NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Interstat) — Duke’s women’s basketball team delivered a commanding defensive performance in a 76-46 victory over Belmont on Saturday at Curb Events Center. The Blue Devils held the Bruins to just four points in the second quarter, building a 30-15 halftime lead and never relenting. Toby Fournier led all scorers with 26 points for Duke, while Riley Nelson added 17. Hilary Fuller scored 19 points for Belmont in the loss. Duke improved to 6-6 overall, while Belmont fell to 5-7. The Blue Devils shot 45.8% from the field and held the Bruins to 27% shooting, including 16.7% from 3-point range. An announced crowd of 1,154 watched the nonconference contest.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Interstat) — The Duke women’s basketball team used a dominant defensive performance and a career-high scoring effort from Toby Fournier to secure a decisive 76-46 victory over Belmont on Saturday at Curb Events Center. The Blue Devils (6-6) held the Bruins (5-7) to just four points in the second quarter, turning a narrow 12-11 lead after one period into a commanding 30-15 halftime advantage. That 18-4 quarter proved to be the defining stretch of the game, as Duke’s length and pressure stifled the Belmont offense into a series of missed shots and turnovers. The Bruins shot just 17 of 63 from the field for the game, a frigid 27 percent, and managed only 3-of-18 from three-point range. Fournier, a 6-foot-2 sophomore from Toronto, was the offensive catalyst for Duke, scoring 26 points on efficient 10-of-16 shooting from the floor while adding three blocks and three steals in just 29 minutes. Her interior presence was overwhelming, as she consistently finished through contact and helped Duke establish a 34-28 advantage in points in the paint. Riley Nelson provided crucial support with 17 points, including a pair of three-pointers, while point guard Ashlon Jackson orchestrated the offense with a game-high eight assists to go with nine points. Delaney Thomas added 10 points and seven rebounds for the Blue Devils, who shot 45.8 percent from the field as a team. Belmont was led by Hilary Fuller’s 19 points and two blocks. The 6-foot-2 forward from Brisbane, Australia, was the lone consistent offensive threat for the Bruins, but she received little help. Tuti Jones contributed six points and four assists, but the Bruins’ backcourt combined to shoot 3 of 18 from the field. The game’s pivotal sequence began late in the first quarter and extended through the entire second. With Duke clinging to a 14-11 lead, the Blue Devils closed the first period on a 6-0 run, capped by a Taina Mair free throw. They then opened the second quarter with eight unanswered points, a run bookended by jumpers from Nelson and Fournier, to push the lead to 22-11. Belmont went scoreless for a stretch of 7 minutes, 22 seconds, missing 10 consecutive field goal attempts during Duke’s 14-0 run spanning the quarters. Belmont’s offensive struggles were encapsulated in the second period, where they made only one field goal in 16 attempts. Duke, meanwhile, found its rhythm, shooting 50 percent in the quarter to build an insurmountable lead. The Bruins never got closer than 13 points in the second half, as Duke’s lead ballooned to as many as 32 points in the fourth quarter. Defensively, Duke forced 15 turnovers, converting them into 17 points, and held Belmont to an offensive rating of just 66.0 points per 100 possessions. The Blue Devils also controlled the glass with 11 offensive rebounds, leading to 13 second-chance points. The win gives Duke its second straight victory following a 97-54 rout of South Dakota State earlier in the week, bringing the Blue Devils back to .500 on the season. Belmont, which had won two of its last three coming in, sees its record fall below .500 as it heads into Missouri Valley Conference play. Duke next travels to face Syracuse on Dec. 28 to open Atlantic Coast Conference action. Belmont will visit Southern Illinois on Dec. 29 for its next contest. An announced crowd of 1,154 attended the nonconference matchup at the Curb Events Center.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Interstat) — Two teams seeking momentum before conference play begins will meet Saturday when the Duke Blue Devils visit the Belmont Bruins in a nonconference women’s basketball game. The matchup at Curb Events Center features teams with identical 5-6 records. Both are coming off decisive home victories earlier this week, looking to build winning streaks. Duke, under first-year coach Kara Lawson, arrives after a dominant 97-54 win over South Dakota State on Thursday. The Blue Devils’ offense, which had struggled at times early, erupted with three players scoring at least 20 points: Taina Mair (22), Toby Fournier (20) and Riley Nelson (15). Mair, a junior guard, has been a catalyst, averaging 14.0 points and 6.0 assists over her last five games. Her playmaking will be central against Belmont’s pressure. The Bruins, coached by Bart Brooks, countered their own three-game skid with a 77-67 win over Evansville on Wednesday. Guard Tuti Jones, the team’s engine, leads Belmont with 15.8 points per game. She dropped 24 points in a narrow loss to Kentucky on Dec. 14 and is a constant threat to score and distribute. Both teams have faced challenging schedules. Duke’s losses have come against ranked opponents like LSU and South Carolina, along with tough road tests at UCLA and Baylor. Belmont’s defeats include setbacks against Ohio State, Tennessee and a strong Princeton squad. The game presents a contrast in conference affiliation, with Atlantic Coast Conference member Duke facing a Belmont program that has been a perennial power in the Missouri Valley. It serves as a final tune-up for both; Duke opens ACC play at Syracuse on Dec. 28, while Belmont begins Valley action at Southern Illinois on Dec. 29. For Duke, establishing consistency on the road is key after a 2-4 start away from home. For Belmont, protecting its home court, where it is 4-2 this season, is paramount. The backcourt battle between Duke’s Mair and Belmont’s Jones could dictate the tempo and determine which team heads into the holiday break above .500. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. EST Saturday.