Duke women’s basketball picked up a 73-54 win over Virginia on Thursday evening for a third consecutive victory.
The Blue Devils, fresh off a stunning home upset of then-No. 6 NC State on Sunday, honored two seniors ahead of their final home game of the 2023-24 season. Center Kennedy Brown and forward Camilla Emsbo both walked to mid-court before the game, arm-in-arm with their families, as Duke fans showered them with appreciation for their time in Durham.
Once the game against the Cavaliers tipped off, the Blue Devils gave fans plenty of reasons to keep cheering. Duke scored the game’s first nine points, seven of which came from leading scorer Reigan Richardson after she knocked down a triple in the opening minute.
Virginia finally got on the board with a layup, but Richardson added another basket before a jumper from Taina Mair made it a 13-2 ballgame within four minutes.
Brown also got off to a solid start in her final game at Cameron, scoring four points in the opening quarter.
The Cavaliers fought back within five points before the end of the first and closed within three points in the early second, but Brown answered with a basket to rebuild the lead before back-to-back buckets from Jadyn Donovan stretched the advantage to nine once again.
Brown truly dominated the early second quarter the most. The senior center added eight points within a five-minute stretch to extend Duke’s lead, and she had 12 points for the game with four minutes to play before halftime.
She finished the game with 13 points, eight rebounds, and three assists while Emsbo added four points and two rebounds herself.
With the lead up to 11 points at the halftime break, the third quarter was the game’s quietest for both sides. After Duke scored 40 points in the first two quarters, the Blue Devils managed only 13 in the third frame. That was still enough to build the lead farther, however, as Virginia only managed 11.
Richardson took over again once the fourth quarter kicked off. She made two jumpers and a free throw in the first two minutes, and she added two more baskets before the end of the game to bring her total for the night to 24. She made 10 of her 14 field goal attempts during the game, and she added four rebounds and two assists.
The 19-point victory gave Duke a third consecutive win, moving the Blue Devils to 19-9 on the season and 11-6 against ACC opponents. Sunday’s finale against North Carolina in Chapel Hill will give the Blue Devils a chance for a 20-win season.