Blue Devils Wrap Non-Conference Action With Sunday Tilt at FGCU

THE OPENING TIP

Duke closes out the non-conference portion of its schedule as the Blue Devils head to the Sunshine State for a road matchup against FGCU on Sunday, Dec. 11 at 1 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
Defense has been the calling card for the Blue Devils early in the season as the team has held its opponents to a 31.4 percent clip from the field and 48.6 points per game. Those marks check in at fourth and fifth in the NCAA, respectively, while also ranking first and second in the ACC (as of 12.9.22).
The Blue Devils also rank in the top 20 in the NCAA in both scoring margin (+23.5) and rebounding margin (+10.7), ranking 17th and 18th, respectively.
Redshirt junior Jordyn Oliver is No. 5 nationally and first in the ACC with a 5.00 assist-to-turnover ratio (as of 12.9.22). She leads the team with 4.0 assists per game.
Over her last seven games, Oliver has tallied 27 assists to just four turnovers.
Duke is coming off a dominant 74-31 win over Austin Peay on Thursday night that saw the Blue Devils control the game from start to finish.
Senior Elizabeth Balogun and sophomore Reigan Richardson both finished in double figures for the fifth time this season. Balogun led the way with a season-high 16 points and a team-high six rebounds, while Richardson added 12 points.
Shayeann Day-Wilson led the assist efforts for Duke as the sophomore dished out five dimes with no turnovers.
For the seventh time this season, Duke held the opposing team to 50 points or less, with the 31 points ranking as the lowest point total by a Blue Devil foe.
Duke held Austin Peay to zero points in the first quarter, marking the first time in program history the Blue Devils have held an opponent scoreless in a quarter.
Duke and FGCU have met on the hardwood twice all-time, with the Blue Devils and Eagles each winning on their respective home courts.

SCOUTING THE EAGLES

Florida Gulf Coast improved to 8-1 on the year following a 93-36 win over Palm Beach Atlantic on Thursday.
Junior Alyza Winston leads FGCU with 15.4 points per game, followed by graduate student Tishara Morehouse at 14.4 points per contest.
Fifth-year guard Sophia Stiles pulls down a team-best 4.9 rebounds per game while Emma List has dished a team-best 29 assists. Morehouse leads the squad with 17 steals.
Head coach Karl Smesko owns an overall record of 618-129 (.827) and holds the third-highest winning percentage among active Division I coaches. He has compiled a record of 557-102 in 21 seasons with the Eagles.

SHARING THE WEALTH

The Duke quartet of senior Elizabeth Balogun, junior Kennedy Brown, sophomore Reigan Richardson and senior Celeste Taylor have provided a steady hand for the Blue Devils this season, combining for 52.7 percent (38.0 points) of the team's 71.2 points per game.
Taylor has reached double digits in six of the 10 games this season, with Balogun, Brown and Richardson tallying five double-figure scoring games apiece.
Taylor leads the offensive charge for Duke, averaging 10.9 points per game with Balogun (10.1) and Brown (9.4) right behind in second and third. Richardson rounds out the group with 7.6 points a contest.
Duke's depth has been on full display as the Blue Devils have featured seven different leading scorers through 10 games this season, with Balogun (3) and Taylor (2) finishing with the team high on multiple occasions.
The squad features 10 players averaging at least 13 minutes per game with three of them averaging 20-plus minutes a contest -- Celeste Taylor (24.1 mpg), Kennedy Brown (21.8 mpg) and Shayeann Day-Wilson (21.4 mpg).
As a team, Duke has assisted on 175 of its 282 made field goals (.621) for an average of 17.5 dimes per game -- No. 2 in the ACC.
Redshirt junior Jordyn Oliver checks in at No. 5 nationally and first in the ACC (as of 12.9.22) with a 5.00 assist-to-turnover ratio. She leads the team with 4.0 assists per game.

DISRUPTING THE PEACE – ELITE BLUE DEVIL DEFENSE

Disruptive defense has been the calling card for the Blue Devils early in the season as the team ranks among the nation's elite, having held its opponents to a 31.4 percent clip from the field and 48.6 points per game.
Those marks check in at fourth and fifth in the NCAA, respectively, while ranking first and second in the ACC (as of 12.9.22).
Duke is also slotted ninth in Defensive Rating, allowing its opponents just 0.616 points per possession.
For the seventh time this season Duke held the opposing team to 50 points or less, with the 31 points scored by Austin Peay on Thursday checking in as the lowest point total by a Blue Devil foe.
Duke held the Governors to zero points in the first quarter -- the first time in program history the Blue Devils have held an opponent scoreless in a quarter.
It was also the second time this season Duke held an opponent to .000 percent shooting in the opening period, having also done so in the season opener against North Carolina A&T.
Duke held Austin Peay to 11 points in the first half, which is tied for the eighth-lowest point total in an opening half by a Blue Devil opponent.
The Blue Devils netted 34 points off 29 Austin Peay turnovers and forced the Governors into the full cycle of team turnovers – a shot clock violation (1), a five-second call and a 10-second violation (2).

TAYLOR HAS HER EYES ON THE (GRAND) PRIZE

Senior Celeste Taylor is rapidly closing in on 1,000 career points as she looks to become the third Blue Devil on the 2022-23 roster to surpass the benchmark.
Taylor has tallied 109 points through 10 games this season to move her career total to 986, needing only 14 points to reach a grand.

JACKSON FINDING HER RHYTHM

Freshman guard Ashlon Jackson has settled in and started to find her offensive groove as of late.
She paced the Blue Devils with 10 points in the win over Northwestern, then followed with a career-high 12 points in the victory at Richmond.
Over her last three games, Jackson has scored 31 points (10.3 avg) after totaling just 22 (3.14 avg) through her first seven games.
The rookie from China, Texas has cashed in 63.2 percent from the field (12-19) and shot at a 45.4 percent clip (5-of-11) from beyond the arc in her last three outings, compared to just 20.7 percent (6-of-29) from the field and 33.3 percent (5-of-15) from three through her first seven games.

UP NEXT
Duke turns its attention to conference play, beginning with the ACC opener on Wednesday, Dec. 21 against Virginia. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m., live on ACCNX.

To stay up to date with Duke women's basketball, follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook by searching "DukeWBB."

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Blue Devils Wrap Non-Conference Action With Sunday Tilt at FGCU

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Elizabeth Balogun

Kennedy Brown

Shayeann Day-Wilson

Ashlon Jackson

Jordyn Oliver

Reigan Richardson

Celeste Taylor

Duke information

Blue Devils Wrap Non-Conference Action With Sunday Tilt at FGCU

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Elizabeth Balogun

Kennedy Brown

Shayeann Day-Wilson

Ashlon Jackson

Jordyn Oliver

Reigan Richardson

Celeste Taylor

Related Videos

Duke information