GREENSBORO, N.C.—After re-establishing themselves on the defensive end, the Blue Devils will take on their rival for the second time in six days.
No. 10 Duke will take on No. 13 North Carolina Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in the semifinals of the ACC tournament at the Greensboro Coliseum. The second-seeded Blue Devils took out Georgia Tech 82-52 Friday in the quarterfinals by holding the Yellow Jackets to 24 percent shooting from the field.
Duke asserted its dominance on the glass after forcing Georgia Tech to take tough shots—holding a 49-30 advantage on the boards—and got to the free throw line 36 times. The Blue Devils will look to use a similar recipe to avoid dropping a third game to the Tar Heels this season.
“We need a few ice baths and a chance to rest and refocus,” McCallie said after Friday’s game, still unsure who Duke’s opponent would be. “There’s no doubt we’re trying to get better and get some goals. We’re trying to offensive rebound more and get consistency with getting to the free throw line—we started on that project today. We’ve got to get in the repeated habit of playing that way.”
The Blue Devils (26-5, 12-4 in the ACC) used their length to pull away from the Yellow Jackets. Led by three-time ACC Defensive Player of the Year Elizabeth Williams, Duke blocked an ACC tournament record 13 shots and kept Georgia Tech out of a rhythm with their consistent deflections. Williams finished with five blocks and caused a lot of disruption in the passing lane.
The Blue Devils combination of zone and man defenses flustered Georgia Tech’s two best players—Tyaunna Marshall and Kaela Davis—to 33 points on 11-of-40 shooting. The Blue Devils know a similar defensive effort will be required to slow down North Carolina’s dynamic backcourt.
Freshman guards Diamond DeShields and Allisha Gray combined for 54 points in Duke’s first loss to the Tar Heels (24-8, 10-6) and were huge down the stretch in Sunday’s 64-60 win against the Blue Devils. North Carolina’s stars will be playing their third game in three days—something Duke will try to exploit.
“There are going to be a lot of great athletes and a lot of great players,” McCallie said. “I think our team defense and our awareness of the go-to players [will be key]. I don’t think you’re ever going to stop them, but making them work and letting fatigue by really pressuring them—that’s something we’ve really got to do.”
Another Blue Devil focus will be continuing to share the ball. The Tar Heels went on a 20-0 run to spark Sunday’s win by taking advantage of Duke’s over-dribbling and refusal to share the ball.
The Blue Devils looked much more poised Friday against the Yellow Jackets’ pressure—shooting 52.9 percent and accumulating 14 assists without any of their point guards available due to injury. A tell-tale sign of Duke’s offensive efficiency was that Williams led the team with five assists and felt confident enough to bring the ball up the court on multiple possessions.
“The team really just began to understand that it’s better to pass,” McCallie said. “I think this experience is teaching us a lot of lessons—and may even be teaching our point guards—because that ball is moving at quite a clip, and it’s hard to keep up with it when it’s passed. This team is beginning to understand that. We just [want] to keep climbing, keep challenging ourselves, and keep passing the ball.”
The Blue Devils’ role players were able to feed off their defense and passing to play one of their most complete games of the season.
Junior guard Ka’lia Johnson knocked down two 3-pointers in the first half after making just two during her first 84 games as a Blue Devil. She finished the game with six rebounds and also made several hustle plays.
Johnson also poured in a career-high 12 points off the bench in Sunday’s game against North Carolina and was one of the team’s few bright spots. Johnson and the rest of Duke’s supporting cast will need to continue redefining themselves tomorrow for the Blue Devils to replicate their success against a ranked opponent.
“This team is very, very excited about this new season,” McCallie said. “They’re very confident—they’ve got a lot of great talent—and I think everybody understands that everyone has got to play their role. We’ve all got to be present-minded. Everybody is playing their part, having fun, but also knowing when to focus.”
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.