Duke rallies late to avoid Albany upset bid
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Durham, NC (SportsNetwork.com) - Rebecca Greenwell's 3-pointer with 17 seconds remaining gave Duke the lead and the Blue Devils held on for a 54-52 win over Albany in the first round of the NCAA Women's Tournament.
Greenwell finished with 20 points to lead the Blue Devils (22-10), who are seeded fourth in the Spokane Region and will next play Mississippi State in the second round on Sunday.
Azura Stevens scored 11 points and grabbed nine rebounds for Duke, while Elizabeth Williams added nine points and 12 boards. Amber Henson corralled 10 rebounds for Duke, which held a commanding 47-31 advantage on the glass.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Imani Tate scored 17 points and Shereesha Richards added 12 for Albany (24-9), which held a 52-48 lead with 2:06 to play, but never scored again.
A layup by Williams pulled Duke within two with 1:10 left and Richards and Tate missed at the other end. The Blue Devils failed to convert on their next trip when Williams missed two free throws -- the second on purpose. It led to a held ball and the arrow pointed toward Duke, setting up Greenwell's go-ahead bucket.
Tate missed on a drive for Albany with nine seconds to play and Stevens split a pair of free throws to give Duke a two-point edge. Erin Coughlin's 3-point try was off the mark as time expired.