After Duke’s blowout victory over Hampton Saturday, it seems appropriate for the team to take on a more challenging opponent in its pursuit of a national championship.
And since Louisiana State also routed its opponent in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, it fits the part well.
The Blue Devils will host the seventh-seeded Tigers (21-9) tonight in Cameron Indoor Stadium at 7 p.m in a second-round matchup. Duke (28-5) enters familiar territory as it has won at least one game in all of its 16 Tournament appearances, even though the Blue Devils were eliminated at this stage last year in a disappointing loss to head coach Joanne P. McCallie’s former team, Michigan State, on its home court.
Despite Duke’s previous success early on in the postseason, it recognizes the importance of not taking the seventh-seeded Tigers lightly—especially since the teams are so similar.
“LSU is an excellent basketball team [and] they’re very athletic,” McCallie said. “You have to start with Alison Hightower, one of the best players in the country, a lefty slasher like no other…. They’re a terrific team all the way around.”
Hightower, an honorable mention All-American last season, is one of the best scorers in the nation. The senior guard averaged 18.2 points per game this season while shooting 40 percent from behind the arc and presents an offensive threat much like Duke junior Jasmine Thomas.
The Tigers have also played against some of the country’s top teams during their conference slate. The SEC features the likes of Vanderbilt, Georgia and No. 1 Tennessee.
Where the Blue Devils and Tigers are most alike, however, is the teams’ ability to dominate the game under the basket and play with strong defensive intensity.
“They’ve got a player they rely on and who is willing to answer the bell—[LaSondra] Barrett is terrific on the inside. They’ve got a lot of depth in their post players,” McCallie said. “At this point, everyone is good, and everyone is really good at this point. LSU is a tremendous defensive team, and so are we.”
Duke and Louisiana State have each had tremendous success on the defensive side of the ball this season. The Blue Devils limited opponents to 54.5 points per game, while the Tigers gave up just 51.7 points per contest.
Barrett is responsible for a large part of her team’s defensive success due to her smart decision-making and aggressive play in the paint. The sophomore forward leads the Tigers in rebounding with 6.7 boards while also chipping in 12.8 points per contest.
For the Blue Devils to be successful against Louisiana State, though, they must continue to show their toughness like they did Saturday.
“I think everyone was engaged and contributed. We were all in tune,” senior Kenturah Jackson said. “Another word that can be used [beyond business-like] that goes along with focus is hungry. It helps our focus knowing that we’re hungry and that we cannot take any game for granted.”
And with a victory over the Tigers, Duke would earn a trip to the Sweet 16 in Memphis, erasing the memories from last year’s loss in East Lansing.
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