Thoughts on the AP Poll: Duke women's basketball falls to No. 13 after weekend loss against North Carolina

Head coach Kara Lawson shouts instructions from the sideline in Duke's loss to North Carolina.
Head coach Kara Lawson shouts instructions from the sideline in Duke's loss to North Carolina.

The Blue Devils endured another split week, opening with a win and ending with a loss. A new AP Poll came out Monday, and the Blue Zone breaks down the changes:

Blue Devils fall

It was a difficult week for Duke, as it started on a high note with a 77-62 win against N.C. State, but ended much lower in a 45-41 loss to then-No. 22 North Carolina. The Blue Devils were playing some of the best basketball they have played all season in Thursday's game against the Wolfpack, but floundered against the Tar Heels. Duke turned the ball over 25 times against North Carolina and scored in the single digits in two quarters. That sort of performance didn’t win the team any favors in the eyes of the AP voters, and the Blue Devils dropped to No. 13 this week. 

Tar Heels climbing 

It was a split week for North Carolina as well. The Tar Heels had a heartbreaking end to their first game of the week, losing Thursday on a buzzer-beater to then-No. 9 Virginia Tech. That said, North Carolina redeemed itself Sunday. It forced an absurd 25 Blue Devil turnovers and came up clutch down the stretch in a hostile environment. The Tar Heels were rewarded for their performance, as they rose to No. 18 in the rankings.

Huskies struggling

For then-No. 4 UConn, it was a difficult week. While the Huskies finished out their week with a 72-69 win against DePaul, they opened with a major upset loss to St. John's. 20-point games from Red Storm guard Kadaja Bailey and forward Danielle Patterson led the upset victory. The loss to the unranked team hurt the Huskies big-time, as they dropped to No. 9 this week. 

Wolverines slide

Michigan played three games this week, and lost two of them in upsets. In their first game, the Wolverines lost by 13 to Ohio State. While the next game was a 71-53 win against Rutgers, Michigan struggled in Sunday's matchup against unranked Wisconsin, losing 78-70. Guard Julie Pospisilova led the Badgers’ effort, scoring 25 points. The two upsets hurt the Wolverines, and they dropped to No. 17 in the rankings. 

Utah on the rise

It was a big week for the Utes, closing with a 84-74 win against then-No. 3 Stanford following a dominant win against California, hitting the triple digits in a 101-76 triumph. Those two major wins boosted the Utes, as they rose to No. 3 this week.

Full rankings

1. South Carolina

2. Indiana

3. Utah

4. LSU

5. Maryland

6. Stanford

7. Iowa

8. Virginia Tech

9. UConn

10. Notre Dame

11. Villanova

12. Texas

13. Duke

14. Ohio State

15. Gonzaga

16. Oklahoma

17. Michigan

18. North Carolina

19. UCLA

20. Colorado

21. Arizona

22. UNLV

23. Iowa State

24. Middle Tennessee

25. South Florida

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