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Durham, Durham County

Durham: No. 4 Duke women beat Florida Atlantic 78-56

Autumn Fleary scored 14 Sunday in Boca Raton. Duke's box lists the Owls at 1-2. The Blue Devils are 2-0.

ConfirmedThe main facts are confirmed by official or first-hand sources.

By Alexandru Stanciu · Published

The downtown Durham skyline under an overcast sky

File photo: Discover Durham (CC BY 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons.

What we know

Confirmed

  • No. 4 Duke beat Florida Atlantic 78-56 on Sunday, Nov. 8, 2026. Duke's recap, Duke's official box score, Florida Atlantic's recap and the Associated Press all list that final. The box places the game at Abessinio Court at Eleanor R. Baldwin Arena in Boca Raton, Fla., with a 1 p.m. tip, a playing time of 2:14 and attendance of 859. Florida Atlantic's recap uses the same arena and a 1 p.m. tip.Confirmed by Duke Athletics recap and box score; Florida Atlantic Athletics recap; Associated Press
  • Duke's box lists Duke at 2-0 and Florida Atlantic at 1-2. Duke's recap header and Florida Atlantic's recap header use those same records. ESPN's final also lists Duke 2-0 and Florida Atlantic 1-2, and ranks Duke No. 4. A sentence in the Florida Atlantic narrative says the Owls fall to 2-1. This file uses 1-2.Confirmed by Duke Athletics box score and recap; Florida Atlantic Athletics recap; ESPN final
  • By quarter, Duke scored 20, 17, 19 and 22. Florida Atlantic scored 9, 14, 18 and 15. Both recaps say the halftime score was 37-23.Confirmed by Duke Athletics box score; Duke Athletics recap; Florida Atlantic Athletics recap
  • Autumn Fleary scored 14 points on 6 of 9 shooting. Duke's recap calls that a career high. Aaliyah Crump scored 13, with 3 blocks and 2 steals. Bella Flemings scored 11. Toby Fournier scored 10. Riley Nelson had 8 rebounds and 5 points. Duke's recap says Fournier's points were her first of the season. The AP also lists Fleary at 14 and Fournier at 10 in her first game of the season.Confirmed by Duke Athletics box score and recap; Associated Press
  • Erin Rodgers led Florida Atlantic with 11 points. Jaelynn Housey scored 10. Those totals are on Duke's box and in Florida Atlantic's recap.Confirmed by Duke Athletics box score; Florida Atlantic Athletics recap
  • Duke shot 31 of 64 from the field, 3 of 11 from three and 13 of 22 at the free-throw line, with 47 rebounds, 13 assists, 15 turnovers, 10 steals and 8 blocks. Florida Atlantic shot 19 of 59, 8 of 19 from three and 10 of 12 at the line, with 32 rebounds, 11 assists and 20 turnovers. Duke's recap says the Blue Devils had 22 second-chance points and 21 points off turnovers.Confirmed by Duke Athletics box score and recap
  • The Associated Press reported that Duke had been scheduled to play North Texas on Sunday in San Antonio, and that Florida Atlantic agreed to host after that game was cancelled. Florida Atlantic announced the Sunday home game on Nov. 6. Duke's game recap does not retell the scheduling change.Confirmed by Associated Press; Florida Atlantic Athletics announcement, Nov. 6, 2026
  • Duke's recap says the Blue Devils finish a two-game road trip at Norfolk State on Nov. 12, with tip at 7 p.m. This site already covered Duke's 76-60 season-opening win over Green Bay on Nov. 3.Confirmed by Duke Athletics recap; Triangle Local Nov. 3 file

Still unknown

  • Why Florida Atlantic's recap narrative says the Owls fall to 2-1. The record line on that page, Duke's box and the ESPN final all list 1-2
  • Why ESPN's game page still names American Airlines Center in Dallas. Duke's box and Florida Atlantic's recap place the game in Boca Raton. This file uses Boca Raton. ESPN's attendance figure, 859, matches the Duke box

What happened

In Durham, the No. 4 Duke women's basketball team beat Florida Atlantic 78-56 on Sunday, Nov. 8, 2026.

The game was at Abessinio Court at Eleanor R. Baldwin Arena in Boca Raton, Fla. Duke's box lists a 1 p.m. tip, a playing time of 2 hours 14 minutes, and attendance of 859. Duke's recap, that box, Florida Atlantic's recap and the Associated Press all list 78-56. Duke is 2-0.

Florida Atlantic's record on the Duke box, on both schools' headers, and on the ESPN final is 1-2. A sentence in the Florida Atlantic story says the Owls fall to 2-1. That sentence does not match the record line on the same page. This file uses 1-2.

By quarter, Duke scored 20, 17, 19 and 22. Florida Atlantic scored 9, 14, 18 and 15. Halftime was 37-23.

This is a separate game from Duke's 76-60 opening win over Green Bay.

Who scored

Autumn Fleary scored 14 points on 6 of 9 shooting. Duke's recap calls that a career high. Aaliyah Crump scored 13, with 3 blocks and 2 steals. Bella Flemings scored 11. Toby Fournier scored 10. The school write-up says those were Fournier's first points of the season. Riley Nelson had 8 rebounds and 5 points. The AP lists Fleary at 14, Fournier at 10, Crump at 13 and Flemings at 11.

Erin Rodgers led Florida Atlantic with 11. Jaelynn Housey scored 10. Both of those totals are on the Duke box and in the Owls' recap.

Duke shot 31 of 64 from the field, 3 of 11 from three and 13 of 22 at the line, with 47 rebounds, 13 assists, 15 turnovers, 10 steals and 8 blocks. Florida Atlantic shot 19 of 59, 8 of 19 from three and 10 of 12 at the line, with 32 rebounds and 20 turnovers. Duke's recap adds 22 second-chance points and 21 points off turnovers.

Where it was played

ESPN's game page still names American Airlines Center in Dallas, and it lists attendance of 859. The score on that page is 78-56, which matches. The arena on Duke's box and on Florida Atlantic's recap is Eleanor R. Baldwin Arena in Boca Raton. This file uses Boca Raton. The 859 figure is the one printed on the Duke box.

The Associated Press reported that Duke had been booked to play North Texas on Sunday in San Antonio, and that Florida Atlantic agreed to host after that game was cancelled. Florida Atlantic announced the home date on Nov. 6, for a 1 p.m. tip on ESPN+. Duke's game recap does not retell that change.

Thursday

Duke's recap says the Blue Devils play at Norfolk State on Nov. 12. Tip is 7 p.m. The school calls it the end of a two-game road trip.

More Triangle sports is on this site. Durham stories are on the county page.

Triangle Local is not Duke, Florida Atlantic, or either conference.

Related coverage

Photos

Text-only. No athletics photographs are used here.

Why it matters

Durham's No. 4 women's basketball team stayed unbeaten on the road in a game added late to the weekend. Readers need the official final, the arena, and which record belongs to Florida Atlantic.

Updates

  1. Nov 8, 2026, 8:14 PM

    First file from the Duke recap and box, the Florida Atlantic recap, the Associated Press and the ESPN final. Florida Atlantic's 2-1 sentence is not used. The arena is Boca Raton, not the Dallas building still listed on ESPN. No athletics photos. lead is false.

Sources

  1. Duke Upends Florida Atlantic, 78-56, Sunday Afternoon (Duke Athletics recap, Nov. 8, 2026: fourth-ranked Duke 78, Florida Atlantic 56, at Eleanor R. Baldwin Arena; Duke 2-0; Fleary career-high 14; Crump 13; Flemings 11; Fournier 10, called her first points of the season; Nelson eight rebounds; halftime 37-23; 47-32 rebounds; 22 second-chance points; 21 points off turnovers; 20 Florida Atlantic turnovers; next at Norfolk State, Nov. 12, 7 p.m. The page URL still contains 76-58. The headline and the body say 78-56. Text-only. No athletics photos used.)

    Official sourcePublished by Duke Athletics · Checked Nov 8, 2026, 8:14 PM

  2. Official Basketball Box Score — Final, Duke at Fla. Atlantic (PDF: Duke 78, record 2-0; Florida Atlantic 56, record 1-2; Abessinio Court at Eleanor R. Baldwin Arena, Boca Raton, Fla.; 1:00 p.m.; duration 2:14; attendance 859; quarters 20-17-19-22 and 9-14-18-15; Fleary 14 on 6-9; Crump 13, 3 blocks, 2 steals; Flemings 11; Fournier 10; Nelson 5 points, 8 rebounds; Rodgers 11; Housey 10; Duke 31-64, 3-11, 13-22, 47 rebounds, 15 turnovers; Florida Atlantic 19-59, 8-19, 10-12, 32 rebounds, 20 turnovers)

    Official sourcePublished by Duke Athletics · Checked Nov 8, 2026, 8:14 PM

  3. Florida Atlantic Challenged No. 4 Duke on Sunday (FAU Athletics recap, Nov. 8, 2026, Boca Raton, 1 p.m.: 78-56 on Abessinio Court at Eleanor R. Baldwin Arena; header record Florida Atlantic 1-2 and Duke 2-0; narrative sentence says the Owls fall to 2-1, which this file does not use; quarters match the Duke box; Rodgers 11; Housey 10; halftime 37-23. Text-only. No athletics photos used.)

    Official sourcePublished by Florida Atlantic Athletics · Checked Nov 8, 2026, 8:14 PM

  4. No. 4 Duke women travel to beat FAU 78-56 after scheduling the game about 48 hours prior to tip (Associated Press: Fleary 14; Fournier 10 in her first game of the season; Crump 13; Flemings 11; Rodgers 11; Housey 10; Duke 2-0; 78-56 on Sunday. AP reports a cancelled North Texas game in San Antonio and a Florida Atlantic home date arranged afterward. The AP dateline is Fort Lauderdale. The arena in this file is the one on the school sheets, in Boca Raton. Text-only. No AP photos used.)

    Third-party sourcePublished by Associated Press · Checked Nov 8, 2026, 8:14 PM

  5. Women's Basketball Adds Home Game Sunday Versus No. 4 Duke (FAU Athletics, Nov. 6, 2026: Sunday, Nov. 8, 1 p.m., Abessinio Court at Eleanor R. Baldwin Arena, ESPN+)

    Official sourcePublished by Florida Atlantic Athletics · Checked Nov 8, 2026, 8:14 PM

  6. ESPN women's college basketball scoreboard for Nov. 8, 2026 (Final: Duke 78, Florida Atlantic 56; Duke rank 4; records 2-0 and 1-2; attendance 859. The venue field still reads American Airlines Center, Dallas. That building is not used. The score and the records are.)

    Third-party sourcePublished by ESPN · Checked Nov 8, 2026, 8:14 PM

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