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Duke Head Coach Kara Lawson defeats Ohio State to record her largest victory to date………………………
After a significant upset, head coach Kara Lawson’s plans for Duke are beginning to take shape.
The second-seeded Buckeyes (26-6) were stunned by the seventh-seeded Blue Devils (22-11) in a 75-63 victory in Columbus during the second round of the NCAA Women’s Tournament. Reigan Richardson, a junior guard, helped Duke overcome a 16-point first-half hole with 28 points and seven rebounds.
Under Lawson, a former WNBA champion and All-Star, the Blue Devils made their first Sweet 16 berth and their first since 2018.
Following a season as an assistant for the Boston Celtics, Lawson was appointed Duke’s head coach in 2020. Despite having a 67-32 record after four seasons, she was in search of a signature victory. She has only won once in the competition before this game.
Playing five freshman and upsetting a team vying for a national championship shows the program is headed in the right direction.
She recently said, “We’re building something special here,” to Mirin Fader of The Ringer. “And you have to take a time to step back and enjoy your current situation whenever you’re building. Because you won’t be able to build again if you build it correctly—and that’s a big if; we have to build it well.”
Next Saturday, Duke will play either No. 6 seed Syracuse or No. 3 seed UConn. If the Huskies prevail, Duke will most likely be the underdog once more. With eleven national titles, UConn is the most successful women’s collegiate basketball program.
But under Lawson, the Blue Devils—who didn’t go past the Final Four in 2006—are gaining ground. If they really give the Huskies a run for their money, that wouldn’t be shocking.