Duke’s Lawson says ‘coach’s decision’ kept Canada’s Fournier on bench for crucial play
Down two points with less than 30 seconds to go, one of Duke’s best players was sitting on the bench.
Down two points with less than 30 seconds to go, one of Duke’s best players was sitting on the bench.
Canadian freshman forward Toby Fournier watched from the sidelines as teammate Ashlon Jackson air-balled a three-pointer on the team’s final possession, sealing a 54-50 loss against South Carolina and knocking the Blue Devils out of March Madness in the Elite Eight.
The prolific Toronto native led the game in scoring with 18 points and added six rebounds (five offensive), one steal and three blocks, but just before the game’s most crucial moment, she was subbed out.
Duke head coach Kara Lawson told reporters that it was a “coach’s decision.”
“Went with the ball in Ashlon’s hands,” Lawson said, per ESPN’s Michael Voepel. “She had been making plays for us in the fourth quarter out of the ball screen. She tried to make a play and just missed it.”
Up to that point in the game, Jackson, a third-year guard, had 13 points and was 4-for-12 from the field and 2-for-7 from three-point range. She also had three rebounds and six assists.
However, she failed to score in the fourth quarter, and the two assists she did pick up were on baskets made by Fournier.
Even South Carolina players were shocked the freshman phenom wasn’t on the floor for the final seconds of the game.
“I actually was surprised,” Gamecocks forward Sania Feagin said after the game, “because she was killing us in the paint.”
Fournier, however, took the high road following the loss, saying that she trusts coach Lawson and knows that whatever she chooses to do is the right decision for the team.
“If there’s one thing about Coach Kara … she knows basketball,” Fournier said. “I had trust in her vision and what she was planning on doing.”
Fournier, 19, has arguably been Blue Devils’ best player in her first season. She finished the season averaging a team-high 13.1 points, along with 5.3 rebounds, 0.8 steals and 1.1 blocks per game — all while playing all 35 of her games this season coming off the bench.
The Crestwood Prep product was named the ACC Rookie of the Year and was included on the All-ACC and ACC All-Freshman teams.
Following the loss, both Fournier and Jackson were named to the Birmingham 2 All-Regional Team.
