In their last meeting, Duke thrashed Vanderbilt in the second round of the 2012 NCAA tournament, beating them on their home court and shooting 65 percent from the field.
The Blue Devils look to repeat that performance when they take on the Commodores at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. Facing its second consecutive SEC opponent after dispatching Alabama 92-57 Sunday, Duke will have a chance to extend its streak of 124 straight home wins against unranked opponents when it hosts Vanderbilt.
Although the teams met just two seasons ago, Duke head coach Joanne P. McCallie insisted that this is a very different Commodore squad.
“It’s always a new day and a new game,” McCallie said. “Different season, different team, different circumstances. It’s a fresh year so to speak, and we’re responsible for what we create today.”
Haley Peters was the Blue Devils' catalyst in that 2012 contest, scoring a career-high 25 points and shooting 12-of-16 from the field. Peters has been on a tear as of late, notching back-to-back double-doubles in victories against USC Upstate and Alabama, scoring 17 points and grabbing 20 rebounds in Duke's home-opener.
The Blue Devils (4-0) controlled the rebounding battle against the Crimson Tide, totaling 47 boards compared to just 27 for Alabama. Duke will be favored to command the paint again against a Vanderbilt (3-1) squad that does not have a player taller than 6-foot-1.
“I think I’d like to see our guards in general get more rebounds, be more prolific on the defensive board, and also just do a better overall job of shot contesting and 1-on-1 stops because our guards will be challenged directly by their guards,” said McCallie.
Vanderbilt’s young starting lineup is composed of three freshmen and a sophomore. The Commodores' three-guard offense is led by guard Christina Foggie and thrives on the senior's playmaking abilities. She led the team in scoring in the 2012 contest against the Blue Devils with 26 points, and is recently coming off a 30-point performance against Marquette in which she shot 16-of-18 from the foul line.
“She plays off the bounce, [and] she can hit the 3-point shot. You have to locate her in transition, you have to locate her in their quarter-court offense,” McCallie said. “It’ll take a total team defensive effort to slow her down and take her out of rhythm.”
Opponents have had no answer for Duke’s fast-paced, pressure defense that has taken players out of the game and dissipated their adversaries’ team chemistry.
Forcing 26 turnovers and turning those miscues into 37 points against Alabama, Duke’s employment of half-court traps and full-court press could be problematic for Vanderbilt. The Blue Devils coerced the Commodores into giving the ball away 18 times in 2012.
Duke has struggled with turnover problems of its own, giving the ball away 21 times against the Crimson Tide. The Blue Devils only had 13 mistakes against Vanderbilt in their last meeting.
“We have to do a better job taking care of the ball, and a great job attacking their zone defense,” McCallie said.
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