LOUISVILLE, Ky. — No. 17 Duke survived a tense defensive showdown Thursday night, edging sixth-ranked Louisville 59–58 in a battle between Atlantic Coast Conference co-leaders that came down to the final second.
Toby Fournier led the Blue Devils with 15 points and delivered the defining play of the night, swatting away a potential go-ahead three-point attempt in the closing moments to help Duke escape with its 14th straight victory. Duke improved to 17–6 overall and remained perfect in ACC play at 12–0.
The matchup never found an offensive rhythm. Duke shot 42.6 percent from the floor and struggled with ball security, committing 19 turnovers. Louisville, however, endured its toughest shooting night of the season, connecting on just 33.9 percent of its attempts.
After a frenetic finish, the Cardinals had one last chance when Imari Berry was sent to the line with 1.1 seconds remaining. Berry made the first free throw but missed the second, and Riley Nelson secured the rebound to seal the win.
Duke appeared poised for a runaway early, racing to a 16–1 lead while knocking down its first seven shots. Fournier scored eight points during the opening surge as Louisville missed its first nine attempts from the field.
The Cardinals steadily clawed back, trimming the deficit to seven points twice in the second quarter and pulling within three during the third. Louisville finally grabbed its first lead early in the fourth quarter on a three-pointer from Laura Ziegler.
The Blue Devils responded with urgency, stringing together an 11–1 run to reclaim control and build a 57–50 advantage with under four minutes remaining. Louisville answered late, cutting the margin to two after Elif Istanbulluoglu converted a layup with 1:18 left.
Moments later, Fournier came up with her critical block on Berry’s three-point attempt, preserving Duke’s slim lead. Louisville forced one final opportunity when Ziegler intercepted a pass and fed Berry on the break, but Nelson fouled Berry to prevent an easy basket. After Berry split the free throws, Duke closed out the win.
Riley Nelson and Tania Mair added 13 points apiece for Duke. Istanbulluoglu paced Louisville with 13 points, while Ziegler and Reyna Scott each finished with 11 as the Cardinals saw their 14-game winning streak come to an end.
