Watch out, ACC, there's a new, unexpected Champion in town!
When Kara Lawson was hired to become Duke's fifth head coach in history in 2020, she set her sights on becoming a leader. On Sunday afternoon, No.11 Duke Blue Devils stunned No. 8 NC State 76-62. Just 29 miles separating the two Universities, it was a matchup to remember for North Carolina basketball fans at First Horizon Coliseum.
With the victory, Duke captured its first ACC Championship in 13 years. The last time they won, the Blue Devils defeated UNC 92-73 as the No.1 seed in 2013. For head coach Kara Lawson, she never once doubted her team.
26-7 on the season, Duke is undoubtedly a sleeper team heading into the NCAA tournament. Winners of six straight, Lawson is now the third straight black coach to win the NCAA ACC tournament. History in the making, Duke could be in line for deep NCAA tournament run.
Duke Upset Notre Dame In The ACC Semifinal
It's been a long time coming for Duke and Lawson, who conceded to the UConn Huskies in last year's Sweet Sixteen. Finishing third in the ACC, the Blue Devils had close, yet crushing losses against Maryland and UNC this year. They were the unlikely candidates to win the ACC, considering they had suffered five losses against ranked teams.
- 14-4 in conference play, Notre Dame and NC State were by far the overwhelming favorites.
With that, Duke suffered losses to top-seeded teams, including South Carolina and Notre Dame. After dropping two straight to Louisville and the Fighting Irish in February, the Blue Devils' future looked bleak.
This was until Duke knocked off Louisville and No. 6 Notre Dame in the ACC Semifinal. Last year, Lawson was tasked with leading one of the youngest rosters in the country.
- As if history is repeating itself, Duke pulled off a gritty 61-56 victory over Notre Dame to advance to the ACC finals.
Can Duke's Elite Defense Power a Deep NCAA Tournament Run?
I'm not sure many had Duke favored over the Fighting Irish, who have star players in Hannah Hidalgo, Olivia Miles, and Sonia Citron. A top defensive team among the top 25, holding Hidalgo, Miles, and Citron to 15-40 (37.5 %) is nothing to sniff at. Their defense alone makes them a top contender in this year's upcoming NCAA tournament.
- They always say, "defense wins championships," right?
This continued today, although NC State came out firing on all cylinders. Coming into the championship matchup, NC State already punched Duke in the mouth following a 89-83 victory in February. Now it was Dukes turn to respond as underdogs.
Fresh out of the gate with a 7-0 run, the Wolfpack commanded a 19-10 first quarter lead, thanks to Saniya Rivers.
- Scoring just 10 points, Duke came alive somewhat, scoring 19 in the second quarter. Down 36-29, there was a shift for the Blue Devils at halftime.
This is what distinguishes the great coaches from good ones. While the Blue Devils came out flat in the first half, Lawson's halftime speech ignited a fire under her squad. While the speech remains unknown, the impact was profound. Duke's stellar second half was as elite as any team could play.
"What a championship by us in the second half," said Kara Lawson post game. I told them before the tournament that it was already written. We knew the path that we had to go through. We had to play every team that beat us in the regular season. We beat every team in the ACC this year at least once- We are the only team to do so. This team is worthy of champions."
Outscoring NC State 47-26 in the second half, it was Ashlon Jackson and Oluchi Okananwa who led the way with 22 points each. Fortunately, All-ACC First Team Aziaha James overcame an injury scare in the first quarter. Despite making a return to the court, it wasn't enough.
- Duke's 33 point effort from the bench, along with rebound control and second chance points is ultimately what led them to the victory.
Oluchi Okananwa Was Named ACC MVP After A Career Day
Speaking of Okananwa, 22 points marked a career-high for the guard, who recorded 10 rebounds, four assists, and 33 minutes off the bench.
- Earning her first ever ACC MVP, Okananwa averaged 16.3 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in three tournament games.
Admitting the team couldn't "shy away from the moment" Lawson and company took care of business on the defensive end. While Aziaha James and Saniya Rivers led NC State with 17 and 18 points, they shot a combined 13-35 from the field. Noticeably injured, this wasn't the same version of James who poured 36 points on Duke back in February.
Along with 10-0 run in the third quarter, the Blue Devils held NC State to under 33 percent from the field, while shooting over 55 percent in the second half. In the end, Duke shot 28-62 (45.2 %) from the field, and 8-17 (47.1 %) from beyond the arc.
- They dominated in several facets to close the second half.
Duke Has An Elite Leader In Kara Lawson
With the NCAA tournament approaching, I wouldn't be surprised if Duke makes a deep run. Similar to what Kara Lawson said, Duke is the only team to beat every team in the ACC at least once. Along with every Championship team comes with a great head coach.
- As the program to continues to improve under Lawson, this group continues to show fight and resilience.
Overcoming a 14 point deficit on Sunday, Duke conquered a five point deficit against Notre Dame. This isn't the first time Duke's triumphed against large gaps. They also did so against ranked teams such as Kansas State and Oklahoma. Although defeated 81-70 by the No. 3 South Carolina, the Blue Devils cut a 25 point deficit to 11 to end the game.
- The fact Duke outscored the Gamecocks 22-13 in the fourth quarter shows they can hang with anyone.
Boasting the 41st best scoring defense in NCAA women's basketball, opponents are limited to 58.1 points per game against the Blue Devils. While Duke isn't known for a ton of big household names, it's been a collaborative effort amongst a young group. With Reigan Richardson the only senior named in the starting lineup, this team has a ton of depth.
- In fact, eight different players scored for Duke on Sunday.
While the Blue Devils offense isn't as potent as Notre Dame, USC, and Tennessee just to name a few, their defense could carry their lack of three-point offense. Although, we did see glimpses of improvement against NC State.
Duke Has The Confidence And Grit To Compete In The NCAA Tournament
It will take a ton of grit and heart for Duke to make a strong run, especially considering they shot 30.7 percent from three-point range over the tournament. With an admirable coach such as Lawson, the former Lady Vol has held herself to a standard as a leader. Her experience with the Boston Celtics alone should bring in level of high expectations to Duke.
Along with a great coaching staff includes assistant coaches. On Lawson's coaching staff is Kyra Elzy who served as assistant and head coach of the Kentucky Wildcats. A crucial part of Duke's success, Elzy is notably known for her player development skills.
Although the NCAA March Madness tournament seeding is yet to be finalized, Lawson and Duke know the challenges they will have to face in order to make a championship run. With the right mindset, this team has it's sights set on achieving anything.
"We knew what we could do today," said Oluchi Okananwa post game. "We knew that if we played together and we stayed connected, we could get the job done."
When asked about this team's ceiling Okananwa didn't hesitate to answer.
"Limitless", said Oluchi Okananwa. "I'm not going to even put a cap on what we can do."Our potential? It can keep going on and on and on."
The most dangerous teams are often those with nothing to lose. Time will tell how Duke performs as March unfolds. Then again, in March, anything can happen!
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Sara Jane Gamelli is a full-time Sportswriter, Content Creator, and Manager for Ballislife Bets. She has a focus on the Women's Basketball and the NBA. Sara Jane currently resides in the Connecticut/NYC area with her Cat and Dog. SJ has her undergraduate degree in Economics from the University of Connecticut.
