Azurá Stevens and Rebecca Greenwell were recognized as two of the top 50 players in the nation last week with their selection to the Naismith Trophy Watch List, but are looking to bounce back from dismal shooting performances in Columbia, S.C.
Stevens and Greenwell shot a combined 25 percent from the field in a 66-55 loss to No. 2 South Carolina Dec. 6, leaving Duke head coach Joanne P. McCallie looking for a greater level of consistency from the dynamic duo. But after a respite to take care of final exams, Stevens and Greenwell will get an opportunity to bounce back as No. 13 Duke takes on Massachusetts Monday at 7 p.m. at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
“The difference is that it is one thing to be on the [Naismith watch list], but the reality is that you have to play your full game against other top teams,” McCallie said. “In our world, that’s nice, but it doesn’t get us to where we want to go.”
Matched up against former USA Basketball teammate A’ja Wilson, Stevens was not able to find a rhythm in the post against the Gamecocks, as Duke’s leading scorer was limited to 11 points on 3-of-9 shooting. But the Raleigh native has thrived against unranked teams this season, averaging 20.9 points per game in those contests. On the perimeter, Greenwell did not fare much better, as her streak of consecutive games with a 3-pointer came to an end at 16 after missing her only two attempts from behind the arc.
The Minutewomen (3-5) enter Monday's matchup looking to rebound as well after a heartbreaking defeat at the hands of Central Connecticut Saturday in overtime. But earlier in the week, sophomore guard Cierra Dillard executed a game-winning 4-point play to send Massachusetts to a 57-56 win against Hofstra, dealing the Pride just their second loss of the season. Dillard is averaging 12.0 points per game, one of three Minutewomen in double-figures.
In a battle between Massachusetts’ 3-point shooting and Duke’s 3-point defense, something will have to budge. The Minutewomen boast a 36.0 shooting percentage from 3-point range, accounting for nearly 20 percent of their total scoring. But the Blue Devils have limited their opponents to a mere 23.2 percent from downtown, and held Minnesota sharpshooter Mikayla Bailey to 1-of-7 on 3-pointers in a win Dec. 3.
Massachusetts’ leading scorer, point guard Bria Stallworth, is one of the Minutewomen’s better 3-point shooters, but Duke (7-2) has a lot of intelligence on the freshman. Stallworth and Duke guard Faith Suggs teamed up to lead their high school team into the state semifinals last season as the team's top two scorers.
But Suggs is not likely to be matched up with her former teammate from the outset Monday. Starting point guard Kyra Lambert will likely draw the assignment instead for the Blue Devils. The Cibolo, Texas, native is coming off one of her best performances this season and has already had to defend some of the top scoring guards in the country in Army’s Kelsey Minato and Texas A&M’s Jordan Jones.
Against the Gamecocks, Lambert registered a career-high and team-leading 16 points. The floor general's outburst kept Duke in the game until midway through the fourth quarter and proved especially crucial with Stevens and Greenwell struggling.
“Kyra’s a very good player—she’s multitalented. In order for her to be a special point guard, she has to have numbers across the stats—assists, defensive rebounds, steals, free-throw attempts, getting to the line,” McCallie said. “It’s a process to get there, and we want Kyra to get to where we want her to be.”
As is often the case, the Blue Devils will have a significant height advantage Monday. Massachusetts' tallest players are 6-foot-2—Duke has six players who are at least that tall. McCallie’s squad was effective when employing a bigger lineup against the Gamecocks, with Stevens and 6-foot-4 juniors Oderah Chidom and Kendall Cooper on the court. The success was short-lived, though, as the Blue Devil bigs were mired in foul trouble for much of the afternoon.
With a full week of rest under their belts and final exams completed, the Blue Devils have absorbed the lessons learned from the physical loss to South Carolina and will look to start Monday's game with plenty of energy.
“It has been a great opportunity for us to work on details and things," McCallie said. "In [certain] times we have taken greater advantage than others because of the nature of finals week."
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