Duke women's basketball Player of the Week: Week 8

Azura Stevens

Stat-line: Thursday, Jan. 7 vs. Syracuse: 12 points on 4-of-7 shooting, 2-of-2 on 3-pointers, six rebounds in 25 minutes; Sunday at Florida State: 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting, four rebounds, one block, one assist, one steal in 26 minutes

The good: Stevens powered the Blue Devils in the first half of Thursday's game against the Orange, scoring all 12 of her points in the first 20 minutes. The 6-foot-5 forward showcased her versatility, drilling two 3-pointers before asserting herself down low. After tweaking an ankle against Syracuse, Stevens came off the bench Sunday against the Seminoles and poured in 17 points with an efficient shooting 7-of-9 shooting performance despite being banged up. The Raleigh, N.C., native also avoided the turnover woes that continue to haunt her team, committing just one of the team's 25 Sunday after coughing it up three times Thursday.

The bad: Florida State dominated Duke on the glass, and Stevens couldn't help the Blue Devils in that department. The Raleigh, N.C., native averages 7.5 rebounds per contest but mustered just four against a tall Seminole front line. Stevens did a good job staying out of foul trouble—a fate teammate Elizabeth Williams could not avoid—but with the All-American sidelined, Stevens couldn't pick up enough of the slack. When the wheels came off for Duke in the second half, the freshman didn't score in the game's final six minutes as she became a focal point for the Florida State defense and did not got shot attempts when the Blue Devils needed to stem the tide.

The bottom line: Without Stevens' double-digit efforts, the Blue Devils likely would have dropped both games this week, instead of earning a split. The main priority for the freshman will be to rest up and get fully healthy for Duke's home contest Thursday against Virginia Tech. If Stevens can get back to playing her best—which involves becoming a force crashing the glass—the Blue Devils will be in a much better position to right the ship.

Honorable mention: Redshirt freshman Rebecca Greenwell led the Blue Devils in scoring in both contests this week, notching 20 points in Thursday's win before tallying 19 in Sunday's losing effort. The Owensboro, Ky., native hit two free throws in the final 30 seconds to break a tie and put Duke ahead for good against Syracuse, but piled up eight turnovers between the two games, tied for second-most on the team for the week.