DURHAM, N.C. — In their season opener, No. 11 Duke showcased an impressive performance, dominating Radford with an 89-36 victory. Reigan Richardson was a standout, scoring 11 points, with seven of those coming in a powerful first quarter. Additionally, Jordan Wood contributed significantly with 13 points and eight rebounds as the Blue Devils established control early in the game.

Richardson, who is on the Naismith Trophy watch list, led the team with nine points in the first half. She played for 15 minutes before taking a seat for the majority of the second half. Other key contributors for Duke included Delaney Thomas, who scored 12 points, and Jadyn Donovan, who notched 10 points and nearly achieved a double-double with nine rebounds. Both Oluchi Okananwa and Toby Fournier also added 10 points for the Blue Devils.

The shooting from beyond the arc was below par for both teams, with a total of 37 attempts resulting in low percentages. Nevertheless, Duke capitalized on their defense, scoring 41 points off 34 turnovers committed by Radford.

Cate Carlson was the leading scorer for the Highlanders, finishing with 10 points and six rebounds. Duke quickly jumped to a lead, scoring the first seven points and finishing the first quarter with a strong 26-9 advantage, largely driven by the combined efforts of Richardson and Wood during a 9-0 run.

At halftime, Duke maintained a 40-24 lead, but the game shifted drastically in the third quarter. The Blue Devils pulled away further, outscoring Radford 31-6 in that period, cementing their dominance.

In other news from the Duke program, the school announced that sophomore transfer guard Riley Nelson, a five-star recruit from the 2023 class, will need to redshirt this season due to a knee injury she sustained while playing for Maryland last season.