Blue Devils Use Stellar Second Half to Capture ACC Title

Sunday, March 9

Greensboro, N.C.

1 p.m.

Duke University

26-7,14-4ACC

NC State

26-6,16-2ACC

Duke

NC State

Photo by: Nat LeDonne / Duke Athletics

Blue Devils Use Stellar Second Half to Capture ACC Title

3/9/2025 3:09:00 PM | Women's Basketball

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GREENSBORO, N.C. – Duke sophomore Oluchi Okananwa and junior Ashlon Jackson each poured in 22 points to lead the No. 11 Blue Devils to a convincing 76-62 victory over top seed and seventh-ranked NC State to capture the 2025 Ally ACC Women's Basketball Tournament title.

Okananwa did it all for the Blue Devils (26-7), going 8-of-13 from the field, including 3-of-4 from distance, pulling in 10 rebounds and dishing four assists while committing zero turnovers. It marked the fifth career double-double for Okananwa as Duke captured the program's ninth ACC Women's Basketball Tournament crown, and the first since 2013.

Jackson also earned a spot on the ACC All-Tournament First Team courtesy of her stellar showing, with the junior tying a season-high six caroms and dishing an assist to round out her performance.

Duke trailed by as many as 14 points in the first half but used a commanding second-half performance to come away with the win. The Blue Devils were stellar offensively after the intermission, shooting 16-of-29 (55.2%) from the field with 11 buckets coming via the assist. Defensively, Duke held the Wolfpack to 32-percent shooting, including a 3-of-15 (20%) shooting performance in the third quarter.

HOW IT HAPPENED

NC State held a 19-10 lead after the opening 10 minutes of play, using a pair of runs at the beginning and end of the period to earn the nine-point advantage.
The Blue Devils featured four different scorers in the quarter, led by Jackson and Okananwa.
Jackson and Okananwa kept the offense flowing in the second stanza, with the pair putting up seven points each en route to pacing the Blue Devils to 19 second quarter points. Trailing by as many as 13 late in the period, Duke went on an 11-5 run to cut the Wolfpack lead to seven, 36-29, at the half.
Okananwa knocked down a jumper with 53 seconds left and Jordan Wood sent Duke into the locker room on a high note with a triple from the corner with seven seconds remaining.
The Blue Devils carried that momentum into the third quarter, erupting for 24 points to outscore the Wolfpack by 14 and take a 53-46 lead into the final 10 minutes.
It was Jackson and Okananwa leading the charge for the Blue Devils, scoring seven points apiece. Okananwa was everywhere for Duke in the third quarter adding four rebounds and four assists.
Duke never took its foot off the gas in the fourth quarter, getting a three-pointer from Okananwa on the opening possession for the 10-point lead. NC State fought valiantly, but the Blue Devils refused to let the Wolfpack back into the game, stretching the lead to as many as 18 points.
The Blue Devils held NC State to just 39 percent shooting and dominated the glass, 44-28, to post the 14-point win. The 62 points by the Wolfpack are 15 points below their season average.

NOTES:

The Blue Devils improve to 54-38 all-time in the ACC Tournament and 44-15 when playing in Greensboro. Duke has won at least one game in 27 out of its last 30 appearances.
Duke improves to 26-7 overall and pushes its win streak to six games. Five of the wins during the streak are over teams projected to be in the 2025 NCAA Tournament field, with four of them coming via double figures.
The 26 wins match the most in a season during the Kara Era, tying the 26 recorded during the 2022-23 campaign.
Duke earned its 1,034th program victory, pushing the team's all-time record to 1,034-462.
The Blue Devils pick up their fifth win over a top-10 opponent this season and eighth overall victory over a ranked foe in 2024-25.
The Blue Devils register their 41st win in the all-time series against the Wolfpack and fifth in the ACC Tournament. Duke improves to 3-0 versus NC State in ACC Tournament finals, with the Blue Devils having also beat the Wolfpack in the 2001 (57-45) and 2010 (70-60) title games.
Head coach Kara Lawson earned her 94th career win, moving her to 94-40 (.701) overall. She needs just six more wins to reach 100 for her career. Lawson also improves to 6-3 all-time in the ACC Tournament.
Duke erased a seven-point halftime deficit en route to winning the ACC Tournament Championship, matching a tournament record that stood for 26 years. Clemson also stormed back from a seven-point deficit at the break en route to beating North Carolina for the 1999 title. The 14-point margin of victory for the Blue Devils was also the largest in an ACC Tournament final since Notre Dame won by 20 in 2019.
Duke kept NC State 15 points below its average points per game. NC State entered the contest putting up 77.3 points a night. NC State also entered the game shooting 45 percent from the field but connected on just 39 percent of its field goals against the Blue Devils. NC State marks the 28th opponent this season the Blue Devils have held below their respective scoring average.
Duke delivered a complete offensive performance, shooting 28-of-62 (45.2%) from the field, 8-of-17 (47.1%) from three and 12-of-14 (85.7%) at the charity stripe. The Blue Devils assisted on 61 percent of their points with 17 assists on 28 buckets.
The Blue Devils finished with a commanding plus-16 margin on the glass, outrebounding NC State 44-28, including a 14-7 advantage on the offensive glass. In the second half, Duke owned a 26-10 advantage on the boards.
Duke won the superlative stats battle, finishing with the advantage in four of the five categories - bench scoring (33-4), second chance points (13-8), fastbreak points (11-0) and points in the paint (26-20).
Sophomore Oluchi Okananwa matched a career high with 22 points and snagged 10 boards to notch her second double-double of the season and fifth of her career. Okananwa was named the ACC Tournament MVP - the sixth Duke player all-time to earn the distinction - and earned a spot on the ACC Women's All-Tournament First Team for her standout efforts.
Okananwa's performance was the sophomore's second 20-plus point game in 2024-25 and fifth overall. She shot an efficient 62 percent (8-of-13) from the field, 75 percent (3-of-4) from both distance and the charity stripe, while also dishing out four assists. All four of the sophomore's dimes came in the third quarter - tied for the third-most third quarter assists in program lore.
Junior Ashlon Jackson also garnered ACC All-Tournament First Team recognition after pouring in 22 points to notch her fifth 20-point outing this season (seventh overall) and team-leading 22nd game in double figures. Jackson knocked down her shots at a 50-percent clip (7-of-14) for the game, while knocking down 5-of-6 (83.3%) at the foul line. Jackson also matched her season high of six rebounds.
Senior Reigan Richardson turned in a solid all-around afternoon with nine points, four rebounds and four assists.
Sophomore Jadyn Donovan and freshman Toby Fournier combined for 15 rebounds, grabbing eight and seven boards, respectively. Donovan added two points, two dimes and two rejections to her stat line while Fournier chipped in six points and two helpers of her own.

UP NEXT:
The Blue Devils will await their fate for postseason action. The 2025 NCAA DI Women's Basketball NCAA Tournament bracket will be revealed during the Selection Show at 8 p.m. ET on Sunday, March 16, live on ESPN.

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