Download Free Acrobat Reader
DURHAM, N.C. (AP) - Third-ranked Duke pulled off another inside job Sunday, pounding Tulsa in the paint by a 3-to-1 ratio in points and a 53-31 margin in rebounds on the way to a 90-36 win.
Duke's frontcourt starters outscored their Hurricane counterparts 53-11, making it look easy as they worked down low for all but a handful of their points.
Maybe too easy, Duke's Gail Goestenkors said.
"When you see you can go inside so easily, you do that as opposed to running through the sets you'd been working on in practice," she said. "At least it was good that we recognized what was available."
The Blue Devils have won six straight.
Duke center Mistie Bass missed her first try from the field but hit her last seven shots on her way to a double-double of 21 points and a career-best 12 rebounds.
Alana Beard scored 19 points, and Monique Currie and Iciss Tillis 16 each for Duke (6-1).
Freshman reserve Jillian Roberts had 12 points that led Tulsa (3-3), which lost its third straight.
Recording her second double-double at Duke, Bass matched her career-high for points, scored earlier this season against Stephen F. Austin. She came into Sunday's game averaging 13.3 points and 5 rebounds.
"I'm seeing things a lot differently than I have before," Bass said. "Before I was just posting up just to post up. Now I'm posting up with a reason. I'm taking advantage of what they're giving me."
Bass scored all her points either in the paint or off 7-for-11 free-throw shooting.
Duke had 54 points in the paint to Tulsa's 16.
Tulsa hosted Duke last season and lost by an identical score.
"They're definitely bigger, stronger, faster," Tulsa coach Kathy McConnell-Miller said. "Unfortunately, they don't have much depth, due to injuries.
"Their starters have to play a lot of minutes. They're up 50, and you'd hope a coach would go to her bench, but they had to keep a starter on the whole time."
Bass got 13 points and Beard 12 by halftime to help Duke get in front 44-15 at the break. Bass went 4-for-4 on four straight possessions to start a 24-7 run that Duke used to close the first half.
Duke outscored Tulsa 22-6 in the first 9:27 after halftime and led 79-26 with 7:11 left to play.
"This exposed some big wounds for our team, and now it's my job to get them back together," McConnell-Miller said.
