NORFOLK, Va. -- Tricia Liston scored 17 points and Duke shook off
a slow start to beat Nebraska 53-45 Sunday in the semifinals of the
Norfolk Regional of the women's NCAA tournament.
Alexis Jones
added 14 points for the Blue Devils (33-2), who also struggled last
weekend at home. They advanced to Tuesday night's game against
top-seeded Notre Dame with a berth in the Final Four on the line.
The
Cornhuskers (25-9), in the round of 16 for just the second time in
school history, struggled from the field. They shot 30.3 percent and hit
just 3 of 24 3-point tries. Nebraska entered the game averaging 6.4
3-pointers and made eight last week in stunning Texas A&M on its
home floor.
Lindsey Moore led the Cornhuskers with 11 points, but
on 5 of 18 shooting. Their leading scorer, Jordan Hooper, who averages
18.2 points, left with an apparent knee injury with 8 minutes left and
scored just six points.
Hooper, who missed all eight shots in the
first half, hit a foul-line jumper 30 seconds into the second half,
sparking an 8-4 run that got them within 27-26, but Duke responded with a
13-4 run.
Liston started it with a 3-pointer, and Haley Peters and Richa Jackson each scored four in the run.
Moore's
basket got the Cornhuskers within 44-38 with 3:53 to play, but Jones
and Peters converted Nebraska turnovers with inside baskets. After Katie
Simon scored for Nebraska, two free throws each by Liston and Jones
extended the lead to 51-40 with 1:04 left and it was all but over.
Duke's
Elizabeth Williams, a native of Virginia Beach, finished with 10
points, nine rebounds and seven blocks, but missed 10 of her 15 shots.
Duke finished with 32.8 percent shooting (21 of 64).
Duke, which
trailed Oklahoma State by 13 on its home floor last weekend before
rallying to win by nine, made just four of its first 20 shots and
trailed Nebraska 18-11 before turning it around. The Blue Devils
outscored the Cornhuskers 12-0 the last 5:46 of the half, with Jones
scoring seven.
