Opponent Preview: Everything to know about No. 13 Duke
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On Jan. 15, Syracuse stuck with No. 7 Notre Dame for three quarters before the game slipped from its grasp in the final period. Olivia Miles and Dara Mabrey combined for 38 points as a stagnant SU offense was unable to outlast the Fighting Irish in the end.
The following Thursday, the Orange embarked on a two-game road trip starting in Atlanta against Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets came into the contest without a single Atlantic Coast Conference win, but in eerily similar fashion to its fourth-quarter collapse against ND, Syracuse was outscored 21-10 in the final 10 minutes, slumping to its second-straight loss.
Another ranked matchup is in store for Syracuse as the Orange will take on No. 13 Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Sunday. The Blue Devils are coming off their first ACC loss in seven games, as they fell to No. 17 ranked UNC on Thursday night.
Here’s what else to know about Duke (16-2, 6-1 ACC) before the matchup:
All-time series
Duke leads the all-time series, 7-3.
Last time they played
Syracuse’s 74-65 loss to Duke was its fourth in conference play and its seventh overall. The Blue Devils trailed the Orange by just one point after Syracuse exploded on an 8-0 run to end the first quarter. However, Duke would outscore SU 23-10, using the second quarter to draw away, building up a 40-28 lead at the halftime break. From there on out, Syracuse outscored the Blue Devils for the next 20 minutes, but it wasn’t enough to make up for its lackluster second period.
Teisha Hyman led all scorers with 23 points. Christianna Carr and Alaysia Styles added 12 and 10 each, respectively, as the only other double-digit scorers for the Orange. Onome Akinbode-James led the way for the Blue Devils with 16 as just one of five Duke players who ended up finishing in double figures.
Although Syracuse started well in the second half to draw within seven, Duke countered with a short scoring run and finished the third quarter with a 59-48 lead that the Orange wouldn’t overcome.
The Blue Devils report
Duke overcame a slow start against North Carolina to end the half knotted at 21. However, a huge ending to the third-quarter for UNC built the Tar Heels enough of a cushion to see out the win. Up until Thursday’s showdown with its cross-state rivals, the Blue Devils had eased through ACC competition, most notably achieving large, blowout wins against teams like NC State and Louisville.
Everything Duke does offensively is run through its ability to space the floor. Playing with two guards who can both command the point guard position, the Blue Devils usually want Reigan Richardson or Shayeann Day-Wilson to bring the ball up the floor before they get into their half-court sets.
Syracuse matches up pretty well with Duke across the board, with the one true outlier being Duke’s center — Kennedy Brown, who stands at 6-foot-6. Dariauna Lewis, Asia Strong and Saniaa Wilson will have their hands full with the multi-faceted Brown serving as a commanding force down low.
How Syracuse beats Duke
Syracuse beats Duke with its speed. Throughout the season, the Orange have slowly but surely improved on playing with a controlled yet swift pace to its game — a component that will have to be near-perfect against the Blue Devils.
As long as SU, with Dyaisha Fair and Hyman, can run the floor before the Duke defense gets set, the Orange should rack up a large amount of transition buckets to shock the Blue Devils on its home floor.
The X-Factor, however, will lie with Lewis’ matchup with Brown in the post. For Syracuse defensively, Duke looks to Brown as an inside-out option — a threat in the paint for opposing defenders to converge on before a kick out pass for a wide-open three.
Offensively, Lewis will need to use her strength and body to the best of her abilities to make up for a three inch difference between the two frontcourt players. If Lewis can continue her domination on the offensive boards and corral possession back for SU with stellar defensive rebounding, Syracuse has a chance to beat its first ranked opponent of the season.
Stat to know: 51.0
Duke allows just 51 points per game — the second-fewest opponent point scoring total in the country according to Her Hoop Stats. Its man-to-man defense punishes opposing players on the perimeter and makes it hard for teams to get a clean look inside for both a shot or a pass.
It’ll be interesting to see whether Syracuse’s fast-pace of play can speed up a structured Blue Devil offense and force Duke to fly around uncharacteristically — a key part of how UNC won on Thursday.
Player to watch: Shayeann Day-Wilson, guard, No. 30
Although Day-Wilson averages just 8.4 points per game, the versatile guard has the ability to take over contests with her tight handle and tenacious play-style. Day-Wilson is also a proven shooter, very capable of knocking down the long range triple. As a freshman last season, she tied the Duke record for most 3-pointers in a single game, tallying eight against Troy. In Duke’s loss to UNC, Day-Wilson exploded for 24 points and earlier on in the season she registered 17 against UConn.
