Reigan Richardson’s big 3rd quarter propels No. 16 Duke women past No. 8 North Carolina 68-53
DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — Reigan Richardson scored 13 of her 23 points in the third quarter to help No. 16 Duke beat eighth-ranked rival North Carolina 68-53 on Thursday night.
Freshman Toby Fournier added 19 points and 10 rebounds for the Blue Devils (22-7, 13-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) after missing all eight of her shots in last month’s loss to UNC.
Freshman Lanie Grant had 17 points for the Tar Heels (25-5, 13-4), who were the nation’s only unbeaten road team at 9-0 before Thursday.
Both teams are chasing a top-four seed in next week’s ACC Tournament and the double-round bye that goes with it. They’re also pursuing a chance to host opening-weekend games in the NCAA Tournament; the selection committee had both teams positioned to do so as regional 3 seeds in its latest projections, released shortly before tipoff.
Takeaways
UNC: The Tar Heels had won seven straight and 12 of 13, but this one got away in the third. They were again missing injured fifth-year forward Alyssa Ustby, while guard Reniya Kelly — averaging 15.5 points in her last eight games — was an unexpected scratch.
Duke: After losing two of three, the Blue Devils regrouped and made a case for higher March seeding.
Key moment
Richardson had a run of three straight scoring possessions, with two 3-pointers. She had another 3 during an 11-0 run to end the period, which was capped by Ashlon Jackson’s long straightaway 3 shortly before the horn for a 52-41 lead.
Key stat
UNC had more turnovers (10) than points (nine) in the third, while Duke had 11 of its 25 points off turnovers in the quarter.
Up next
Both teams close the regular season Sunday. The Tar Heels host Virginia while the Blue Devils visit No. 24 Florida State.
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