Senior Elizabeth Williams' inside presence has proved the difference maker for Duke in countless games during her four-year career at Duke. In the wake of the Blue Devils' most recent shooting drought, her performances have shined despite losing outcomes.
In the past two contests, Williams has amassed more playing time than any of her teammates, hitting the hardwood for a grand total of 73 minutes. During those minutes the Virginia Beach, Va., native has combined for 37 points, 19 rebounds, two blocks and three steals.
At the same time, Duke has shot a dismal 3-of-18 from three-point range, struggling to attack the basket and settling for low percentage shots. The shooting woes reached a fever pitch in Monday's loss to Notre Dame, when the Blue Devils were held scoreless from beyond the arc for the first time this season. In Sunday’s losing effort against the Wolfpack, Duke faired only slightly better, ending the three-point drought with a bucket from freshman Rebecca Greenwell in the beginning of the second half.
“We got a lot of looks that we wanted but we just couldn’t covert,” Williams said. “We could have moved the ball a little better for sure. There were times we were deep in the shot clock, but we could have attacked more. There were a lot of things we could have done.”
Against Notre Dame, the 6-foot-3 center’s dominance in the paint guided the Blue Devils to their early 14-5 lead and 45-37 rebounding advantage. Against N.C. State, Williams was the biggest factor keeping the Blue Devils in the game, adding 19 points en route to becoming the second Duke player to notch 1,000 career rebounds.
The record-setting board came with 15:07 left in the second half after Amber Henson got a look from beyond the arc and fired off a shot that rattled of the back of the iron. Williams crashed the boards for the sixth time in the game, corralling the loose ball and cementing her name among the all-time great Duke rebounders.
Although Sunday’s loss to in-state rival N.C. State represents a rather large storm cloud hovering over the squad, Williams’ millennial board provides a silver lining—showcasing the Blue Devils’ potential when they play to their strengths and attack the paint.
“We’re a paint team," head coach Joanne P. McCallie said. “We just have to do a better job taking care of the basketball, get to the free-throw line more. We’re a rebounding team and a defensive team. Points in the paint is who we are. We can’t expect to make anything up [by shooting from the perimeter].”
In addition to making an impact on the glass, Williams continues to be an invaluable leader to freshman Azura Stevens. Posting 13 points and 10 rebounds against the Wolfpack, Stevens notched her third double-double Sunday in just as many games. Williams’ mentoring of the freshman, has helped the Cary, N.C. native develop into one of Duke’s most potent offensive weapons.
With only two games left in the regular season, Williams' post play, rebounding and rim protection is keeping Duke afloat despite frequent set-backs. With Greenwell and senior Ka'lia Johnson packing the backcourt, the pieces are definitely there for a tournament run—however, the Blue Devils will need to raise the intensity of their game in order to make that a reality.
“Mentally, we just have to be tougher,” Williams said. “Down the stretch we weren’t tough, and I don’t think we responded the way we should have when [N.C. State] made their runs. [Toughness] is definitely a mind game for everyone.”
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