Duke defeats Green Bay 76-60 in season opener

No. 4 Duke beat Green Bay 76-60 on Tuesday night in the season opener for both programs. The Blue Devils took control of the game after halftime to secure their first win of the year. The victory sets up a matchup for the preseason favorite to win a third straight Atlantic Coast Conference title.

Arianna Roberson led Duke with 15 points and four blocked shots. Riley Nelson also scored 15 points for the home team. Texas transfer Aaliyah Crump made her Duke debut with 11 points, five rebounds, and six assists. The Blue Devils played without preseason all-ACC selection Toby Fournier.

Green Bay, the preseason pick to win the Horizon League title for a fourth straight year, kept the game close through the first half. The Phoenix led or tied much of the first half before falling behind 33-31 at halftime. Duke struggled to score in the paint during the second quarter, managing zero points inside.

Duke changed its approach after the break. The team scored 16 points in the paint during the third quarter. Duke also held Green Bay without a basket for the first six minutes of the period. Jordan Wood and Riley Nelson hit layups to extend the Duke lead to 49-37 with 4:15 left in the third quarter.

The Blue Devils extended their advantage to 16 points late in the third quarter on a three-point play by Wood. They did not allow Green Bay to close the gap to fewer than seven points in the early fourth quarter. Duke shot 44 percent from the field and out-rebounded the Phoenix 44-31. The rebounding advantage led to 19 second-chance points for Duke.

Maddy Skorupski led Green Bay with 16 points and six rebounds. Kristina Ouimette added 14 points for the Phoenix. Green Bay shot 22 percent from the field in the second half, going 6-for-27. The team relied heavily on the free-throw line, making 12 of 14 attempts in the third quarter to stay in the game.

Green Bay hosts Loyola Chicago on Saturday in its home opener. Duke plays North Texas on Sunday in San Antonio.