Taking a break from the ACC gauntlet, the Blue Devils face off against Davidson Tuesday in a battle of North Carolina schools.
The 6 p.m. matchup will be played in Davidson, N.C., and marks the 13th meeting between the two programs. Duke holds a lopsided 12-0 advantage in the series, having pulverized the Wildcats 21-2 in the pairs’ only game last season.
However, Tuesday’s contest poses a unique challenge for the fifth-ranked Blue Devils, as the team is faced with a strikingly quick turnaround after Sunday’s bout against then-No. 7 Syracuse. After escaping the Orange’s upset bid at home on a last-second turnover, Duke will need a sharp, focused team performance to return home Tuesday unscathed.
“The challenge for us is going down there midweek in a game sandwiched between two huge ACC games,” Kimel said. “It’s a short turn around for us too, so there is an emphasis on staying focused and getting our scouting report down in the short time we have to prepare.”
Anchoring the Blue Devil front line against Davidson (3-5) Tuesday will be senior attack Kerrin Maurer. Maurer—the centerpiece of Duke’s offense—has put together an outstanding senior season thus far, notching a team-best 44 points through the first 11 games and 43 draw controls.
The senior attack has been a menace in the scoring circle throughout her career, amassing a staggering 250 career points through her three and a half seasons with the Blue Devils. The mark ties Caroline Cryer for the third highest career point total by a Duke player.
Maurer’s impact on the field comes down to more than just scoring, though. She spreads the ball around—registering an average of 1.82 assists per game—and brings a fire to her game that makes her teammates better.
“What’s great about Maurer is that she helps us all over the field," Kimel said. "It has a lot to do with her maturity. Once you become the focus of another team’s defense, you learn how to make the whole team run more effectively. I give Maurer a lot of credit. She makes the team better as a unit rather than trying to work for herself.”
The showdown with the Wildcats will also give the Blue Devils (10-1) a chance to work on minimizing turnovers, a facet of the game Kimel’s squad has struggled with as of late.
In Duke’s 13-10 loss to then eighth-ranked Virginia, seven second-half turnovers ultimately sunk the Blue Devils’ comeback hopes by preventing Duke from stringing together scoring possessions. Against Syracuse a week later, careless turnovers early on kept the Orange in the game and allowed them to challenge for the lead until the final whistle.
Proper ball handling will only become more important as the season rolls on, making Tuesday’s matchup against Davidson an invaluable opportunity for the Blue Devils to refine their skills before facing Boston College next Saturday.
“You play better opponents, ACC caliber opponents, and they are capable of making you pay for your mistakes,” Kimel said. “During the past few game, there have been times where we have not looked poised and times we have made poor decisions. But, those are two things that are within our control to fix, and we just want to get better.”
Providing Duke with a one-two punch behind Maurer on the attack will be the freshman duo of Kyra Harney and Maddie Crutchfield. The only two freshman starters for the Blue Devils, Harney and Crutchfield have been the X-factors in more than one game this season.
Against Syracuse, Crutchfield recorded three points—two goals and an assist—in addition to three caused turnovers. The effort was just enough to lift the home team past the Orange and lock up Duke’s 10th win of the season.
If the Blue Devils fall behind against Davidson, the firepower of Duke’s freshman might be the key factor in the game.
“Harney is a super attacker,” Kimel said. “She has super vision, great hands and makes plays. You can say the same about Crutchfield except that Crutchfield gets it done all over the field. It’s still a learning process for the two of them, but they practice hard every day and prove that they deserve to be on the field.”
Tuesday’s matchup also holds a special significance to Kimel who began her coaching career with the Wildcats. Currently in her 19th season at Duke, the five-time ACC Coach of the Year still is struck by nostalgia each time she returns to her old stomping grounds.
“I love going to Davidson,” Kimel said. “I have so many memories from the year and a half that I spent there. The school is tucked away in this great little town and every time I drive down Main Street, I’m struck how it all looks like a little utopia.”
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