What a performance by the No. 2-seed Duke Blue Devils. Head coach Kara Lawson and her squad just held the 14-seed Charleston Cougars to 64 points in their first-round matchup to breeze through to the Round of 32.
The 81-64 win over the Cougars was just the first step in Duke's postseason charge, and up next, the road gets even rockier as they take on the winner of No. 6-seed Baylor versus No. 11-seed Nebraska.
If the Blue Devils want to make yet another deep run in the Big Dance, star forward Toby Fournier is going to have to continue producing her usual numbers (if not better) to continue pushing her team to victory.
Toby Fournier pushes (3) Duke to dominant win over (14) Charleston
By halftime, Duke had already built a 45-26 lead and, unsurprisingly, Fournier had led the Blue Devils' charge to their 19-point lead. All season, Fournier had led the Blue Devils in points (17.3), rebounds (8.2), and blocks (2.3) per game.
In Duke's first game of the NCAA Tournament, she was set to blow those numbers out of the water. By the end of the game, Fournier earned 24 points, seven rebounds, and two blocks in just 24 minutes of play as Lawson let her rest up ahead of another battle in two days.
I want whatever Toby Fournier had for breakfast this morning! SHE IS COOKIN‼️#MarchMadness x 🎥 ESPN2 pic.twitter.com/k4tPBG4X2Y
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessWBB) March 20, 2026
Beyond her stats, Fournier's presence and poise on the court were palpable at Cameron Indoor, and her continued level-headedness was a massive part of why Duke was able to secure a win so easily.
Also read: Kara Lawson and Blue Devils best Louisville to defend ACC Tournament title
Nebraska and Baylor will tip off at 2 p.m. ET to determine who will face the Blue Devils in the second round, but either opponent would be a significantly more formidable foe than Charleston was. In other words, Fournier is going to have to play even better as the tournament progresses.