Duke Blue Devils Edge Out Columbia Lions in Close Women's Basketball Contest at Francis S. Levien Gymnasium

In a closely contested women's basketball game at the Francis S. Levien Gymnasium, the Duke Blue Devils emerged victorious over the Columbia Lions with a final score of 66-62. The Blue Devils' season record now stands at an impressive 1-0, while the Lions fall to 0-1.

The Duke team showcased a strong offensive performance, particularly in the paint where they scored 42 points. Their shooting from inside was effective as they made 25 out of 53 two-point attempts, translating to a solid 47 percent shooting rate. From beyond the arc, however, they struggled with only one three-pointer made from ten attempts.

Defensively, the Blue Devils were active on both ends of the court with a total of five blocks and twelve steals contributing to their defensive efforts. They also capitalized on turnovers by scoring 20 points off turnovers forced upon their opponents.

The team's free throw accuracy was exceptional; they hit an impressive 93 percent from the line making thirteen out of fourteen attempts which proved crucial in maintaining their lead throughout the game.

On rebounding duties, Duke pulled down a total of thirty-four rebounds—seventeen defensive and thirteen offensive—which included four team rebounds that helped maintain possession and create second-chance opportunities leading to eleven second-chance points.

Assisting each other effectively throughout play led to fifteen assists for Duke but this was somewhat offset by committing thirteen turnovers themselves; nonetheless, they maintained an assist-to-turnover ratio just above one.

On Columbia's side, despite falling short on points scored overall, they managed to secure more rebounds than Duke with thirty-seven in total including twenty defensive and eleven offensive boards along with six team rebounds that gave them additional possessions resulting in fifteen second-chance points.

Columbia also had better success from two-point range hitting fifty percent of their shots but couldn't match up against Duke’s defense which limited them significantly from three-point territory where they only converted seven out of twenty-four attempts into successful baskets for a twenty-nine percent completion rate.

As for free throws Columbia had fewer opportunities but still managed to make seventy-one percent making five out of seven shots taken during gameplay.