By Cheryl Coward
STANFORD, Calif. – Duke (11-6, 6-0 ACC) earned its first-ever victory at Maples Pavilion on Sunday afternoon with a 67-60 win over Stanford (14-4, 3-2). The Blue Devils extended their win streak to eight games following up after beating California on Jan. 8.
Duke head coach Kara Lawson described the win as “gritty.”
“Stanford made it difficult for us today,” she said. “Really physical on the glass, outrebounded us and did a great job of keeping us from being as efficient as we normally are on the offensive end.” She praised her team’s resilience down the stretch: “Just proud of our group for figuring out, finding a way, and that’s what you need to do on the road, and we did it today.”
Stanford controlled the early tempo, taking a 15-12 lead after a defensive opening quarter. The Cardinal shot 46.7% from the field, compared to 31.3% for Duke. Junior forward Nunu Agara jumpstarted the Stanford offense with a jumper and a three-pointer as the Cardinal built an early 7-1 advantage.
Duke responded with a 7-0 run, sparked by five quick points from Ashlon Jackson, including a fast-break layup that gave the Blue Devils their only lead of the quarter at 8-7. Stanford answered behind its depth, closing the period on an 8-4 run as freshman forward Alexandra Eschmeyer scored four points off the bench.
Second Quarter Swing
Duke found its rhythm in the second quarter, outscoring Stanford 19-13 and reclaiming the lead. Toby Fournier’s layup at the 7:17 mark put her team ahead 19-18, their first lead since the opening minutes.
The Blue Devils’ advantage grew to seven following a pair of fast-break free throws by Delaney Thomas at 3:19. At halftime, Jackson led Duke with 10 points, while Fournier added eight points and two blocks.
Stanford stayed within striking distance behind Agara’s 10 points and seven rebounds, and nine points from Eschmeyer off the bench. While Stanford held a 22-19 rebounding edge and shot 50 percent from three in the first half, Duke’s defensive pressure shifted momentum. The Blue Devils forced 11 Stanford turnovers while committing zero in the second quarter, converting those Cardinal miscues into an 11-4 advantage in points off turnovers by the break.
Third-Quarter Battle
Stanford matched Duke point for point in the third quarter, with both teams scoring 17 points, but Duke carried a 48-45 lead into the final period. The Cardinal shot efficiently, going 8-of-14 from the field, but could not fully erase Duke’s advantage after a mid-quarter Blue Devils run.
Duke scored six points off turnovers, held a 5-1 edge in second-chance points, and went 5-for-5 at the free-throw line in the period. Stanford attempted just one free throw, allowing Duke to maintain its three-point cushion entering the fourth.
Closing Time
Arianna Roberson opened the fourth-quarter scoring with a jumper at the 9:50 mark to push Duke’s lead back to five. Stanford tied the game twice in the final period, at 50-50 and again at 52-52, but Duke answered both times.
The Blue Devils outscored Stanford 19-15 in the fourth quarter and pulled away late behind interior scoring and extended possessions. Duke pushed the margin to as many as nine points in the final minute to secure the road win.
Stanford head coach Kate Paye expressed disappointment with her team’s performance and competitiveness against Duke, citing turnovers as a major reason for the loss.
“I feel like they were extremely aggressive,” she said about Duke. “What really got us were our turnovers, and certainly they had something to do with that. But unfortunately, I think a lot of them were self-inflicted, and there’s a lot that our team can learn from this game.”
Top Performers
Delaney Thomas led Duke with a game-high 19 points on 7-of-13 shooting, Fournier added 16 points, and Jackson finished with 14 points and six rebounds.
Agara paced Stanford with 17 points and 10 rebounds for her fourth double-double of the season. Courtney Ogden and Chloe Clardy scored 11 points each. Ogden also pulled down six rebounds. Eschmeyer scored 10 points and added six rebounds.
Up Next
Stanford travels to the East Coast to face Boston College on Jan. 15, followed by a matchup at Syracuse on Jan. 18. Duke returns home to host Virginia on Jan. 15 and Georgia Tech on Jan. 18.