No. 11 Duke utilized its sturdy protection and compelled 16 turnovers in a 61-56 upset of No. 6 Notre Dame on Saturday.
The win advances the Blue Devils to the ACC Championship Recreation the place they may face top-seeded NC State on Sunday. It’s Duke’s first ACC title recreation look since 2017.
Duke’s protection was on full show within the third quarter. After trailing 31-29 on the break, the Blue Devils had 18 third-quarter factors, pressured six Notre Dame turnovers and held the Combating Irish to their lowest point total through three quarters (42) this season.
This steal from senior Vanessa de Jesus arrange a layup that freshman Toby Fournier one way or the other obtained to go in on the opposite finish to present Duke the slight 45-42 benefit with 1:33 left within the third quarter.
Later within the fourth quarter, junior Ashlon Jackson got here away with the steal and junior Taina Mair made Notre Dame pay with a layup to present the Blue Devils the seven-point lead.
The turnovers ought to come as no shock, given Duke went into the sport ranked 22nd in the country forcing 20.94 turnovers per contest this season. Going again to the common season, it’s the fifth straight recreation the Blue Devils not solely gained, however allowed fewer than 60 factors.
Duke shot simply 5-of-25 from deep and turned the ball over 21 occasions. Nevertheless, 18 factors off the Combating Irish turnovers and a lockdown defensive efficiency, particularly within the second half, carried it to the win.
Jackson was the one starter in double figures (12 factors, 3-of-17 FG), which exhibits how spectacular Duke’s protection was all through the sport. Sophomore Oluchi Okananwa had a team-high 14 factors (3-of-3 FG) off the bench to offer a spark.
Notre Dame was held to solely three triples the complete recreation. Sophomore Hannah Hidalgo (23 factors, 9-of-22 FG) carried the Combating Irish, however obtained little assist from her supporting solid with senior Olivia Miles (10 factors) the one different participant in double figures.
With three losses in its final 5 video games, Notre Dame (26-5, 16-2 ACC) wants a reset earlier than the NCAA Event. The giveaways and inconsistency on offense pose some considerations and have to be improved, or it could possibly be a shock early match exit for the Combating Irish.
Duke (25-7, 14-4 ACC) is getting sizzling on the proper time. If the momentum carries over to the ACC title recreation and past, the Blue Devils could possibly be poised for a run as a result of their defensive prowess.
