Fournier, Okananwa Pace No. 8 Duke to Win Over Hokies

Sunday, December 8

Durham, N.C.

4 p.m.

Duke University

9-2,1-0ACC

Virginia Tech

7-3,0-1ACC

Virginia Tech

Duke

Toby Fournier and Oluchi Okananwa celebrate with chest bumps

Photo by: Duke Athletics

Fournier, Okananwa Pace No. 8 Duke to Win Over Hokies

12/8/2024 5:55:00 PM | Women's Basketball

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DURHAM, N.C. – Freshman Toby Fournier scored a career-high 27 points and sophomore Oluchi Okananwa registered a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds to lead the eighth-ranked Blue Devils to an 81-59 victory over Virginia Tech in ACC women's basketball action Sunday evening.

Fournier knocked down 12-of-17 from the floor and collected nine rebounds in her ACC debut. Delaney Thomas added 14 points while Reigan Richardson and Taina Mair combined for 12 assists with seven and five, respectively.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Delaney Thomas opened the game scoring with a layup off a nice pick-and-roll with Reigan Richardson. The Hokies scored the next six to take a brief lead, 6-3, but that would be short lived as the Blue Devils stole the momentum back with a 12-2 run to close the period.
Duke's bench was the catalyst during the spurt with Fournier (6) and Jordan Wood (3) combining for nine points, Richardson capping the run with a triple to give the Blue Devils a 15-8 lead after one.
The Blue Devils kept the pressure on in the second quarter, opening the period with 18 of the first 23 to ballon their lead to 19 – the largest of the half.
The Duke reserves were the story of the second stanza as Okananwa got going with seven points in the frame while Fournier added six to finish the half with 13 points.
Jadyn Donovan added a bucket while Wood drilled her second trifecta of the afternoon to give Duke a 33-14 advantage with 2:26 to play.
Rookie Jenessa Cotton and junior Ashlon Jackson added scores just before the half as the Blue Devils led, 38-22, at the break.
Duke kept its foot on the gas in the third quarter, maintaining its double-digit lead. The Blue Devils shot an impressive 54 percent in the period with Okananwa dropping in five points, collecting two rebounds and blocking two shots.
Seven different players scored in the third frame, sending Duke into the final 10 minutes with a 57-42 lead.
The Blue Devils extended their advantage 20 early in the fourth quarter en route to the 22-point win. Duke shot 52 percent for the game and got 51 points off the bench compared to just 17 for the Hokies.

NOTES:

Duke eclipsed the 70-point mark for the 11th consecutive game and surpassed 80 points for the fifth time this season.
For the 11th time in as many games, Duke had at least three players finish in double figures.
The Blue Devils shot 52 percent from the field, 47 percent from three and 64 percent at the foul line. Duke has now shot 50 percent or better in five games this season.
The Blue Devils won the superlative stats battle Sunday claiming four of five categories - points off turnovers (20-12), in the paint (44-34), off the bench (51-17) and in transition (4-2). Duke and Virginia Tech were tied in second chance points with 12 apiece.
Duke finished with a plus-nine margin on the glass (36-27) and assisted on 18 of its 33 field goals.
Fifty-one of Duke's 81 points came via its second unit. Duke's bench has eclipsed 50 points three times this season.
Duke held Virginia Tech 20 points below its respective season scoring average (79.3 ppg) entering the game.
The Blue Devils forced 18 VT turnovers, collected 10 steals and blocked seven shots. The seven rejections is the second most by Duke this season, trailing only the eight blocks registered against Belmont (11.21).
Freshman Toby Fournier recorded her seventh double-figure game of the season and second-career 20-point game, netting a near double-double with a career-high 27 points (12-of-17) while matching her collegiate best of nine rebounds.
Fournier's 12 field goals is tied for second on the Duke freshman single game charts while the 27 points is tied for ninth all-time.
Sophomore Delaney Thomas notched double digits for the fourth time in her last five outings, scoring 14 points on an efficient 6-of-8 from the floor.
Oluchi Okananwa chipped in 12 points to finish in double figures for the second consecutive game and fifth time this season. The sophomore also corralled a game high 12 boards - one shy of her career high. It is the fourth double-double of her career and first of the year.
Junior Taina Mair (5) and senior Reigan Richardson (7) combined for 12 of the Blue Devils' 18 assists. The seven dimes matched a career high for Richardson while Mair notched her seventh game this season with at least four assists.

UP NEXT:
The Blue Devils resume non-conference action Dec. 18, welcoming the Wofford Terriers to Cameron Indoor Stadium. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m., live on ACC Network.
To stay up to date with Duke women's basketball, follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook and subscribe to the YouTube channel by searching "DukeWBB."

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