Kendria Holmes’ 15 points were not enough for the Charlotte women’s basketball team, which fell to Duke, 61-55, on Saturday.
Shannon McCallum tallied 11 points for the 49ers (3-2), knocking down three shots from downtown. Epiphany Woodson added 10 points, six rebounds and six assists in the loss while Jennifer Hailey chipped in nine points and 12 rebounds.
Jasmine Thomas led all scorers, netting 19 points for the No. 6-ranked Blue Devils (6-0).
The 49ers came out strong, storming out of the gates on a 17-4 run, with McCallum and Holmes each cashing in on a pair of 3-pointers. The lead reached 15 points after Woodson connected from long range with 10 minutes, 55 seconds remaining in the first half.
Duke hit its stride over the next seven minutes, stringing together a 16-1 run to tie the score at 23.
After tying the game at 28 heading into halftime, Charlotte began the second half on a 10-2 run in the first three minutes to take a 38-30 lead.
The Blue Devils would not go away, embarking on an 18-2 run to create their own eight-point advantage, 48-40, with 9:37 left to play in the game. They would not relinquish their lead again.
Jai Forney banked in a 3-pointer off the glass to cut the Duke lead to 56-55 with less than two minutes remaining on the clock. However, that was as close as the score would get, as Thomas and Chelsea Gray closed out the game at the charity stripe for the Blue Devils.
Charlotte takes the court again on Tuesday against North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State while Duke travels to James Madison.
Xavier handles DSU
Xavier dominated Delaware State from start to finish, as the Musketeers grabbed their fifth win of the season, 72-41, on Saturday.
Amber Harris led all scorers with 23 points in a game where Xavier shot 52.9 percent from the field, compared to the Hornets’ 26.4 mark.
The No. 5 Musketeers held a 37-17 lead at the break, thanks in large part to Harris’ 19 points in the first frame. A 12-3 run four minutes into the second half stretched the lead to 30 points, as Xavier began resting its starters.
Tyeasha Moss dropped in nine points and dished out a game-high seven assists in the rout, as the team combined for 21 assists on 27 baskets.
Delaware State received little offensive production, with Kianna Conner as the only Hornet to reach double figures (10 points), while Kianna D’Oliveira contributed six points and six rebounds.
Harris also grabbed eight rebounds and blocked four shots in the Musketeers’ win, giving her 14 rejections for the year.
Xavier (5-0) returns to action on Tuesday as it hosts Mississippi Valley State while Delaware State (1-3) is off until its Wednesday showdown with Seton Hall.
Duquesne downs Colonials
The Duquesne defense put in a record-setting effort, defeating Robert Morris, 61-34, on Sunday.
The Dukes’ 34 surrendered points marks the lowest total in the program’s history, with their previous best coming on March 1, 2008 in a 62-35 victory over La Salle.
Wumi Agunbiade recorded her second double-double in as many games, dropping in 14 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Alex Gensler scored a game-high 17 points in Duquesne’s third win of the season.
A Vanessa Abel 3-pointer gave the Dukes a 12-point lead midway through the first half, as the road team led throughout the contest. The lead mounted to 28 with 3:20 remaining after Agunbiade corralled a Duquesne miss for the put-back.
The Dukes (3-1) dominated inside, scoring 32 points in the paint and capitalizing with 17 second-chance points. Duquesne’s 51 rebounds mark their highest total of the young season.
The Dukes’ defense forced 26 Robert Morris turnovers and allowed only 13 field goals.
Duquesne continues its six-game road trip with Akron on Wednesday while the Colonials (0-5) travel to St. Francis on Thursday.
Stephen Sellner can be reached at [email protected].
