've missed a few underneath, including I think two by Oderah, and one by Azura, that one helped by a hit on the elbow that wasn't called.

[DU82]

22-14 Irish after one. Poor shot selection and shooting leads to ND run outs. Would have been worse, but Azura hits a long three at the buzzer. Angela in and looking better than she did on Thursday. Rebecca has two fouls, will probably sit most of the second.

[Mike Corey]

We're not moving well on offense, and ND is ready to play. Hopefully we can pick it up in the second quarter.

[DU82]

We're not moving well on offense, and ND is ready to play. Hopefully we can pick it up in the second quarter.

No surprise for either.

Erin in and playing well, but quick shots (or no movement) on O leads to transition baskets. 28-17, 7:58 on the clock, Duke with a needed timeout.

[Mike Corey]

ND is getting too many transition buckets. Half-court, we're hanging in. They're getting open perimeter looks, but we're hanging in.

Greenwell's creating some offense here. Cuts it to 9.

[Mike Corey]

Duke closed the half on a 7-2 run, down 8 with two quarters to play.

ND seems in control, but Duke's very much in this one if we can stop ND's transition.

[DU82]

35-27 at the half, after some testy play and a buzzer beating bank shot for ND.

Angela got trapped in the corner, an ND player reached in to tie her up (foul, perhaps), and ripped the ball out of the. ND players hands. A double T, but showing some life.

I agree (as usual,) with Mike, half court D pretty decent, still losing the three shooter too often, lucky ND isn't shooting well. Transition is where we are getting killed.

[CatDevil]

35-27 at the half, after some testy play and a buzzer beating bank shot for ND.

I Cannot believe ND got the buzzer beater off and the bank went in...agree there is a lot of fight left. Defense looked pretty good, at least towards the end of the half.

Let's Go Duke!

[DukieInKansas]

I'm liking the 3rd quarter effort so far. Let's Go, Duke!

[CatDevil]

I'm liking the 3rd quarter effort so far. Let's Go, Duke!

I have to go to my sons rec ball game, but defense is AWESOME!!! Blue Devils look strong. I set the DVR so I can watch when I get home.
Let's Go Duke!

[DU82]

47-45 DUKE after three.

Something turned on for this team, perhaps Angela's push at the end of three, but we dominated the third. Frantic D disrupted their offense, and while still struggling to get offensive flow, some individual plays have pushed us ahead. 20-10 score in the 3rd quarter.

[OldPhiKap]

Let's Go Duke!!!!

[downeastdad]

We need this, but not Azura flinging up 3's. Let's go Duke!

[DukieInKansas]

Good effort. I hope Greenwell is ok after hitting her head sliding into the scorer's table.

[downeastdad]

68-61. Could have had this one. Good game, almost, girls.
ded

[heyman25]

Too bad .Execution was not too good on offense in the critical times in the game. You have to finish to beat Notre Dame.

[aswewere]

Box http://espn.go.com/womens-college-basketball/boxscore?gameId=400842278 This one is on Chidom she could not make a lay up tonight. Great effort, Angela looks like she is ready to role
hope coach will fully unleash her. Best effort I have seen in a long time.

[burnspbesq]

Will have to fly home before I can see the game in its entirety, but I saw some strange calls in the last two minutes.

[dudog84]

This loss isn't on anyone. You win as a team, you lose as a team.

Good job ladies! You've shown you can play with anyone. The team is certainly making progress.

[chrishoke]

Great effort, fun game tonight, despite the loss. Build on this DUKE.

[Mike Corey]

Yup. Have to use that as a springboard. Duke has to win all the remaining games it's "supposed" to win, and knock off a few favored opponents along the way, see if they can get hot come March.

Stevens' intentional foul was entirely unnecessary and inexplicable. It ended up not really hurting, since the shooter missed both free throws. But we can't be making decisions like that.

[killerleft]

Yup. Have to use that as a springboard. Duke has to win all the remaining games it's "supposed" to win, and knock off a few favored opponents along the way, see if they can get hot come March.

Stevens' intentional foul was entirely unnecessary and inexplicable. It ended up not really hurting, since the shooter missed both free throws. But we can't be making decisions like that.

I can both agree and see why it happened. She had already made the foul and the refs didn't call it. What was already an 'unintentional' intentional foul turned into a more intentional-looking foul.

Yep, this game, plus the last four, could set this young team up nicely. Looking forward to seeing how things go.

[killerleft]

Box http://espn.go.com/womens-college-basketball/boxscore?gameId=400842278 This one is on Chidom she could not make a lay up tonight. Great effort, Angela looks like she is ready to role
hope coach will fully unleash her. Best effort I have seen in a long time.

Been taking lessons from Roy Williams? Did he let you use his bus?

Angela did show some nice things tonight, I have to agree. But I'm not sure she's been on any leash. College basketball is obviously a challenge for her. She's a freshman with lots of potential who's learning a 'new' game. She could learn a lot here and become a beast in time. I think the speed of the game is her biggest struggle right now. She's got the fire part down, I think.:)

[burnspbesq]

Yup. Have to use that as a springboard. Duke has to win all the remaining games it's "supposed" to win, and knock off a few favored opponents along the way, see if they can get hot come March.

Stevens' intentional foul was entirely unnecessary and inexplicable. It ended up not really hurting, since the shooter missed both free throws. But we can't be making decisions like that.

It was definitely a foul, but Turner made a five-course gourmet feast of it. Any forward in Serie A would love to be able to flop like that.

[Kedsy]

Gritty effort. Special shout out to Amber and Kyra, both of whom played great.

Duke had 13 missed layups and 8 missed free throws, and still we were winning with under 4 minutes to play in the game. Really close to a signature win.

[aswewere]

DWHOOPS game write up. http://www.dwhoops.com/1516/1602011-notre-dame-68-duke-61.php

[BigWayne]

Will have to fly home before I can see the game in its entirety, but I saw some strange calls in the last two minutes.

Yes, but the real difference was that, after getting up 55-50, we started flinging up bad shots.

[jimsumner]

Yes, but the real difference was that, after getting up 55-50, we started flinging up bad shots.

This was the point when Duke needed an experienced point guard. Duke looked hesitant and uncertain on offense for six crucial minutes and lost the game at that point (see what I'm doing here :))

I kept thinking that Lindsey Allen is what Lambert will be when she grows up.

And the only thing that has kept Salvadores on a leash is her feet. We've hardly seen her healthy and in shape all season. I think she's Duke's wildcard down the stretch.

That said, I think Duke's best lineup has Stevens, Greenwell, Salvadores, Lambert and one of Henson and Chidom. But Lambert and Salavdores both need to have the ball in their hands and Duke has to get this figured out.

Along with Chidom's inability to convert inside.

But Duke outrebounded Notre Dame by seven and committed only 12 turnovers, which qualifies as an "only" if you consider some turnover totals from earlier in the season. And held the No. 3 team in the country to under 70 points.

Then again, Notre Dame only committed five turnovers, which is just extraordinary for a game at this level and which negated Duke's rebound advantage.

Lots of things for a young team to build on. But Duke had a big fish on the line and let them slip away. Got to reel them in. Got to.

[bluedevilsince72]

Yes, but the real difference was that, after getting up 55-50, we started flinging up bad shots.

Why didn't we call a timeout at around the 5:00 mark? The team was exhausted especially Stevens. My guess is P was waiting for the TV timeout but those 3 possessions around that time killed us.

Anyone else think the same thing?

[burnspbesq]

Yes, but the real difference was that, after getting up 55-50, we started flinging up bad shots.

Agreed. On consecutive possessions with the score 55-50, the ball never went to the blocks or the high post.

[killerleft]

Why didn't we call a timeout at around the 5:00 mark? The team was exhausted especially Stevens. My guess is P was waiting for the TV timeout but those 3 possessions around that time killed us.

Anyone else think the same thing?

I was thinking she called the timeout one possession late. But there was ample time to turn things around.

[AIM4excellence]

DWHOOPS game write up. http://www.dwhoops.com/1516/1602011-notre-dame-68-duke-61.php

" The Irish have now won 25 straight games that were in single digits or in overtime, which is a testament to both the team's mental toughness and the way that Muffet McGraw drills her team. What makes her a great coach is that she doesn't try to jam a square peg into a round hole, but instead she finds ways to blend specific kinds of talent and skillsets into a system that she knows will work because of its flexibility. The program has built a remarkable sense of continuity, as the veterans step up in key moments but allow the young stars to make plays as well. "

DWHoops nails the details that make Muffet McGraw of ND a great and very successful coach. Coaching is what got ND the win in another close game and, conversely, why Duke lost a game that was winnable. It is coaching that helps bring out the strengths of the players - especially with the game on the line. ND missed an uncharacteristic number of wide open three pt shots and could not score inside due to Duke's massive advantage in height. It is coaching that helped a career role player - Madison Cable, who is athletically challenged - become the player the team trusts to make key plays for the win.

Our team showed a lot of talent, toughness and grit. Azura' played Brianna Turner to a standstill and our players beat ND to a majority of 50/50 balls. Unfortunately for Duke, this one of of Oderah's "lack of focus" games, which happen almost half the time, and leads to inability to make the no-foot shots. Becca took some licks and kept on ticking and Amber had a very strong second half.