No. 20 Duke Blue Devils Defeat Miami Hurricanes With Fourth Quarter Surge
The No. 20 Duke Blue Devils secured a 74-58 victory over the Miami Hurricanes on Thursday night at the Watsco Center in Coral Gables, extending their winning streak to 12 games. Duke sophomore Toby Fournier proved instrumental in the win, recording a double-double with 23 points and 11 rebounds, while Taina Mair added 18 points to help the Blue Devils improve to a perfect 10-0 in Atlantic Coast Conference play.
Although the final score suggests a comfortable win for Duke, the statistics indicate a much closer contest for the majority of the game. Miami overcame a 16-point halftime deficit with a relentless 27-point third quarter, narrowing Duke’s lead to just 55-50 heading into the final period. Ra Shaya Kyle led the Hurricanes’ effort with 21 points and nine rebounds, supported by Gal Raviv who scored 16 points. However, the Hurricanes’ offense collapsed in the fourth quarter, suffering a scoreless drought that lasted over seven minutes. Duke capitalized on this stagnation with a decisive 12-0 run to close out the match.
The evening held special significance for the Miami program, as the team honored former head coach Katie Meier before the game by raising a banner to celebrate her 19-season tenure and program-record 365 wins. Despite the emotional ceremony and the team’s spirited third-quarter rally, observers noted that Miami’s inability to execute down the stretch raises concerns about the squad’s endurance and depth against high-caliber conference opponents. The loss dropped Miami to a 12-9 overall record and 4-6 in the ACC.
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