Wasting no time after its finals-week hiatus, Duke is getting ready to play its second of three games in a five-day stretch.
The No. 13 Blue Devils take on UMass Lowell for the first time in school history Friday at 6:30 p.m. at Cameron Indoor Stadium. After three straight losses—the squad’s first such stretch since the 2007-08 season—Duke got back on track with a resounding victory, scoring a season-high 92 points to beat Oklahoma by 20 points Wednesday night.
“We played well in those [last four games]. It’s a learning process for us, and I thought we got a little bit better,” head coach Joanne P. McCallie said. “[Friday is] just another chance for us to get better.”
Entering Friday’s contest averaging 70.6 points per game, the River Hawks are led by two senior guards—Shannon Samuels and Jasmine McRoy—who are both averaging double-digit points and shooting better than 30 percent from beyond the arc. Both starters have scored more points so far this season than any Blue Devil, with 131 and 128, respectively.
The formidable duo has helped UMass Lowell (5-4) to wins in five of its last six games and will be the main offensive threat against a Duke squad that will likely dominate the paint led by three-time All-American Elizabeth Williams.
“The two guards are really key. [Samuels and Mcroy], they’re very athletic; they play off the bounce and shoot their threes, so stopping them in transition and just really going after those two guards will be key,” McCallie said.
Although the River Hawks average more points than Duke (6-3) scored in any of its losses, they allow 72.2 points per game, giving them a negative point differential in the Blue Devils’ favor.
Williams helped revitalize the Duke offense after its losing streak and break from the action Wednesday night against the Sooners. The senior averages a double-double—one of just four players in the ACC to do so—with 14.4 points and 11.0 rebounds per game and looks to be healthy after battling an early-season ankle injury.
Against the Sooners, Williams scored a season-high 26 points—the most of any player on this year’s squad—and grabbed a career-high 20 rebounds as well.
“Elizabeth’s performance was fantastic against Oklahoma,” McCallie said. “Pursuing the highest level is a lot of fun for her, and she’ll continue to do that, and we’ve just got to get better as a team.”
Also featured in the Duke starting lineup are three freshmen—redshirt Rebecca Greenwell, Azura Stevens and Sierra Calhoun. All three newcomers are averaging double-figures in their first seasons playing in Durham. Not to be overlooked, the starting freshmen have combined with those off the bench to score 53.4 percent of their team’s total points this season.
The Blue Devils are undefeated against unranked opponents in their last 136 games within the friendly confines of Cameron Indoor Stadium. But although there may be a home court advantage, location can’t guarantee a win and Duke will be playing to meet its own standards in addition to taking on UMass Lowell Thursday night.
“It’s not automatic, for sure—it’s what we make it,” McCallie said. “It’s how we take a mature approach to each game and really focus on what we want to do.”
After Friday’s game, Duke will have just one day off before facing No. 8 Kentucky Sunday at 3 p.m looking for its first victory against a ranked opponent this season.
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