TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - If offense wins games and defense wins championships, then No. 3 Duke discovered Thursday that it needs plenty more work with the latter to be a championship-level team.
In a matchup between the top two teams in the ACC, No. 18 Florida State edged the Blue Devils 82-75 in overtime, snapping Duke's 15-game winning streak in the Tucker Center. The Seminoles (18-4, 6-0 in the ACC) not only handed Duke (17-2, 5-1) its first defeat since Nov. 15, but also managed to produce the most points the Blue Devils have allowed all season.
The Blue Devils came into the game ranked first in the ACC in defense, allowing 52.9 points per game and holding opponents to a 32.2 percent field goal clip. Although defense is usually one of the team's strengths, the Blue Devils allowed the Seminoles' offense to break them down.
"Many times throughout the year we are asked about offense," head coach Joanne P. McCallie said. "Offensive is overrated.... We scored plenty of points, but we didn't stop anybody, and we needed some critical stops down the stretch."
Offense did not deter Duke from victory, as the team had four players score in double-figures, including sophomore guard Jasmine Thomas, who led the way with 16 points. Throughout the game, the Blue Devils constantly attacked the basket, outscoring the Seminoles 40-20 in points in the paint.
Despite the point disparity in the post, though, the Blue Devils allowed Florida State to win the rebounding margin, 40-33. Prior to Thursday's content, the Duke averaged a rebounding edge of more than 10 boards per game.
It became increasingly clear, though, that the Seminoles did look at the Blue Devils' statistics before the matchup.
"I was very disappointed we were outrebounded, which is such a key component to winning," McCallie said. "Perhaps when coaches talk about defense and rebounding, there is a reason."
Even Florida State head coach Sue Semrau commented on the importance of those two aspects of the game and attributed her team's victory to its ability to outplay the Blue Devils in those two categories.
"Duke's defense is tremendous. they have been at the top spot of conference in that category all year," Semrau said. "We set better screens and had a much better night on the boards than they did."
It may have just been an off night for the Blue Devils defensively, as even senior center Chante Black, who averages close to 10 rebounds a game, only managed half of that output.
Yet as McCallie stressed after the game, it is important for her team to regain its defensive presence. The Blue Devils could not stop Florida State down the stretch, as the Seminoles managed to come back from a six-point deficit with less than 50 seconds remaining in the game. Duke's inability to thwart the comeback attempt is what ultimately led to overtime, where Florida State went on to claim the victory.
"We're going to have to be a team who defends and rebounds," McCallie said. "That is what we had been up until this point."
Except Thursday, when Florida State, instead, earned that description.
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