Every week throughout the basketball season, The Blue Zone will name the highest-performing Blue Devil the Duke basketball Player of the Week.
Tricia Liston
Statline: Sunday vs. Notre Dame- 23 points, 8-of-16 shooting, one rebound, and one steal in 35 minutes.
Thursday vs. Clemson- 15 points, 5-of-11 shooting, 10 rebounds, three assists and one steal in 32 minutes.
The good: Liston was the one bright spot in a tough loss to No. 2 Notre Dame on Sunday afternoon, as her ability to score points in the paint and beyond the arc kept the Blue Devils within reach until the second half. She continues to put up big numbers and has affirmed why she has been Duke’s leading scorer since November. Liston did not put up flashy numbers against Clemson, but posted a double-double that included 10 rebounds, an impressive feat for a guard. In part due to Liston’s play, Duke remains in the national spotlight despite the loss to its newly minted ACC foe.
The bad: Liston’s statistics were unbalanced against the Irish with only one rebound and no assists. Notre Dame outrebounded the Blue Devils 41-30, which was a major reason why the Irish cruised in Cameron Indoor Stadium. Contrast that performance with a 44-19 rebounding margin against the Tigers on Thursday, in which Liston had a team-high 10 rebounds. She needs to be able to help on the boards, especially against physical and big teams like Notre Dame.
The bottom line: The Blue Devils' schedule becomes extremely tough for the rest of the season and Liston has the potential to lead Duke to victory over other top-ranked teams. Because of her versatility on the offensive side of the court, she has the ability to take on smaller guards in the paint or step out or swish a jump shot from the outside. With teams focusing on Liston, she will be able to dish the ball off to some of the Blue Devils’ other offensive weapons, creating opportunities.
Honorable mention: Fellow guard Richa Jackson continues to ease into her starting role after being pressed into action due to Chelsea Gray’s season-ending injury. She has averaged 14.5 points and four rebounds over the past two games, while playing 27 minutes per game. While Jackson doesn’t have the deft passing ability that Gray brought to the table, she is a tall guard that can help out on the boards and get to rim. Look for her role to continue to expand as the season progresses.
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