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          3-8, 1-4 Away
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          11-0, 6-0 Home

          Duke holds Monmouth to Div. I record-tying 3 1st-half points in romp

          Dec 30, 2012
          • Associated Press

          DURHAM, N.C. -- Tricia Liston scored 15 points for No. 4 Duke, and Monmouth tied a Division I record with three points in the first half of a 73-32 rout Sunday.

          The overmatched Hawks managed just one field goal in the opening 20 minutes against the Blue Devils (11-0).

          Monmouth (3-8) matched the NCAA's halftime scoring mark set in 2003 by Savannah State against Florida State and equaled by Tennessee State two years ago against Georgia Tech.

          Chelsea Gray scored 13 points and Haley Peters added 11 points and 10 rebounds for the Blue Devils, who could afford an off day from star sophomore Elizabeth Williams.

          She had 11 rebounds but matched a career low with seven points -- nine below her average -- on 1-of-7 shooting.

          The Blue Devils shot 42.9 percent, built a 55-28 rebounding advantage, forced 29 turnovers, turned them into 28 points and set the school record for lowest shooting percentage allowed in a half.

          Monmouth shot just 4 percent in the first half; Duke's previous low was 9.1 percent allowed in 2005 to Ball State. The Cardinals also owned the old mark of seven points scored in the opening half against Duke one year earlier.

          Their opponent's futility largely masked what was a sluggish, subpar day for the Blue Devils -- who begin the heart of Atlantic Coast Conference play later this week with a visit to North Carolina State.

          Playing for the first time since its two-game sweep in Southern California ended Dec. 22, Duke finished with a season-high 24 turnovers, went eight minutes between field goals and scratched out its lowest point total in an opening half this season.

          Of course, that was nothing compared to the Hawks' struggles.

          Monmouth played without injured leading scorer Alysha Womack, a 16-point scorer who missed her second straight game with a knee injury. The Hawks' only basket of the half came on Shira Shecht's jumper with just over 10 minutes left.

          The Hawks missed both their first 12 shots and their last 12 before the break, and their second field goal didn't come until Betsy Gadziala's layup with 18 minutes to play.

          Chevannah Paalvast had 13 of her 15 points in the second half for Monmouth.