By: Ben McCormick
November 27, 2023
When dominant blowout victories join forces with nail biting losses, you get the start of the 2023-24 Duke women's basketball season.
The Blue Devils are off to a 4-2 start on the year. They kicked off the season with home victories over Richmond and Coastal Carolina. Duke then traveled north to Columbia for their first true road game. It was there that the Blue Devils were met with their first big challenge. Ultimately, Duke eked out a four-point win, and transitioned into a week headlined by two tough matchups with Davidson and then ranked No. 6 Stanford.
Two tough matchups made for two rough heartbreaks. After dropping two in a row, the Blue Devils got a week of rest over the Thanksgiving break and returned to Cameron Indoor Stadium with an emphatic victory over NC Central.
Let's take a closer look at each one of the games:
83-53 Win vs. Richmond (Nov. 6)
"The student section in Cameron Indoor Stadium was filled with a different kind of student for the Duke women's basketball team's 83-53 win in its season opener versus Richmond." Read More
Junior guard Reigan Richardson set the tone for Duke with her scorching shooting. She led the team with a career-high 28 points in a dominant win from start to finish. Richardson proved that she was ready to shoulder more of the offense and lead the Blue Devils as an upperclassman.
"Reigan's not a player we can have score zero," head coach Kara Lawson said. "Whereas, last year she could score zero, and we could still win."
Oluchi Okananwa showed out in her Duke debut. The freshman put up a 22 point, 12 rebound double-double. But it was her defense that stodd out the most.
"It really was a special performance by her," Lawson said. "If that's your first time or second time you've seen her play, what you see is the unbelievable effort she plays with on every possession," Lawson said.
Player of the Game: Reigan Richardson (28 points on 12/15 FG)
88-42 Win vs. Coastal Carolina (Nov. 9)
Once again, the Blue Devils had a dominant outing, and a returning shooting guard led the way. This time it was former McDonald's All-American sophomore Ashlon Jackson. Jackson posted a career high 25 points, including five three-pointers.
Senior center Kennedy Brown had a solid showing in the low post with 16 points and 3 blocks. She and Richardson are rare beakons of continuity for Lawson on a team that experienced so much roster turnover. The Blue Devils went from 17 players down to 11 (really 10 because of Vanessa de Jesus' injury). Having two starters back is a calming presence for the head coach.
"Reigan and Kennedy both specifically are two players that I feel confident when I see them on the floor," Lawson said. "I know what they're going to bring."
Player of the Game: Ashlon Jackson (25 points on 5/11 3PT)
66-62 Win @ Columbia (Nov. 14)
The first road test of the season presented challenges the first two games didn't. Offense didn't come as easily for Duke. The Blue Devils shot 41% from the floor on the game, and just 10% (1-10) from three. After lighting up the arc with a flurry of threes in their initial homestand, Duke fizzled out in the rain at Columbia.
Boston College transfer Taina Mair introduced herself to Duke fans in an emphatic way at Columbia. The crafty point guard scored 18 points on 8-11 shooting from the floor.
However, it was Jackson who got the last laugh. She netted a jumper from just inside the arc to give Duke a two posession lead with 17 seconds to go, and claim a 66-62 advantage.
Player of the Game: Taina Mair (18 points on 8/11 FG)
62-69 Loss vs. Davidson (Nov. 16)
Just two days later, Duke returned to Durham for a game with a scrappy and talented Davidson squad. The previous weekend, the Wildcats had gone into Carmichael Arena and nearly upset the nationally ranked Tar Heels. Davidson boasts a front line that has the ability to knock down threes and put the ball on the floor. That makes them difficult to defend.
For Duke, that was the recipe for the team's first loss. Davidson's Elle Sutphin scored 19 and Charlise Dunn dropped 15. The pair hit six threes en route to a big win on the road for the Wildcats.
For Lawson's team, this was the first hiccup for a young group. But the Blue Devils had to pivot quickly with a road game at No. 6 Stanford just three days later.
Player of the Game: Oluchi Okananwa (15 points and 9 rebounds)
79-82 OT Loss @ No. 6 Stanford (Nov. 19)
In what was almost a marquee win for Duke, a beautiful moment slipped trough their finger tips. Just like that, the Blue Devils went from redeeming their loss to Davidson to dropping their second game in four days.
The Blue Devils made big shots, but they weren't able to seal the game. Jackson had another great night with 22 points, but still, Duke lost the free throw and rebound battle to the Cardinal. Stanford killed Duke inside. Cardinal center Cameron Brink scored 29 points, grabbed 11 boards and blocked six shots. If that wasn't enough, forward Kiki Iriafen dropped 27 points as well. The struggle for Duke was on the inside.
They won the perimter battle, shooting over 40% from three. But Duke's woes in the paint were enough to to turn the tides on a terrific three-point shooting night and flip a possible upset into a heartbreaker.
Player of the Game: Ashlon Jackson (22 points on 6/10 3PT)
93-45 Win vs. NC Central (Nov. 26)
After a week of rest, Duke returned to the court rejuvinated in a blowout victory over fellow Durham foe NC Central. Duke controlled the game from tip to buzzer as it got back into the winning column.
Player of the Game: Reigan Richardson (22 points on 8/10 FT)
The Blue Devils won't have much time to rest now though. They travel to Georgia, Richardson's former school, for the SEC Challenge on Thursday. Then, the nation's top ranked team, South Carolina, will head into Cameron Indoor Stadium for a highly anticipated matchup on Sunday Dec. 3. It's a busy and tough week for Duke.
After coming up short at Stanford and against Davidson, Duke has a chance to pick up some big wins, or at the very least fight tooth and nail regardless of the outcome and show the country they won't drop without a fight.
@Duke_WisdomWBB | @BenMcC33
Comments