No. 22 Florida State Downs No. 13/12 Duke

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (Seminoles.com) – The 22nd-ranked Florida State Women’s Basketball team used an inspiring second-half effort to get an impressive 74-58 victory over No. 13/12 Duke on Sunday afternoon in a crowded Donald L. Tucker Center. The Seminoles (15-2, 2-1) outscored the Blue Devils (11-5, 2-1) 40-21 in the game’s final 20 minutes by way of some suffocating man-to-man defense and timely shooting from the inside-out. Florida State went 12-of-24 in the second half while holding Duke to just 6-of-20, turning a 37-34 halftime deficit into a 16-point rout. Florida State’s 16-point win is its largest margin of victory in its 45 meetings with Duke, eclipsing a pair of 12-point wins in the 1991-92 season (W, 67-55) and the 1992-93 season (W, 84-72). The big victory also snapped an eight-game losing streak to Duke and was its fourth Top 25 win over the Blue Devils.

 

 “We told them that it was going to be a war on the boards and that’s exactly what it was,” FSU head coach Sue Semrau said. “I thought that we started out extremely well going to the boards on the offensive end and we weren’t shooting it well but we rebounded well. We still went into halftime with a deficit and let them shoot too well in the first half. We challenged them defensively and they really responded.” With Duke having eight student-athletes standing at 6-feet or taller, the Noles looked to junior center Adut Bulgak to help neutralize the nation’s top rebounding team. The Edmonton, Canada, native made quite the difference as she finished the game with 18 points (6-of-13) and 18 rebounds, her ACC-leading ninth double-double of the season as well as a career high in rebounds. Bulgak, who is the leader of FSU’s rebounding defense that ranks first in the ACC, became just the eighth Seminole to recorded at least 18 points and 18 rebounds in a game. She teamed with sophomore center Kai James to hold one of the nation’s top centers in Elizabeth Williams to just three points and three rebounds in 25 minutes. Williams, an All-American candidate, fouled out of the game with 1:16 left in the second half. “We always have an emphasis on rebounding,” Bulgak said. “My teammates boxing out allowed me to find open gaps. I didn’t feel a lot of pressure. It shouldn’t be pressure when it’s something you do all the time.” Duke entered Sunday’s game leading the nation in rebounding margin (+16.5) and second in defensive rebounding (32 per game). However, Florida State’s prowess on the glass took over as it out-rebounded Duke, 38-28, including 18 offensive boards.

 

Sophomore guard Leticia Romero co-starred in Sunday’s big win, scoring 16 points (6-of-10 shooting) while adding seven rebounds and four assists. In her four games with FSU, Romero has shot 50 percent or better from the field and used her size as a point guard to help on the glass against the tallest team in Duke history. Romero played a role in giving the Noles a 15-5 edge in second-chance points.

 

A huge part of FSU’s second-half comeback was the long-range shooting of redshirt senior Maegan Conwright. For the second straight game, she drained four triples and gave the Noles 13 points and five assists. FSU tied a school record with 31 3-point field goal attempts and tied its season high with nine made 3-balls. Also among FSU’s best passers was redshirt junior Morgan Jones, who showed excellent floor vision with her five assists. The Noles were aggressive against Duke, drawing 27 fouls and making 15 of their 19 free throw attempts (78.9 percent). In their three ACC games, FSU is shooting 83 percent (39-of-47) from the charity stripe. Duke was also held to just 14 points in the paint, by far its lowest total of the season. Sunday’s game became a back-and-forth affair in the second half, with both teams tied at 54-54 and just six minutes remaining. A mid-range jumper by sophomore Ivey Slaughter helped kick-start FSU’s strong finish to the game, as the Noles went on a 12-1 over the next 3:09 that created a 66-55 advantage and helped put the game out of reach. Romero was a big part of the run with a nifty layup and a huge 3-pointer from the corner off some tremendous ball movement. Conwright capped the scoring stretch with a 3-ball from the right wing to put FSU ahead 66-55 with just 2:31 left. With Duke trailing 66-58 following three free throws from Rebecca Greenwell, Conwright handled its full-court pressure exceptionally well and threaded a great pass to Bulgak for the finish with 1:39 left. Six consecutive free throws made by FSU ended the game. Duke shot 6-of-10 from 3-point range, led by Greenwell’s game-high 19 points and freshman Azura Stevens’ 17 points. Semrau now owns 31 Top 25 victories in her 18 years at FSU. The win was FSU’s third this season over an opponent ranked in the Top 40 of the RPI. The Seminoles return home for another important ACC matchup on Thursday, Jan. 15, as it hosts Pitt at 7 p.m. on ESPN3.

 

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