Riding an eight-game win streak, Duke will look to keep its unbeaten ACC record intact when it travels to the Arena at Gwinnett Center to face the Yellow Jackets tonight at 7 p.m.
For the No. 5 Blue Devils (14-2, 5-0 in the ACC), their first contest in Atlanta since 2010 could be a trap game given their looming home showdown with No. 8 Maryland this weekend. Duke, however, cannot afford to overlook a quality Georgia Tech squad that returns 12 players from last year’s team, which reached the second round of the NCAA tournament.
This season, the Yellow Jackets (13-5, 3-2) have proven they can compete with the upper echelon ACC teams. Earlier this month, Georgia Tech took the Terrapins to the wire in College Park, Md. before falling 77-74, and they are currently riding a two-game conference win streak.
Georgia Tech relies heavily on its potent scoring duo of Tyaunna Marshall, a crafty 5-foot-9 sophomore guard, and one of the ACC’s best interior players in senior center Sasha Goodlett. The two average 16.2 and 14.9 points per game, respectively. Goodlet has been especially difficult to defend lately, averaging 21.3 points and 10.7 rebounds in her last three games.
Coming off another 20-point performance in Sunday’s win over Virginia Tech and her fifth ACC rookie of the week award this season, Duke freshman forward Elizabeth Williams will likely face one of her most difficult matchups of the season. Georgia Tech’s frontcourt has the size, skill and depth to potentially neutralize Williams. Yellow Jacket forwards Goodlett, Danielle Hamilton-Carter and LaQuananisha Adams all stand 6-foot-4 or better and can run the floor exceptionally well for their stature.
For the Blue Devils to maintain their place atop the ACC standings and pick up their biggest road victory to date, it will be crucial for Williams—who has committed a team-high 39 personal fouls this season—to avoid foul trouble and stay on the court.
In the aftermath of the losses of Chloe Wells and Amber Henson, Duke has struggled to spread the scoring load. The depleted bench has combined for just 22 points in the last two games, and sophomore Haley Peters has just 11 points in that span.
Tricia Liston has picked up some of the slack to ensure that Duke’s conference record stay unblemished. The 6-foot-1 sophomore is averaging 13.5 points per game in her last two contests, including a 20-point outburst to lift Duke over Florida State last week.
Gaining momentum in Atlanta is vital for a Blue Devil squad about to start one of its more difficult stretches of the season. In two of its next three games, Duke will host national championship contenders Maryland and No. 3 Connecticut.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.