The #5 Duke Blue Devils (20-3, 11-0) remain unbeaten in ACC season play as they topped the Boston College Eagles (5-19, 0-11) 71-62 at Silvio O. Conte Forum in Chestnut Hill, Mass. on Thursday night.
The Blue Devils’ conference play continues to set records as they have reached 20 wins for an ACC-record 15th straight season and 17th out of the last 18 and have become just the ninth team in ACC history to notch an 11-0 start in ACC play.
Guard Chelsea Gray finished with a game-high 19 points, the last 12 of which she scored during the game’s final three minutes of play as well as snaring 6 rebounds and distributing 5 assists on the night.
Center Elizabeth Williams was two blocks shy of her second career triple-double as she finished with 18 points, 10 rebounds and eight blocks while Haley Peters added 16 points and grabbed three rebounds of her own while shooting 7-8 for the night.
Program updates
It has been a busy news week for the past, present, and future of the Blue Devils program.
Beard signs with Sparks
As announced on Wednesday by the Los Angeles Sparks of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), Blue Devils alumna Alana Beard, a four-time WNBA All-Star, signed a free agent contract with the team.
Beard, a 5’11” guard/forward, averaged 16.2 points, 4.2 rebounds 2.9 assists and 1.9 steals per game in six seasons with the Washington Mystics before missing the 2010 and 2011 campaigns with ankle and foot injuries, respectively.
Prior to her injuries, Beard appeared in 193 of a possible 204 regular-season games dating back to her rookie campaign of 2004, starting 192.
She earned WNBA All-Star Game selections from 2005-07 and again in 2009 – three times as a starter – and garnered 2006 Second Team All-WNBA honors.
Beard was selected second overall by Washington in the 2004 WNBA Draft coming out of Duke, and is currently playing in Israel with Elitzur Ramla.
Beard became the first player in women’s college basketball history to claim the John R. Wooden, State Farm Wade Trophy and Naismith Player of the Year Awards as a senior at Duke.
Gray named to USBWA Midseason POY Watch List
Guard Chelsea Gray was recently named one of 20 midseason candidates for the U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) National Player of the Year award.
Gray is currently averaging 11.0 points, 6.3 assists, 5.2 rebounds and 2.6 steals on the season for the fifth-ranked Blue Devils.
The sophomore backcourt leader is one of the top point guards in the nation and is on pace to set a single-season record for assists at Duke with 138 through 22 contests.
Her 6.3 assists per game ranks first in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and 10th nationally while her 2.1 assist/turnover ratio also leads the league.
Gray ranks fourth in the ACC with a 2.6 steals per game average.
Signees Jones and Moore named McDonald's All-America Selections
The 2012 McDonald's All-America game selections were released on Thursday with Duke signees Alexis Jones and Sierra Moore each receiving invites to the prestigious contest that will be played at the United Center in Chicago, Ill., on Mar. 28.
With the two selections, Duke has now notched 19 McDonald's All-America honorees since they started having a women's game in 2002.
Jones, from Irving, Texas, is a senior at MacArthur H.S. The 5-8 guard was a 2011 ESPN HoopGurlz and ESPN Rise Underclass All-America selection, after averaging 22.3 points, 9.2 rebounds, 1.3 blocks, 4.5 steals and 7.2 assists as a junior.
She was named the Gatorade Texas Girls Basketball Player of the Year last year while leading MacArthur to the Class 5A state championship and an overall record of 37-2 during her junior season.
Jones was also recently selected as one of 20 high school senior girls basketball players who will compete in the 2012 Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) High School All-America game which is presented by NIKE .
The contest will be played on Sat. Mar. 31 at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colo. during the 2012 NCAA Women’s Final Four.
Moore, from Hanover, Pa., is a three-time Gettysburg Times All-Area Player of the Year and Evening Sun All-Area Player of the Year honoree.
A 5-10 guard, Moore averaged 23.5 points, 10.1 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 3.6 steals and 1.8 blocks as a junior and totaled 19 double-doubles.
Moore was named to The Associated Press Class AA All-State first team in 2011 and 2010 and won All-Area Girls' Basketball Player of the Year honors for three consecutive years (2009, 2010 and 2011).
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