Duke women's basketball bounced back from the end of their 17-game win streak to come out on top at the ACC tournament. On Sunday, they propelled themselves to a comeback overtime win over Louisville 70-65 to win their second straight conference title.
Afterward, head coach Kara Lawson gave credit to junior forward Delaney Thomas for rising to the occasion, per Meghan L. Hall of USA Today.
“[Delaney Thomas] willed us to win today,” Lawson said. “In big games, she is ready to meet what the team needs in that moment.”
It was a close game throughout as Duke pushed Louisville to the brink. In the end, they outscored Louisville 10-5 in overtime to come away victorious.
Altogether, Thomas did a great deal of damage on the boards. He finished with 9 rebounds, including seven offensive boards. Furthermore, she added 19 points and shot 8-for-11 from the field.
She is averaging 10.7 points and 6.3 rebounds per game.
Along the way, Thomas equalled Taina Mair, who also had 19 points as well as 12 rebounds. She also went 6-for-6 from the free-throw line.
Riley Nelson finished with 12 points. Ashlon Jackson had 11 points and six assists. As a result, Duke finishes the season at 24-8 and 16-2 in conference.
At this point, Duke is projected to secure a No.2 seed in the NCAA tournament. Meanwhile, Larson is in the midst of her sixth season as head coach. Last year, she helped lead the Blue Devils to the ACC title and the Elite Eight.
In addition, she has led the Blue Devils to three straight 20+ win seasons. All the while coaching Team USA as they prepare for the FIBA World Cup in Puerto Rico.
