Warm-ups in progress w/ just under 10 mins. before tip-off
Blue Devils look to build upon their current 32-game win streak at Cameron Indoor Stadium as well as their 24-game ACC win streak in the historic house of basketball along Tobacco Road.
Just under two minutes remaining until we get started.
1st Half
FSU gets off four quick pionts on their first two possessions.
FSU starts with a quick offensive push in first minute of play
Four-time ACC Rookie of the Week Elizabeth Williams gets Duke on the the board - 4-2 w/ 18:16 left in the half.
Good crowd on hand tonight.
The Seminoles present some size for the Blue Devils to contend with. Blue Devils turning the ball over took quickly but Haley Peters returns the favor with a steal of her own.
Richa Jackson drives the baseline and gets fouled - shooting two.
After hitting one of two, FSU comes up the floor and drops an easy bucket inside from Cierra Bravard.
Duke's Tricia Liston responds with two of her own - FSU leads 6-5 at the 16:22 mark.
Williams taps the ball free which Richa Jackson tosses upcourt to Liston - she drives and drops it for two while getting fouled.
Liston makes the extra point at the line and Duke leads 8-6 w/ 15:54 to go in the half.
Williams causes another Seminoles turnover and Duke heads the other way, but Haley Peters tries to pass it to Shay Selby who's not in the spot to get it - FSU drives down to the Duke basket for two point.
Allison Vernerey answers with her first two points of the game.
Chelseas Gray steals the ball on the ensuing FSU possession, drives the basket for two - called for charging.
12:03 - Liston hits her first three-pointer of the game - FSU answers back as FSU's Alexa Deluzio answers with a trey of her own.
Duke leads 15-13.
The Seminoles defense is creating problems for the Blue Devils early on with zone coverage and doubling on the ball that is causing more turnovers than coach Joanne P. McCallie wants.
Blue Devils being with mid-court trap on defense which causes a turnover, but Gray passes it away in the lane.
Both teams playing very aggressive but not visually appealing ball right now -- no rhythm to this game yet.
Duke still playing single-coverage defense which is effective in causing FSU to turn the ball over - the Seminoles defense is creating the biggest challenge so far for the Blue Devils.
That is until Gray drives and gets an easy left-hand lay-up - Duke leads 17-13.
FSU at the line and get two - Duke answers with Gray hitting a three with the shot clock winding down.
Duke leads 22-17 with 6:22 remaining in the half.
Teams trading baskets as the score advances to 25-21 in favor of the Blue Devils - 4:39 left.
After a timeout, the Seminoles drop another one while Duke can't convert at the other end - 25-23 with just under four minutes to go in the first half.
At this point the Blue Devils are 2-10 in their last 10 shot attempts - not typical of this team.
Hand it to the Seminoles, they are are definitely making Duke work for every basket.
Selby drives the lane and in full contact with FSU's Chelsea Davis - shooting two - and she drops both.
FSU answers with two of their own - Duke leads 26-25 until Williams drops two from under the baske.
Blue Devils lead 29-25.
Gray comes up the floor with a quick feed to Williams - two more for the Blue Devils with under a minute to play.
Seminoles answer with another bucket and so does Selby for Duke - 33-29 lead.
Liston goes up for the lay-up with the clock winding down - it's good!!
Duke leads 35-29 at the end of the 1st half.
Leading scorers for Duke are Liston (13 pts) and Williams (8 pts) while Florida State's close with three players with 6+ points so far.
Big story in the first half is Duke's 38% shooting percentage compared to the Seminoles' 50% shooting rate.
Expect a different Blue Devils team to come out with its trademark full-court press and zone to cause turnovers and turn up the pace of the game - watch for it.
2nd half
Gray controls the inbounds to start the half, almost turns it over, but gets it back before shooting a short jumper for two extending the lead to 37-29.
FSU goes to the line and sinks a bucket to cut the Duke lead to six points.
The Seminoles' Chastity Clayton drops a three-pointer and the Duke lead is only three with 18:16 remaining.
Williams misses two free throws before FSU's Cierra Bravard scores two - 37-36 Duke leads.
Williams and Peters add four quick points after Bravard missess a shot.
Add one more from Williams and Duke leads 43-38.
Bravard is a force inside as she scores another two as the Blue Devils bring the ball up the floor holding a 43-40 lead.
Haley Peters dribbles in traffic under the basket and hits the no-look jumper - 45-40 Duke leads.
FSU shortens the lead to 45-42 with 15:29 left in the half.
After the extra point, FSU only trails by two until Liston hits another two-pointer from the top of the key.
Jackson picks up the ball on a turnover at half-court and drives the basket for the layup to put the Blue Devils up 49-43.
Duke shooting 6-10 in their last 10 attempts.
After the time out, FSU inbounds with Duke still in single-player coverage - another two points for the Seminoles.
Liston misses a three-point attempt and with 13:20 left, Duke lead is 49-45.
Selby comes in to give Gray a breather - she passes to Williams who hits a sweet jumper from the top 'kissing' it off the glass - nice basket.
After baskets from each team, Duke begins to press at in the FSU zone - Seminoles break it and score for two more points - Duke leads 53-49 with 11:16 remaining in the half.
Baskets not going in easy for the Blue Devils tonight, but they're getting the rebounds to keep trying - three attempts before Selby scores to score two more points - Duke now leads 55-49.
Each team adds a basket with play going end-to-end. Gray makes a great run to the basket with a behind-the-back carry but can't make the basket.
Liston hits a huge three-pointer at the 7:56 mark and as FSU looks to get another bucket, Williams swats it away with a loud roar coming from the crowd - Duke leads 60-51 at the 7:35 point in the half.
FSU with the inbounds and Duke zoning it up on the defense but the Seminoles work the inbounds for two more.
Williams answers with two of her own as Duke still keeps the nine-point lead.
Duke zone cause FSU to take a bad three-point shot and Liston makes them pay with a two-pointer of her own for her 20th point of the game.
Williams intercepts an FSU pass inside the zone with a timeout call - Duke still leads by nine - 64-55.
Gray comes back on hits a jumper for two points.
As FSU brings it up, Gray intercepts on the steal and lays in another bucket - Duke leads by 13 - 68-55.
The press is on - get ready for a lot of points in the last five minutes of play.
Textbook Duke defense causes another bad FSU shot attempt.
Gray carries the ball up works it to Liston, over to Peters and back to Gray - looks for the three but finds a wide-open Williams for two points - this is Duke basketball at its best.
Duke lead 70-57 with 3:05 to go in the second half.
Blue Devils spread the floor on the offense and Jackson hits one beyond the arc.
FSU still hanging around trying to press at mid-court allowing Duke more space to pass the ball upcourt with.
With 2:09 remaining, the Seminoles are fighting hard to stay close to Duke as the score sits at 73-62.
Turnover on the pass by Gray and FSU has a chance to get within nine but they don't get that chance.
Bad shot selection by Peters and the ball goes FSU's way.
Jackson steals the ball and is fouled - Duke ball with the 11-point lead.
Under a minute to go with a nine-point lead, Duke turns it over and FSU's Clayton goes up for three but no good.
Another turnover by Williams and FSU tries to get another one - a miss, but follows-up with two on the inbounds.
Duke leads 73-66 with 7.2 seconds left.
Jackson misses the FT and Williams rebounds and gets it to Liston at the top as time runs down.
Duke wins 73-66.
Blue Devils hold off Seminoles for 73-66 win
The
#7 Duke Blue Devils (13-2, 4-0) came up on top against the Florida
State Seminoles (10-8, 2-2) with a 73-66 win at Cameron Indoor Stadium
in Durham, N.C. on Friday night.The Blue...
