DURHAM, N.C. – No. 9 Duke struggled to take care of the ball all day against No. 1 South Carolina — especially when it mattered most.
The Blue Devils had a season-high 22 turnovers, including one that led to the Gamecocks’ winning basket in their 51-50 victory over Duke on Sunday.
A’ja Wilson’s putback of Tiffany Mitchell’s miss with 1.8 seconds remaining sent Duke (5-3) to its first three-game losing streak since 2007-08.
Rebecca Greenwell had 12 points and foul-plagued All-American Elizabeth Williams had all five of hers in the final 4½ minutes.
Greenwell’s two free throws with 41.9 seconds left put the Blue Devils up 50-46, but her turnover in the final seconds led to Wilson’s winner.
“Two people trapped me, and I should have called a timeout,” Greenwell said.
It came after Mitchell, a preseason All-American, hit a 3 with 17.9 seconds left to make it a one-point game. Khadijah Sessions and Olivia Gaines teamed to steal the ball from Greenwell in the backcourt.
The Gamecocks called timeout with 10.9 seconds left and worked it to Mitchell, who drove the lane but missed with about 4 seconds left. The rebound went to Wilson, who scored in traffic.
Asia Dozier scored 11 points and Wilson finished with 10 for the Gamecocks (8-0), who trailed by four with less than 20 seconds left before rallying for their first road win over a top-10 team in nearly three years.
“The thing we emphasize the most is rebounding,” Wilson said. “So I know whatever shot went up, I have to go in and (get) the rebound.”
Williams missed Duke’s past two games — both road losses to nationally ranked teams — with a foot injury. She spent the entire day in foul trouble, picking up her fourth with 13:25 remaining.
She checked back in with 5:17 left and hit a layup to restore the Blue Devils’ one-point lead, added a hook shot in traffic and drew a risky charge on Wilson with about 4 minutes left.
The Gamecocks started the second half with a 15-4 run that gave them a seven-point lead — the largest lead by either team. Dozier hit two 3-pointers during the run before her free throw with 12:53 remaining put South Carolina up 32-25.
“No way are you coming out of that locker room soft,” Duke coach Joanne P. McCallie said. “No way.”
STAT LINE
Neither team took particularly good care of the ball. In addition to Duke’s 22 turnovers, South Carolina had 18 giveaways. “The turnovers were ridiculous,” McCallie said.
NOTABLES
This was South Carolina’s first road win against a top-10 team since the Gamecocks beat No. 8 Tennessee on Feb. 2, 2012. Duke was denied its first win against a top-ranked team since it beat Maryland in 2007. The Blue Devils have lost four in a row against No. 1 teams — with the previous three coming against Connecticut.
TIP-INS
Duke: The Blue Devils missed 15 straight shots during a brutal 1-of-21 stretch during the final 9 minutes of the first half. Greenwell ended that run with a buzzer-beating layup.
South Carolina: Not to be outdone, the Gamecocks missed 11 of 12 during Duke’s cold spell. They had 17 points at halftime — 10 fewer than their previous scoring low against Southern Cal.
UP NEXT
South Carolina plays host to Savannah State on Dec. 14.
Duke plays host to Oklahoma on Dec. 17.
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Follow Joedy McCreary on Twitter at http://twitter.com/joedyap
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