DURHAM, N.C. — The Duke Blue Devils women’s basketball delivered a dominant performance on both ends of the floor, rolling past the Baylor Bears women’s basketball 69-46 to advance in the NCAA Women’s Tournament.
Delaney Thomas led the way with 17 points, while Toby Fournier set the tone early, scoring 13 of her 15 points in the first half as Duke built a commanding lead it would never relinquish.
The Blue Devils came out aggressive, jumping ahead 9-0 and suffocating Baylor’s offense from the opening tip. The Bears struggled to find any rhythm, missing their first several shots and committing costly turnovers that allowed Duke to seize control early.
By halftime, Duke had stretched its lead to 38-16, fueled by efficient shooting and relentless defensive pressure. Arianna Roberson added a double-double off the bench with 10 points and 10 rebounds, while Ashlon Jackson contributed 12 points in a balanced scoring effort.
“One of our better defensive efforts of the season,” said head coach Kara Lawson. “I thought we started the game with the appropriate level of force, physicality and attention to detail. We really just locked in on that end.”
Baylor endured one of its toughest offensive outings of the year, finishing without a made three-pointer and shooting just over 30 percent from the field. Taliah Scott led the Bears with 13 points but struggled with efficiency against Duke’s defensive pressure.
“I thought we were frantic against their pressure early,” said Baylor coach Nicki Collen. “When I look at them down the stretch, I thought their pressure was really amped up.”
Duke’s defense forced turnovers and disrupted Baylor’s offensive flow throughout the game, leading to one of the lowest-scoring performances for the Bears in recent years.
Meanwhile, Taina Mair continued to orchestrate the offense, recording eight assists and becoming the first Duke player to achieve that mark in multiple NCAA Tournament games.
“It’s an honor,” Mair said. “I give the credit to my teammates. They’re hitting shots for me to get the assists, so shoutout to them.”
With the win, Duke advances to the Sweet 16 for the third consecutive season and will face the LSU Tigers women’s basketball in the next round, setting up a high-profile rematch as the Blue Devils continue their tournament run.
