Duke Duke/Virginia Virginia Women's College Basketball recap on ESPN

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) -- With its top scorer on the bench with a cast on her surgically repaired thumb, Duke (No. 5 ESPN/USA Today, No. 4 AP) needed someone to pick up the offensive slack against No. 24 Virginia. Instead, three did the job.

Sheana Mosch matched her career high with 25 points, Georgia Schweitzer added 17 and Iciss Tillis had 16 and 11 rebounds Monday night as the Blue Devils rallied twice in the second half to win 71-68.

"I think everybody had to pick it up," said Mosch, who was 12-for-15 from the field and added three assists. "Alana (Beard) does so much for us that we all knew everybody had to step up and try to contribute more."

Mosch had 16 points in the second half and Tillis had 12 as the Blue Devils (18-1, 6-1 ACC) continued the best start in program history.

Tillis twice responded to Virginia charges to the lead by scoring the next four points to give the edge back to Duke, the last time after the Cavaliers went ahead 66-65 on Schuye LaRue's jumper with 2:06 to play.

"I think we just felt like if we could just hang around long enough, we could go on a spurt and hopefully steal one," Duke coach Gail Goestenkors said. "I guess I feel like that's what happened."

Virginia (13-7, 4-3) lost for the sixth time in seven games to Duke.

Tillis, who also grabbed 11 rebounds, gave Duke the lead back when she scored with 1:46 to play and pushed the margin to 69-66 with 1:11 left.

After another Cavaliers miss, Mosch drove for the last of her baskets in transition with 18 seconds remaining, all but finishing off Virginia.

"They hit more shots than us because their shots were more close up," said LaRue, who missed 12 of 17 shoots and scored just 13 points, five below her average. "We shot a lot more jumper than they did."

The Blue Devils came into the game intent on trying to slow Virginia's 3-point shooting or contain LaRue. When the Cavaliers hit 7 of 12 3s in the first half to lead 39-36, LaRue became the focus of the defense.

"You can't give them both," Goestenkors said of the 3-point shooting and LaRue, who plays mostly inside and also averages 11.2 rebounds.

"I think we did as good a job as you can on Schuye."

Virginia did have one last shot at tying it after Rochelle Parent missed the front end of a one-and-one situation with 2.8 seconds left, but LaRue's heave from midcourt at the buzzer missed badly.

Svetlana Volnaya led Virginia with 17 points, freshman Anna Prillaman added 14, LaRue 13 and Telisha Quarles 12 despite missing much of the second half in foul trouble. Her absence pressed freshman Chelsea Whitaker into action, and Whitaker finished 0-for-8 at the foul line.

Virginia trailed 65-60 with three minutes left before LaRue scored inside and was fouled. She missed the free throw, but Dean'na Mitchelson rebounded and put it back in for Virginia, closing the edge to 65-64.

After another Duke miss, LaRue scored again to give Virginia the lead, but Tillis followed with consecutive baskets to finally turn the tide.

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