The Duke women’s basketball team won its third straight game on Thursday night as five-star freshman Toby Fournier wreaked havoc against Belmont with 25 points.
The Blue Devils moved back up to No. 14 in the USA TODAY Sports women’s basketball coaches poll after its Sunday win over South Dakota State, and Duke wasted no time extending that momentum in front of the home crowd at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
After the Bruins took an early 9-5 lead with four of the game’s first six baskets, Kara Lawson’s squad erupted for the final 12 points of the opening quarter. Fournier, a top-10 prospect in the espnW HoopGurlz Recruiting Rankings, powered that surge with six points in the final five minutes.
The 6-foot-2 forward dominated the final minutes of the second quarter in similar fashion. After not adding to her total over the first six minutes of the frame, she scored twice in a 25-second span to help Duke double the Bruins.
Two free throws and another layup later, Fournier returned to the locker room with 16 points (already a career-high) in a 40-17 game. The Duke defense held Belmont under 10 points in both early quarters, and the Blue Devils could cruise to a 79-47 victory over the remaining 20 minutes.
Fournier put an exclamation point on her night in the final minute of the third quarter when she grabbed a pass from guard Vanessa de Jesus and turned around to see herself entirely alone at the top of the key. The freshman put up a 3-point shot, only the second deep attempt of her career, and found the net for her first collegiate triple.
Fournier made 10 of her 15 shots from the floor for the night, pulling down six rebounds and blocking three shots. She’s now averaging 14.5 points, the most of any Blue Devil, with 5.2 rebounds, 1.3 blocks, and 1.0 steals to start her debut season.
“Our team has a great deal of trust in one another and a great deal of excitement for the success of each other,” Lawson said after the game. “That’s pivotal on a team. It’s someone else’s night every night. They play really well together and try to make the right plays.”
Ashlon Jackson, who entered Thursday’s game as the team’s leading scorer, added 14 points herself with a pair of 3-pointers, and reigning ACC Sixth Person of the Year Oluchi Okananwa provided 15 points off the bench thanks to a six-for-seven night shooting.
The Blue Devils get the weekend to themselves before a Monday afternoon game against Kansas State, the first part of the Ball Dawgs Classic out in Nevada.