Well, not very pretty, but we beat the thugs. This is difficult for this team as Reimer will foul and Westbeld is not ready for this level of aggression and strength. We need a fourth big to give a bit of violence when we face thugs.
Jewell Loyd balled out down the stretch and was the only real reason we didn't collapse. Muffet played a box-and-one the majority of the game, afraid of Greenwell {Greenwood?}, their bomber. This had to be almost a mathematical gameplan calculation. I've seen staffs reason that if player-A doesn't get very many points, "they" can't beat us, and lopside the defense to accomplish that. Cable and Loyd took the bomber away, but, in my opinion, that has a hidden deficit, as it takes Madison away from her help defense, charge-taking, and passing-lane poaching.
Theorizing, Muffet must not have believed that Duke [without the bomber] would relentlessly ram the ball down low to the thugs... but in the second half they did, and almost got all the way back. Our open-centered box, plus Reimer out and Westbeld not strong enough, created some real angst. But Coach was right; Duke cannot shoot well, and maybe her "math" won an ugly game afterall.
Next game might be similar.