UAA Athletics

Duke players’ size is too much for UAA women’s basketball team

The Duke Blue Devils used size and speed to overwhelm the UAA women’s basketball team 91-59 Sunday in an exhibition game in Durham, North Carolina.

Duke, a Division I power that suited up nine players 6-feet or taller, outrebounded the Division II Seawolves 62-30.

The Blue Devils scored nearly half their points — 42 — inside the paint at Cameron Indoor Stadium. They grabbed 23 offensive rebounds and turned them into 25 second-chance points.

Despite trailing 51-34 at the half and 73-47 after three quarters, the Seawolves didn’t back down.

They ran and pressed all game, forcing many of Duke’s 20 turnovers while limiting their turnovers to 13 despite playing without point guard Yazmeen Goo, who missed the trip with a minor injury.

And they generated more shots than Duke, although they had trouble creating high-percentage opportunities. Duke hit 36 of 71 shots and UAA hit 20 of 73.

Half of UAA’s field goals came from two players. Saffiyah Yasin scored 14 points on 6-of-11 shooting and Nicole Pinckney scored 11 on 4-of-8 shooting. Tennae Voliva added a team-best seven rebounds.

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For Duke, all-ACC senior guard Haley Gorecki racked up 19 points and 15 rebounds and 6-foot freshman Jada Claude had 14 points and 12 rebounds ,including eight offensive rebounds.

UAA opens the season for real this week in Anchorage. The Seawolves play Chaminade on Saturday and San Francisco State on Sunday at the Alaska Airlines Center.

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