No. 10 Duke women’s basketball will travel to Raleigh Monday for another ranked matchup, this time against No. 17 N.C. State. The Blue Zone is here with an overview of the Wolfpack and an X-Factor for both teams:
Overview
2023-24 record: 31-7, 13-5 in the ACC
2024-25 record: 17-4, 9-1 in the ACC
Head coach: Wes Moore
History: N.C. State leads 50-40
Last meeting: 54-51, N.C. State, March 8, 2024
N.C. State has morphed into a perennial power in the ACC, and Wes Moore’s squad is looking for its eighth-straight NCAA Tournament appearance. The Wolfpack opened the season with a gauntlet nonconference slate, dropping games against No. 2 South Carolina, No. 9 TCU and No. 7 LSU before a win against then-No. 18 Ole Miss. Now in conference play, No. 19 Cal has been the only blemish on perfection for the Wolfpack. Duke will be one of the few remaining true challenges for the group from Raleigh in the regular season.
Aside from an overtime loss at No. 19 North Carolina, the Blue Devils themselves have been on a tear through conference competition, highlighted by a 72-38 thumping of the Golden Bears and, most recently, a 55-50 win at then-No. 18 Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets were the latest victim amongst teams held to their lowest point total of the season against the Blue Devils. Defense is the name of the game for Duke, although this year head coach Kara Lawson’s team has also opened up the offensive floodgates at times. This is in part due to balanced scoring — three Blue Devils led the squad with 12 points in Atlanta — and strong rebounding. Duke has the second-best rebounding margin in the ACC, and holds opponents to a conference-best 32 boards per game.
That said, N.C. State is also potent off the glass, and places second in the conference in defensive rebounds. Raleigh is also home to guard Aziaha James, one of the best 3-point shooters and scorers in the ACC. Forcing turnovers, limiting James and continuing to win the rebounding battle are all key if the Blue Devils want to escape Reynolds Coliseum with a win.
X-Factor
Duke: Delaney Thomas
In the absence of a true center at times, Duke has relied on strong play from Thomas, along with fellow forwards Toby Fournier and Jordan Wood, to be strong in the frontcourt. Fournier has emerged as the star of this group, and is an excellent scorer and rebounder down low. It is likely that most of the Wolfpack's focus will be on the Canadian freshman, leaving Thomas as the next up to make an impact on the game. The 6-foot-3 sophomore is one of the team’s best rebounders as of late, and her ability to get her group more chances will be vital Monday.
N.C. State: Madison Hayes
Hayes is a do-it-all guard for N.C. State, morphing into a huge asset for her team. Her season highs in points, rebounds, blocks and steals have all come in her last four games, leaving her primed for another strong performance against Duke. In a similar vein to Thomas, with a lot of the Blue Devils’ focus likely placed on limiting James, it will be up to players like Hayes to get rebounds, protect the ball and get it back to the key scorers for the Wolfpack. Her experience as a graduate student is always something to take into account when N.C. State is on the table, placing the burden on Duke’s youthful energy to get a huge ranked win.
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