A 16-16 halftime score is not the norm for women’s college basketball even when two top-20 teams with lockdown defenses match up. But, that score was exactly what happened when Duke faced off against North Carolina.
“This wasn't really of the pleasurable viewing variety, probably for everybody,” head coach Kara Lawson said of the contest riddled with turnovers and fouls.
Anything can happen in a rivalry matchup, but the Blue Devils had every reason to believe that they were walking into Carmichael Arena with all of the momentum Thursday evening. They were coming off of a comprehensive win against Pittsburgh and had been averaging more than 80 points per game, while the Tar Heels had just lost to Notre Dame a few days prior. Despite that, it was clear from the onset that the streak of offensive production was coming to an end.
Duke has struggled getting off to quick starts on offense at points this season, mostly notably in its loss to South Florida a few weeks ago, and Thursday’s matchup was an amalgamation of that weakness. Everything that the Blue Devils did so well against Pittsburgh — bench points, points in transition, second-chance points — felt stilted against North Carolina.
“Our defense was good enough to win. You give up 53 points in an overtime game. I mean, that's good enough defense to win, right?” Lawson said.
But as time went on and the second half started, it would prove that even Duke’s stellar defense was simply not enough to make up for an off night on offense, a fact that could be worrying as the Blue Devils continue down the stretch in the ACC.
The third quarter showed that there is only so much a defense, even one as good as Duke’s, can do when offensive production is missing. The Blue Devils would not score until just under two minutes left in the third quarter with North Carolina leading the game 32-16. Several times, it seemed as though Duke had the perfect opportunity to score, such as when North Carolina’s Alyssa Ustby turned the ball over into the Blue Devils’ waiting hands. But on the other end, Oluchi Okananwa missed the shot that would have given her team some much-needed points.
Throughout the painful third quarter, the Blue Devil defense continued to make key stops and ensured that North Carolina did not run away with the game as they forced five turnovers and made the Tar Heels work for every basket. Still, the defense effort translated to nothing on offense.
“We got 15 more shot attempts than they did. We just weren't able to finish,” Lawson said. “It felt like we missed a lot of layups out there.”
Indeed, the Blue Devils went 7-of-24 for layups, an incredibly low percentage that contributed to Duke’s 23.5% shooting percentage. The usually lethal scoring duo of Reigan Richardson and Ashlon Jackson were quiet most of the evening, with Jackson being the only Blue Devil to reach double-digit scoring in the contest. And while both teams struggled with shooting — the Tar Heels shot 32.1% from the floor — North Carolina seemed to have mastered the art of making shots when it mattered. With the game tied 43-43 in overtime, Lexi Donarski made a clutch 3-pointer for the home team, her first make of the game, effectively icing the Blue Devils’ chances of completing the comeback.
As Lawson said, her team’s defense was good enough to win, and while the offense production this season certainly has picked up, something simply seemed off against North Carolina. The frantic pacing of the game, especially late in the third and fourth quarter, led to an uncharacteristic amount of traveling violations and turnovers for Duke as it desperately tried to light the offensive spark.
“Certainly you want to win [these games], but it's all a learning experience in terms of being in pressure situations, having to execute offensively and defensively,” Lawson said.
The road in the ACC does not get any easier for the Blue Devils, and they will need to learn fast. Duke will play Georgia Tech at the end of month while ACC powerhouse Notre Dame awaits in mid-February. Against those teams, a slow start or stifled offensive production like against North Carolina would assuredly spell disaster.
Duke must now bounce back quickly as it travels to Charlottesville, Va., to face off against Virginia January 12.
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