women’s top 25 \ Friday’s games

January 17, 2009 at 12:00a.m.

No. 4 Duke 57, Virginia Tech 52

BLACKSBURG, Va. — Chante Black had 13 points and 14 rebounds and No. 4 Duke overcame a very sloppy performance — and a dramatic comeback attempt by Virginia Tech — to earn its 13th straight win. Duke (15-1, 3-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) beat the Hokies for the ninth straight time despite turning the ball over 28 times and allowing a late 9-0 run by the Hokies to pull them to 53-50 with 1:03 to play. But Karima Christmas hit both ends of a 1-and-1 with 22.7 seconds to play to push the lead back to five and the Blue Devils barely held on. The Hokies (8-8, 0-3) lost for the sixth time in eight games. They started out quickly, hitting 6 of 8 shots to lead 14-9, then made just 5 of their next 42 attempts. The drought included a 1-for-17 start to the second half and numerous misses from close to the basket. Black, the only player in the ACC to score in double figures in each of her team’s games this season, was the only Blue Devils player to do it at Cassell Coliseum. Christmas added nine points and Joy Cheek scored eight. Nikki Davis led Virginia Tech with a career-high 16 points, including a 3-pointer with 1:03 to play that capped the 9-0 run and made it 53-50, and Lindsay Biggs had 14. The pair was a combined 11-for-28 from the field, and Hokies scoring leader Utahya Drye finished 2-for-13 from the field with four points, more than 10 below her average.

No. 21 Marist 78, St. Peter’s 58

POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. — Rachele Fitz had 22 points and 11 rebounds as Marist cruised. Fitz scored in double digits for her 51st straight game and helped the Red Foxes (16-1, 7-0 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference) to their 13th straight win. Though sloppy at times, Marist shot 58 percent from the field, including 46 percent from 3-point range.

Associated Press