No. 8 Duke Tips Off ACC Play Sunday Versus Virginia Tech

Sunday, December 8

Durham, N.C.

4 p.m.

Duke University

Virginia Tech

Tickets

Ashlon Jackson goes up for the floater against Kansas State

Photo by: Duke Athletics

No. 8 Duke Tips Off ACC Play Sunday Versus Virginia Tech

12/7/2024 5:18:00 PM | Women's Basketball

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DURHAM, N.C. – No. 8 Duke opens ACC play at home with a Sunday matinee against Virginia Tech Dec. 8. Tipoff is set for 4 p.m., live on ACC Network.

THE OPENING TIP:

The Blue Devils are 31-16 all-time in conference openers and boast a 23-4 record when opening ACC play in Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Duke and Virginia Tech will square off for the 39th time Sunday. The Blue Devils hold a commanding, 29-9, advantage in the all-time series.
The Blue Devils and Hokies have split the last four regular season meetings with each team holding serve on their respective home court.
Duke's offense has been on a tear this season putting up 81.9 points on 48-percent shooting from the field and 39 percent from deep.
In the NCAA team rankings, the Blue Devils rank 14th in three point shooting, 25th in field goal percentage and 28th in scoring offense (NCAA rankings as of 12.7).
The Blue Devils' balanced attack is led by the double-figure trio of Ashlon Jackson (14.2), Reigan Richardson (13.7) and Toby Fournier (10.9).
Overall, Duke has had seven different leading scorers with nine different players reaching double figures thus far.
Ten players average at least 10 minutes per game with five playing 20 plus - Ashlon Jackson (28.7), Reigan Richardson (26.8), Jadyn Donovan (25.0), Taina Mair (23.5), Delaney Thomas (21.5).
Duke has received a huge lift from its reserves this season checking in at 18th nationally with 33.3 bench points per game (NCAA rankings as of 12.7). Duke has nearly doubled up its foes, outscoring them 333-182.
Duke has looked to make the extra pass on offense with nearly 60 percent of the team's field goals coming via assists. For the season, the Blue Devils have dropped 185 dimes on 316 buckets.
The Blue Devils rank in the top 20 nationally in assist average, slotted No. 18 with 18.5 dimes per game (NCAA rankings as of 12.7). Mair has been steady quarterbacking the Duke offense averaging 4.1 assists per contest.
Duke has wreaked havoc defensively posting 11.7 steals (36th in the NCAA) per game while forcing its foes into 20.1 turnovers per contest (NCAA rankings as of 12.7). As a team, Duke has totaled 117 thefts on the year.
Nine different Blue Devils own at least five steals with six in double digits - D. Thomas (19), O. Okananwa (18), J. Donovan (16), A. Jackson (13), T. Mair (13), T. Fournier (10).
Duke checks in at No. 8 in the Week 5 Associated Press (AP) Top-25 poll, marking the program's highest national ranking since 2014-15.
Duke is slotted 10th in the latest iteration of the NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) rankings. The Blue Devils are currently 3-2 versus Quad 1, 1-0 against Quad 2 and 4-0 versus Quad 3 and 4.
The Blue Devils have already played five teams ranked in the top 50 of the NET - South Carolina (1st), Kansas State (7th), Oklahoma (14th), Maryland (17th), South Dakota State (43rd), Columbia (49th).
Duke's Strength of Schedule (SOS) currently checks in fifth nationally and first in the ACC. Three of Duke's foes thus far also boast top-35 SOS's - South Carolina (1st), South Dakota State (2nd), Belmont (34th).

OFFENSIVE FIREPOWER:

Duke's offense has been on a tear this season putting up 81.9 points on 48-percent shooting from the field and 39 percent from deep. The team's 81.9 points per game is its highest scoring average since 2013-14.
In the NCAA team rankings, the Blue Devils rank 14th in three point shooting, 25th in field goal percentage and 28th in scoring offense (NCAA rankings as of 12.7).
Duke has scored at least 70 points in each game this season, matching the Blue Devils' longest streak of 70-point outings to open the year dating back to 2013-14.
The Blue Devils' balanced attack is led by the double-figure trio of Ashlon Jackson (14.2), Reigan Richardson (13.7) and Toby Fournier (10.9).
Overall, Duke has had seven different leading scorers with nine different players reaching double figures thus far.
The Blue Devils have featured a minimum of three players in double figures each game and finished with at least five double-digit scorers three times this season.
Ten players average at least 10 minutes per game with five playing 20 plus - Ashlon Jackson (28.7), Reigan Richardson (26.8), Jadyn Donovan (25.0), Taina Mair (23.5), Delaney Thomas (21.5).
Duke's 109 points against Oklahoma (11.27) were the Blue Devils' most against a ranked foe since Jan. 24, 2002, when the team scored 102 points in a 20-point triumph over No. 21 North Carolina.
The Blue Devils have eclipsed the 100-point threshold three times under Kara Lawson with the 109 points ranking second in the Kara Era - just two shy of the 111 scored against Charleston Southern in 2022-23.

BENCH MOB:

Duke has received a huge lift from its reserves this season checking in at 18th nationally with 33.3 bench points per game (NCAA rankings as of 12.7). Duke has nearly doubled up its foes, outscoring them 333-182.
The Blue Devil bench has registered 50 points on two occasions, erupting for 58 points versus Dayton (11.14) and 51 against Belmont (11.21).
Freshman Toby Fournier and sophomore Jordan Wood have led the charge thus far, with the duo combining to average 18.8 points and 8.4 boards per game.
Fournier has notched double figures in six games, ranking third on the team in scoring (10.9) and tied for third on the glass with 4.2 caroms.
After seeing limited action in 2023-24, Wood (7.9 ppg, 4.2 rpg) has thrived in a larger role and been an instant impact player for the Blue Devils. She has 79 points this season after scoring just 19 in 14 games last year.
The Chicago, Ill., native has posted double figures in four games, notching a career-high 17 points on 8-of-11 shooting, three rebounds and three steals against Dayton (11.14).
Reigning ACC Sixth POTY Oluchi Okananwa (6.8 ppg, 4.2 rpg) picked up right where she left off and continues to inject a jolt of energy off the Duke bench.
Vanessa de Jesus (5.4 ppg, 2.7 apg) and Emma Koabel (2.0 ppg, 2.1 rpg) have also provided solid contributions for the Blue Devils this season.

MAKING THE EXTRA PASS:

Duke has looked to make the extra pass on offense with nearly 60 percent of the team's field goals coming via assists. For the season, the Blue Devils have dropped 185 dimes on 316 buckets.
The Blue Devils rank in the top 20 nationally in assist average, slotted No. 18 with 18.5 dimes per game (NCAA rankings as of 12.7). Duke has tallied 11 or more helpers in each game and dropped 17-plus dimes seven times.
Seven Blue Devils have registered double-figure assists with four players owning 20 or more - Taina Mair (41), Jadyn Donovan (28), Vanessa de Jesus (27), Ashlon Jackson (22).
Mair has been steady quarterbacking the Duke offense averaging 4.1 assists per contest. The junior has notched three-plus assists in eight games, including five contests with four or more.
She was stellar handling the rock in wins over No. 9 Kansas State (11.25) and No. 8 Oklahoma (11.27) at the Ball Dawgs Classic, dishing seven dimes against the Wildcats and a season-high nine against the Sooners.
Mair averaged 8.0 dimes per game and finished the MTE with a 3.2 assist-to-turnover ratio after totaling 16 assists to just five turnovers.
In the 109-99 overtime victory over No. 8 Oklahoma, Duke rewrote the program record books racking up a single-game record 38 assists on 40 made field goals for a remarkable 95-percent assist rate.
The 38 dimes set a program single-game record, surpassing the previous 20-year-old mark of 36 set in 2005 at San Diego (12.30), then tied again versus UNC Wilmington (12.20) in 2011.

WREAKING HAVOC:

Duke has wreaked havoc defensively posting 11.7 steals (36th in the NCAA) per game while forcing its foes into 20.1 turnovers per contest (NCAA rankings as of 12.7).
Duke has caused 20-plus turnovers in six games, including a season-high 34 by Radford in the season opener (11.4).
As a team, Duke has totaled 117 thefts on the year. The Blue Devils have racked up 15 or more steals five times, posting a season-best 19 against the Highlanders (11.4).
Nine different Blue Devils own at least five steals with six in double digits - D. Thomas (19), O. Okananwa (18), J. Donovan (16), A. Jackson (13), T. Mair (13), T. Fournier (10).

IN THE NCAA RANKINGS (AS OF DEC. 7):

Duke checks in at No. 8 in the Week 5 Associated Press (AP) Top-25 poll, marking the program's highest national ranking since 2014-15.
Duke is slotted 10th in the latest iteration of the NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) rankings. The Blue Devils are currently 3-2 versus Quad 1, 1-0 against Quad 2 and 4-0 versus Quad 3 and 4.
The Blue Devils have already played five teams ranked in the top 50 of the NET - South Carolina (1st), Kansas State (7th), Oklahoma (14th), Maryland (17th), South Dakota State (43rd), Columbia (49th).
Duke's Strength of Schedule (SOS) currently checks in fifth nationally and first in the ACC. Three of Duke's foes thus far also boast top-35 SOS's - South Carolina (1st), South Dakota State (2nd), Belmont (34th).
In the NCAA team rankings, Duke ranks among the top 25 in four categories - three point percentage (14th), assists per game (18th), bench points per game (18th) and field goal percentage (25th).
The Blue Devils are also slotted 28th in scoring offense, 32nd in rebound margin (9.0), 36th in steals per game, 41st in assist/turnover ratio (1.16) and 42nd in offensive rebounds per game (14.9).
Individually, junior Ashlon Jackson checks in 31st in the NCAA in total three pointers (31) and 33rd in three point percentage (.462).

UP NEXT:
The Blue Devils resume non-conference action Dec. 18, welcoming the Wofford Terriers to Cameron Indoor Stadium. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m., live on ACC Network.

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