After a gripping loss on the road, the Blue Devils will face their most hostile environment yet.
No. 15 Duke returns to action Sunday evening looking to wipe a sour taste from its mouth, a 60-56 loss to Boston College—previously winless in ACC play. To avoid a two-game losing streak, the Blue Devils will have to take down No. 12 North Carolina at 5 p.m. at Carmichael Arena in Chapel Hill.
The Eagles shot the lights out to spring the upset Thursday in Chestnut Hill, Mass., connecting on 13 3-pointers while limiting Duke to just 2-of-11 shooting from downtown. The Tar Heels shoot just 30.2 percent from downtown, but have several guards capable of heating up.
“The bigger adjustment would be to better defend the three point line, which [Boston College] shot 40% from,” said Duke head coach Joanne P. McCallie. “That would be where we need to start.”
To get back on track against North Carolina, the Blue Devils (13-6, 4-2 in the ACC) will also need to make some more shots of their own. Duke shot just 32.7 percent from the floor Thursday and could use some added production from its backcourt. Against the Eagles, starters Rebecca Greenwell and Ka’lia Johnson combined for 13 points, with Greenwell scoring 11.
With only one scholarship guard on the bench in junior college transfer Mercedes Riggs, Greenwell and Johnson have logged heavy minutes in ACC play. Each played more than 33 minutes in Thursday's contest, and will look to improve on their 5-for-19 shooting effort Sunday against their rivals. Riggs—known for her tenacious defense—was scoreless in 18 minutes against the Eagles.
When the shots stop falling from the perimeter, Duke becomes increasingly reliant on its frontcourt, Another issue for the Blue Devils is the lack of balance. Only four out of the eight players scored in Thursday’s game, with only three breaking double digits. In fact, no bench players scored at all while the Eagles bench contributed 10. With an already thin roster, Duke needs to find a way for every player to contribute.
While there were many faults, the Blue Devil frontcourt was not one of them. The dynamic duo of senior Elizabeth Williams and freshman Azura Stevens was integral to keeping Duke in the game. The two combined for 43 of Duke’s 56—with Raliegh, N.C. native Stevens leading the team with 24 points. Both players also pulled down nine boards, leaving each one rebound shy of a double-double.
“Azura has been scoring points,” said McCallie. “She’s a terrific player, but she’s a better player because she can get rebounds and defend.”
Duke was caught struggling against a Boston College team that was below .500, but No. 12 North Carolina (17-3, 4-2) could not be farther from that. The Tar Heels are only one game behind in the ACC race for first place and two of their three losses came against ranked opponents.
The Tar Heel squad is a very balanced one. Last game against N.C. State, all starters scored within four points of each other and all logged very similar minutes on the court. One player to look out for in particular is Allisha Gray. The guard leads her team in points, averaging 16.3 per game. Last game, she posted a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds.
“[North Carolina] is a very good team, very balanced,” said McCallie. “There’s a reason why they’re ranked so high.”
Another Tar Heel to watch out for is Stephanie Mavunga. North Carolina’s sole presence in the paint is averaging 13.7 points per game along with 8.5 rebounds.
Duke will also be taking a team without many veterans into what could only be expected to be a hostile environment on the road against North Carolina. This will be an environment this team of freshman and many first-time starters will not be accustomed to. McCallie says, though, that the team can’t focus on what they can’t control and instead focus on their own performance, regardless of the setting.
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