After having their six-game winning streak snapped in Monday’s loss against No. 4 Notre Dame, the Blue Devils know the importance of getting back on track with tournament time approaching.
No. 10 Duke will look to do just that as it takes on in-state rival N.C. State Sunday at noon at Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh, N.C. The contest will be the third consecutive on the road for the Blue Devils, who sit in fourth place in the ACC with a 10-3 record in conference play.
“We’re still working on putting it all together and finding a way to play our best together as a team,” Duke head coach Joanne P. McCallie said.
Despite getting off to a fast start and holding the Fighting Irish to their second lowest scoring output of the season, the Blue Devils' inability to stretch their early lead and make key defensive stops in the second-half would haunt them.
“We did improve our rebounding and our transition defense was what we wanted,” McCallie said. “It was some other things that cropped up—losing shooters and not being as aggressive as we need to be offensively.”
Once again, Duke (19-7, 10-3 in the ACC) will need to come out ready to play to avoid an upset at the hands of the upstart Wolfpack Sunday. N.C. State (15-11, 6-7) has won three of its last four games and is coming off an improbable 68-65 victory against Miami in which the squad overcame a 20-point second-half deficit.
The Wolfpack are led by guards Len’Nique Brown-Hoskin, Mia Spencer and Dominique Wilson, who have made up more than 50 percent of N.C. State’s scoring output on the season. The trio has shown the ability to heat up in a hurry from behind the arc and carry the Wolfpack down the stretch of close games.
“They have super guard play with [Brown Hoskin, Spencer and Wilson],” McCallie said. ”They’re one of those teams that’s very good at home and might be better at home than away.”
With a decisive size advantage in the post, look for the Blue Devils to get the ball to senior Elizabeth Williams and freshman Azura Stevens early and often against N.C. State. If Duke is able to pound the paint and keep the guard-oriented lineup of the Wolfpack from playing an up-tempo game, the Blue Devils will have a good chance of coming away with the victory.
Duke will also need a bounce-back performance from redshirt freshman Rebecca Greenwell. The guard has had a tremendous rookie season, averaging 13.8 points per game and shooting a solid 35.8 percent from beyond the arc. But against Notre Dame Monday, the Owensboro, Ky., native was held to a season-low four points and struggled against a Fighting Irish defense that made stopping Greenwell a priority.
“Becca didn’t respond well to the other things she could do to impact the game,” McCallie said. “She had no assists and no steals and she has to do other things when people try to take her away.”
Sunday's game will also hinge on Duke’s ability to improve its 3-point defense, which has been a major problem in the Blue Devils' losses this season. In its three defeats in conference play, Duke has given up an average of 10 triples per contest. McCallie's squad has given up an ACC-leading 102 three-pointers to date.
“We’re playing a three-point shooting team that’s very guard-driven,” McCallie said. “Shot-contesting and getting out on those threes will be very important.”
Although it will go up against a North Carolina State program that has beaten the Blue Devils just twice in the last 10 years, Duke knows the importance of coming out of the gate ready to play, especially on the road, where it has suffered all but one of its losses this season.
“This is a rival game and in-state rivalry,” McCallie said. “You throw out everything and you just go out and play.”
Following the game against the Wolfpack, the Blue Devils will conclude the final week of the regular season with a road contest against Georgia Tech Feb. 26 before the season finale March 1 against Tobacco Road rival North Carolina.
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