Defense and energy key Duke women's basketball's run against North Carolina

The Duke women's basketball team defeated North Carolina 92-73 to win their third ACC title in four years. Freshman point guard Alexis Jones scored 24 points and was named MVP of the tournament.
The Duke women's basketball team defeated North Carolina 92-73 to win their third ACC title in four years. Freshman point guard Alexis Jones scored 24 points and was named MVP of the tournament.

GREENSBORO, N.C.—Duke’s matchup with North Carolina in the championship game of the ACC tournament began similarly to the teams’ second meeting of the season March 3—an exhibition of sloppy, physical play.

Again, top-seeded Duke proved victorious, beating the third-seeded Tar Heels 92-73 at the Greensboro Coliseum.

Much like the Blue Devils’ previous contest, North Carolina was able to take advantage of Duke’s mistakes and jump out to an early lead. But just like the week before, a big run swung momentum in Duke’s favor and put the game away.

Last week, a 22-2 run in the second half that gave the Blue Devils the decisive edge they needed. But Sunday's run told a different tale.

With 12:35 remaining in the first half, Brittany Rountree hit a 3-pointer from NBA range to give the Tar Heels a 16-10 advantage. And then the game seemed to turn on a dime.

In the final 11:48 of the first half, Duke outscored North Carolina 29-8. The Blue Devils then opened the second half with a 10-2 run to extend their lead to 23. From that point onward, it seemed as though the crowd at the Greensboro Coliseum was just waiting for the Blue Devils to cut down the nets.

Although flawless shooting and execution were on display during this stretch, Duke’s offensive outburst was fueled by its energy and execution on the defensive end.

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“Our defense has been growing a great deal. We’re still not at the point where we’re getting enough steals for our liking, but we’re getting more deflections,” head coach Joanne P. McCallie said. “That kind of consistency on defensive ball pressure is really important. It goes back to the team. It goes back to leadership.”

For a large part of Duke’s run to close the first half, the Blue Devils featured a lineup comprised of the team’s defensive stoppers off the bench. Chloe Wells, Richa Jackson and Ka’lia Johnson rarely see the floor together because they all fill a similar role on the floor—high energy, defensive-minded substitutes.

But the trio helped Duke to clamp down on the defensive end. After forcing just two turnovers in the first 10 minutes of the contest, the Blue Devils forced five Tar Heel turnovers in the final 5:12 of the first half.

“We kept getting steals and the crowd got into it,” Jackson said. “We got hype and that fueled our energy on both ends of the floor.”

During one stretch, Duke forced a turnover on three straight possessions. Elizabeth Williams added an emphatic block on North Carolina’s next trip down the floor before the Tar heels turned the ball over again on their next possession.

This span lasted just a few minutes, but each stop whipped the Blue Devil bench into a frenzy. Duke scored on all five of its ensuing possessions, extending its lead to 17 points.

“I was on the bench so I got to watch it,” junior Haley Peters said. “We did a lot of great things defensively, pushing the tempo and getting deflections and steals that led to some easy scores. Those were great morale boosters for us.”

One of the keys to the Blue Devils’ offensive execution was its ball control. Although Duke struggled with turnovers for the second consecutive game and gave the ball away eight times in the first half, the Blue Devils did not turn the ball over for the final 5:57 of the period.

The Tar Heels were left with an insurmountable challenge—trying to stop a team that could not seem to falter on either end of the floor.

“It feels great. When you start clicking, it’s like nothing can stop you,” Jackson said. “I don’t know how to explain it, I just love those runs.”

Duke faced a seemingly insurmountable challenge of its own when it lost point guard Chelsea Gray midway through its conference schedule, a challenge that forced the team to reinvent itself down the stretch. As the Blue Devils cut down the nets following their third ACC tournament championship in the last four seasons Sunday, it appears that their transformation is nearing completion after a dominant performance.

The season now has new life, and Duke appears more confident than ever as it heads into NCAA tournament play with a goal that seemed unrealistic four weeks ago—its first trip to the NCAA tournament semifinals in McCallie’s tenure.

“Overall, everybody has just stepped up,” Peters said. “I think everybody is just very focused on what we are trying to do as a team. We’ve come together and we’re playing together and fighting together better than we have all year.”

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