Blue Devils Battle Notre Dame on ESPN Big Monday

Monday, February 17

South Bend, Ind.

6 p.m.

Duke University

Notre Dame

Photo by: Nat LeDonne / Duke Athletics

Blue Devils Battle Notre Dame on ESPN Big Monday

2/16/2025 5:21:00 PM | Women's Basketball

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DURHAM, N.C. – No. 13 Duke caps its two-game road swing Monday night with a trip to South Bend, Indiana for a top-15 showdown at No. 2 Notre Dame. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m., live on ESPN.

THE OPENING TIP:

Monday's matchup marks the 23rd all-time meeting between Duke and Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish own an 18-4 ledger in the all-time series.
Duke has won three of the past four games against ND, including a 57-52 victory in the last trip to South Bend.
In the NCAA, Duke ranks in the top 30 of eight categories - bench points per game (2nd), forced turnovers per game (18th), turnover margin (19th), assist average (21st), offensive rebounds per game (21st), scoring margin (24th), rebounding margin (27th) and steals per game (11.1).
In ACC play, Duke has held 12 opponents below their respective season scoring averages, limiting foes to 52.3 points on 38-percent shooting and 0.64 points per possession. Duke is also averaging 11.4 steals and 4.7 blocks in league play while forcing the opposition into an ACC-best 23.4 turnovers per game.
The Blue Devils rank in the top five of seven ACC defensive categories, sitting atop the league in scoring defense, three point percentage defense (.247), steals and turnover margin (+9.5). Duke checks in at No. 2 in field goal percentage defense, No. 3 in rebounding defense (32.9) and No. 4 in blocks.
Duke has totaled 36 ACC dubs in the past three seasons, No. 2 in the conference. The Blue Devils have 11 ACC wins in 2024-25 thus far, after posting 14 and 11, respectively, in 2022-23 and 2023-24. Notre Dame (41) is the only team to compile more wins than the Blue Devils during this stretch.
Toby Fournier paces the Blue Devils in points (325), field goal percentage (.552), total field goals (123), free throws (75) and blocks (29) while ranking second on the team in rebounds (127).
Fournier leads all ACC freshmen in total field goal percentage, field goals made (4.9), two-point field goal makes (5.0) and attempts (8.8), average free throw makes (3.1) and attempts (4.7) and offensive rebounds per game (2.0), per HerHoopStats (min. 15 games played). In ACC play, Fournier's 55.2-percent field goal percentage (min. 5 FGM/G) is tops in the conference.
Oluchi Okananwa has elevated her play since the calendar hit December, taking it to another level in ACC action. She is averaging 11.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.1 steals and 1.6 assists, with 10 double-figure performances.
Taina Mair has done a great job quarterbacking the Duke offense this season, averaging 4.0 assists per contest. She has been a magician with the basketball over her past nine games, racking up 40 helpers while committing just five turnovers for an 8.0 assist/turnover ratio. In ACC play, Mair is second in the league with a 3.0 assist/turnover ratio (54 ast., 18 TO). Offensively, she is putting up 8.5 points on 46-percent shooting and 50 percent from deep.

DEVIL IN THE DETAILS – DUKE DEFENSE RETURNs TO FORM IN ACC PLAY:

Duke has seen an uptick on the defensive end since the schedule transitioned to ACC play, with the stifling Duke defense of the past two seasons coming back into the forefront.
In ACC play, Duke has held 12 opponents below their respective season scoring averages, limiting foes to 52.3 points on 38-percent shooting.
Duke is also averaging 11.4 steals and 4.7 blocks in league play while forcing the opposition into an ACC-best 23.4 turnovers per game.
The Blue Devils rank in the top five of seven ACC defensive categories, sitting atop the league in scoring defense, three point percentage defense (.247), steals and turnover margin (+9.5). Duke checks in at No. 2 in field goal percentage defense, No. 3 in rebounding defense (32.9) and No. 4 in blocks.
The Blue Devil defense has held ACC opponents to 0.64 points per possession, a vast improvement from the 0.86 defensive points per possession averaged in non-conference action.
In Duke's win over No. 18 California (1.16), the Blue Devils forced the Golden Bears into 31 turnovers while holding them to just 38 points for the game. Cal's 38 points were the fewest by a ranked opponent all-time against Duke, with the 34-point margin marking the largest over a ranked foe since 2001, when Duke took down No. 15 Clemson, 92-42.

FOURNIER TAKING FLIGHT:

Rookie Toby Fournier has enjoyed a stellar freshman campaign, putting the nation on notice she's a force to be reckoned with. She paces Duke in scoring (13.5) and is second on the glass with 5.3 boards.
Fournier has reached double figures 16 times, netted seven 20-point outings and led the team in scoring 10 times. She has displayed great efficiency from the floor, ranking 32nd in the NCAA in field goal percentage (55.2%). Fournier has shot 60-percent or higher 11 times this season while averaging 1.03 points per possession and 0.70 points per minute. She has been hitting her freebies at a 71-percent clip (59-of-83), after shooting 55.2% (16-of-29) in the first six contests.
With her seven contests this season with 20-plus points, Fournier is currently tied with former Duke standouts Rebecca Greenwell and Monique Currie for the most 20-point games as a freshman. She needs just three more to tie the school record of 10 games held by Blue Devil greats Alana Beard and Chris Moreland.
Fournier has been crowned the USBWA Tamika Catching National Freshman of the Week twice this season (Nov. 25, Feb. 11) and has totaled five ACC Freshman of the Week honors - Nov. 25, Dec. 9, Jan. 20, Jan. 27 and Feb. 10, giving her the most FOTW selections by a Blue Devil in over a decade.
Fournier leads all ACC freshmen in total field goal percentage, field goals made (4.9), two-point field goal makes (5.0) and attempts (8.8), average free throw makes (3.1) and attempts (4.7) and offensive rebounds per game (2.0), per HerHoopStats (min. 15 games played). She is also No. 2 in rebounding average (5.3), blocks (1.2), No. 3 in field goal attempts (9.3) and No. 4 in two point percentage (56.4%) and defensive rebounds per game (3.3). In ACC play, Fournier's 55.2-percent field goal percentage (min. 5 FGM/G) is tops in the conference.
The Toronto, Canada product was tapped as one of 50 players to the U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) Ann Meyers Drysdale National Player of the Year Midseason Watch List and was recently named a World Exposure Report Freshman Player Of The Year Semifinalist.
She posted her first career double-double in the 72-38 win over California (1.16), putting up 23 points and a career-high 11 rebounds. She was extremely efficient in the win, shooting 70 percent (7-of-10) from the field and 90 percent (9-of-10) from the charity stripe. Her nine free throws are tied for 10th all-time on the Duke freshman single-game records list.
In the ACC opener against Virginia Tech (12.8), Fournier erupted for a career-high 27 points and nine rebounds. Her 27 points were the most points by a Duke freshman in an ACC opener all-time, with the 12 field goals tied for second on the freshman single-game records list with former Duke standout Alana Beard (3x).

OKANANWA FINDING HER RHYTHM:

Since the calendar hit December, Oluchi Okananwa has found her offensive rhythm. Dating back to the game at South Carolina (12.5), Okananwa has elevated her play, taking it to another level in ACC action.
The sophomore is averaging 11.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.1 steals and 1.6 assists, with 10 double-figure performances. Okananwa's steal average is tied for sixth in conference play.
Overall, Okananwa has reached double digits 13 times this season and had 13 games with five-plus boards. She has also improved in the playmaking department with a positive assist/turnover ratio.
Defensively, she leads Duke with 51 thefts and is 25th nationally in steal rate (4.8%), per HerHoopStats. Okananwa has eight games with three-plus steals, including a career-high of six at UNC (1.9).
Last time out, Okananwa netted nine of her 15 points in the second half to help lead the Blue Devils to a 72-47 win at Wake Forest (2.13).
Okananwa chipped in 16 points and three rebounds in the dub over Miami (2.9). In the win over Clemson (2.6), Okananwa put up 14 points via a perfect shooting performance, going 5-of-5 from the field, 2-of-2 from distance and 2-of-2 at the charity stripe. She rounded out her night with three rebounds, three steals and two assists.
The sophomore guard helped propel the Blue Devils to a five-point win at Georgia Tech (1.26), scoring six of the team's 10 points in the fourth quarter to pull out the 55-50 win over the Yellow Jackets. She also spearheaded Duke's comeback win at Virginia (1.12), scoring 14 of her 17 points after halftime to help propel the Blue Devils to the 60-55 decision.
Okananwa had a season-high 20 points, six caroms, five dimes and four steals in the win over Wofford (12.18). Prior to that, she had 12 points in games versus South Carolina (12.5) and Virginia Tech (12.8).
She collected seven boards against the Gamecocks, then completed the double-double against the Hokies with 12 rebounds while also adding two steals and two blocks. Okananwa also put up 12 points at Boston College (1.2) and SMU (1.23).

GLASS WORK:

Duke has been extremely solid on the glass this season, checking in among the top 30 nationally in offensive rebounds per game (21st) and rebounding margin (27th).
For the season, Duke averages 39.2 rebounds per game with nearly 15 of those coming on the offensive end. Duke has parlayed its extra opportunities into 378 second chance points.
Per HerHoopStats, Duke is eighth in the NCAA in offensive rebounding rate (40.7%), 15th in total offensive rebounds (374), 20th in offensive rebound average and 22nd in total rebound rate (55.3%).
In ACC play, Duke is No. 1 in offensive rebound percentage (.400) and offensive rebounds per game (15.0). Duke is No. 2 in rebounding margin (+4.6) and No. 3 in rebounding defense (32.9).
Jadyn Donovan has been a mainstay on the glass this season with a team-leading 171 boards (6.8 rpg). She has snagged double-digit caroms seven times and finished with nine-plus rebounds nine times.
Seven other Blue Devils have tallied 50 boards this season - Toby Fournier (127), Oluchi Okananwa (124), Delaney Thomas (119), Jordan Wood (82), Taina Mair (72), Reigan Richardson (66) and Ashlon Jackson (55).

UP NEXT:
No. 13 Duke returns home for a three-game homestand, starting with a midweek tilt versus Louisville Thursday, Feb. 20. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m., live on ESPN2.

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