No. 6 Duke clinches ACC regular-season title with 83-65 win over No. 21 Virginia

No. 6 Duke routs No. 21 UVa, 83-65

DURHAM, N.C. — Jasmine Thomas scored 21 points and No. 6 Duke clinched the Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season title by routing No. 21 Virginia 83-65 on Friday night.

Allison Vernerey added 17 points and Joy Cheek scored 13 for the Blue Devils (24-4, 12-1), winners of six straight since their only ACC loss. They extended their dominance in the series by shooting nearly 48 percent, forcing 19 turnovers and starting the second half with an overwhelming run.

After beating Virginia for the 17th straight time and winning its 16th consecutive league game at home, Duke enters the regular-season finale at rival North Carolina on Sunday having already sewn up the top seed for next week’s ACC tournament.

Monica Wright, who entered averaging an ACC-best 22.7 points, had 15 of her 27 in the first half for Virginia (20-8, 8-5).

The Cavaliers, who lost their second straight, fell into a tie with No. 22 Georgia Tech for third in the ACC heading into Sunday’s finale against Virginia Tech.

Thomas, who was 6 of 19 from the field, shook off a slow start and hit a pair of 3-pointers during the 17-4 run out of the break that put the Blue Devils in control. Vernerey started the burst with a layup 13 seconds into the half and Thomas capped it with her second 3 to make it 51-36 with 14:50 remaining.

By then, Duke was well on its way to wrapping up the ninth ACC regular-season title in school history and the first under third-year coach Joanne P. McCallie. The Blue Devils hold the top seed in the conference tournament for the first time since the 2006-07 team reeled off 30 consecutive wins and claimed the No. 1 overall seed in that year’s NCAA tournament.

While this was Senior Night for Cheek and two other fourth-year players who were freshmen on that team, it wasn’t the last time they’ll take the court at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Durham is one of 16 sites for the NCAA’s opening weekend, meaning the Blue Devils won’t have to leave home until the regional semifinals.

Paulisha Kellum scored 13 points and Chelsea Shine added 10 for Virginia, which hasn’t won at Cameron Indoor Stadium since 1997.

Duke’s lead was just 34-32 after a sloppy first half that also included some cold shooting by the Blue Devils’ best player. The teams had combined for 20 turnovers at the break and Thomas missed eight of her first nine shots.

The only attempt Thomas made in that span was an important one — a 3-pointer, one of three 3s by the Blue Devils during the 15-5 run midway through that put them ahead to stay.