Web special – Sunday, Jan. 8

Prior to the anticipated top-ten matchup, Comcast Center’s jumbotron showed a new video montage of the Terrapin women’s basketball team. At the end, the screen flashed “This is our time,” possibly in reference to the 12 straight defeats Duke had handed the Terps.

The Blue Devils made sure that it wasn’t the Terps’ time just yet.

No. 2-ranked Duke continued its recent domination as they defeated the No. 6-ranked Terps earlier today, 86-68, in front of 16,093 fans – the second-largest crowd in ACC history.

The loss snapped the Terps’ 10-game win streak and added another note in the Terps’ long list of defeats to Duke over the past six years.

“They’re just a tremendous team,” Terp coach Brenda Frese said. “They go at you in waves; they’re so aggressive.”

Duke (14-0, 3-0 ACC) came in with the nation’s most-prolific offense and showed everyone why it was at the top.

They shot 61.3 percent from the field and had no trouble scoring easy lay-ups. The Blue Devils outscored the Terps in the paint – usually a statistical category that the Terps dominate – 42-24.

Even with its high-powered offense, Duke turned up the defense to pull away. The Blue Devils forced 24 turnovers and shut down the Terps’ explosive offense.

“We played tremendous defense,” Duke coach Gail Goestenkors said. “They’re an excellent scoring team, but it was the turnovers that were huge for us. … That was the difference for us.”

Junior guard Shay Doron and sophomore forward Crystal Langhorne each struggled mightily all game long. Unable to find much of an offensive rhythm, Doron shot just 3-for-8 from the field (12 points) and committed nine turnovers (seven in the first half).

Langhorne had 10 points but only attempted five field goals and was held without a rebound for the first time in her career.

“It’s a credit to their defense,” Frese said, also crediting Duke’s depth.

Led by junior guard Lindsey Harding and sophomore center Chante Black, Duke took a 48-31 lead into the locker room at halftime.

The Terps (14-2, 1-1) cut the deficit to nine twice in the second half. As Frese urged the crowd to get loud, the Terps turned up the intensity and continued to battle.

But the second spurt was short-lived as the teams traded baskets before the Blue Devils took advantage of some sloppy play by the Terps to go on a 10-0 run.

The run put the game away and sent many of the fans to the exits.

“Great teams make runs,” Goestenkors said in reference to the Terps’ surges. “The key for us when teams make runs is that we don’t lose our poise.”

Freshman guard Kristi Toliver may have been the brightest spot for the Terps on an otherwise disappointing day. She scored 12 points, hit 4-of-5 3-pointers and played a solid 18 minutes off the bench. It was her most productive game since going down with a leg injury in early December.

Duke has now won 13 straight games in the series. The Terps will have at least one more chance to get over the hump and defeat the Blue Devils this season. But until then, the Terps’ time will have to wait.

“I don’t think it means anything to be honest,” Frese said of the streak. “There will be a day when we will be able to beat them,” Frese said.

Contact reporter Andrew Zuckerman at zuckermandbk@gmail.com.