They say the devil is in the details. But in Durham, the Blue Devils are in the details — and the numbers:
17
On Monday, the Blue Devils travelled to Virginia and routed the Cavaliers in an stellar 80-62 road win. While the victory itself is impressive, the number of Duke players contributing to the team’s success is even more so. Three different players tallied 17 total points Monday: Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel, and Isaiah Evans. Flagg and Knueppel’s dominance is nothing new, however, the surge in Evans’ productivity is a sign of good things to come. Just one point shy of his season high, Evans racked up scores while remaining a steadfast defender, recording two blocks on top of his offensive success. While the Blue Devils starting lineup is unlikely to change any time soon, Evans’ ability to perform when called upon ensures that he will continue growing in his rotational role as Duke moves forward into March Madness.
18
No. 14 Duke softball has faced adversity this season, dropping six places from their earlier no. 8 position after a string of tough losses. Despite these struggles, the Blue Devils have bounced back, racking up strong victories such as their 8-1 domination of No. 3 Florida. A large part of this success falls on the shoulders of junior Aminah Vega. The 5-foot-7 infielder leads Duke in scoring, recording an unmatched 18 RBIs in just 11 games, twice as many as the next best on the team. With the addition of runs scored, Vega has contributed to 25 Blue Devil runs in total. Despite Aminah’s individual success, Duke’s ability to string together wins moving forward rests in the roster’s ability to put forth complementary play and succeed as a larger unit.
62
Duke’s men’s basketball team has found a recipe for success this season from the 3-point line, with Tyrese Proctor leading the way with 62 made threes. While not readily recognized, the women’s basketball team has seen a 3-point shooter just as prolific as Proctor. Ashlon Jackson, a 6-foot junior from China, Texas, has rained threes on any team unfortunate enough to play the Blue Devils, recording 62 made 3-pointers of her own. Jackson’s success is all the more impressive in the context of this year’s Duke team; the guard has recorded more than double the amount of made threes as the Blue Devils’ next-best long-distance shooter. Regardless of the junior’s success, though, Duke’s women’s basketball team remains firmly rooted at No. 11 in the AP Poll, meaning more than just Jackson’s contributions are needed to find success mirroring that of the men’s team.
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