Duke women take out Georgia Tech in ACC Tournament, face rival N.C. State next

Duke and Georgia Tech last played on Jan. 14 when the Blue Devils won, 84-46. It was a game the Yellow Jackets wanted to forget.

Fortunately for the team from Durham — and unfortunately for the group from Atlanta — Thursday’s matchup looked, at times, like a game at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

No. 7 seed Duke (20-10, 11-7 ACC) beat No. 10 seed Georgia Tech (17-15, 7-11 ACC) 70-58 in a second-round ACC Tournament game.

Four Duke players finished in double figures, with two others not far behind.

Sixth-Year Player of the Year Oluchi Okananwa led the team with 15 points, shooting 7-14 from the field.

Kennedy Brown contributed 14 points and eight rebounds, while Jadyn Donovan added 10 points and eight rebounds.

The Blue Devils outrebounded the Yellow Jackets, 42-27, including 13 on the offensive glass. They also scored 46 points in the paint and seven in transition.

Duke head coach Kara Lawson said Donovan and Okananwa have become key contributors for the Blue Devils, noting their ability to guard multiple positions, score and pull down rebounds. Lawson said Donovan’s skills are “night and day” from when she first started.

“We’re fortunate to have those two on our team,” Lawson said. “They continue to grow and continue to help us win games.”

Add in six steals and four blocks, and Duke did more than enough to come away with the win.

“I think it started with our defense tonight,” Duke forward Camilla Emsbo said. “I think we did a great job shutting down their actions and that really feeds us on offense and feeds us into such a balanced attack.

“We’re ready for tomorrow. We’re excited. A win in postseason is a win in postseason. It feels good.”

The Blue Devils are set to play No. 2 seed N.C. State for the third time this season. They face the in-state rival at 5 p.m. Friday.

Here are three takeaways from the Devils’ win.

Duke weathers early Georgia Tech run

The Blue Devils took a nine-point lead into the second quarter and extended that to as many as 17 points. In between, however, the Yellow Jackets went on an 8-0 run and cut their lead to one.

Duke immediately called a timeout to stop Georgia Tech’s momentum. It worked briefly, but the Yellow Jackets responded again and tied the game at 20.

Fortunately for Duke, Jackson stepped up in a big way and hit three straight shots to put her team back up eight.

The Blue Devils went on an 18-1 run midway through the second quarter, extending their lead to 17 points. Georgia Tech made a few shots in the final minutes of the first half, but was unable to close the gap.

Age is no problem

Duke is one of the most inexperienced teams in the ACC, with 11 underclassmen on its roster. Those young players, however, played fearlessly and with the composure of veterans.

In the first half alone, the underclassmen scored 27 of the team’s 38 points. Donovan, a freshman, scored eight points on 4-4 shooting. She finished 5 of 5 from the field.

“She’s such a wonderful player,” Lawson said of Donovan. “When you look at what her abilities allow us to do defensively, she can guard multiple positions. We can switch with her. … That ability is something we’ve come to rely on.”

Jackson also made four straight shots midway through the second quarter and led the team with 11 first-half points — not to mention her stellar defensive efforts.

In total, the underclassmen combined for 39 points — more than half of the offense.

The veterans took a larger role in scoring in the second half, but the Blue Devils’ underclassmen still came up clutch down the stretch, playing stifling defense, pulling down rebounds and dishing out dimes to their teammates.

Blue Devil offense quickly settles into rhythm

Duke entered the game averaging 14.7 assists per game. Against the Yellow Jackets, it recorded 14 assists on 16 shots in the first half alone.

Georgia Tech attempted to disrupt the Blue Devils’ movement and forced eight first-half turnovers, but Duke was in sync more often than not..

After the break, the No. 7 seed played more 1-on-1 but still added several more assists to its stat line. The Blue Devils finished with 20 assists on 31 made baskets.

It’s a good thing Duke scored efficiently, though, because it committed 19 turnovers that Georgia Tech turned into 20 points.

Georgia Tech lacks size against Duke

Emsbo and Brown, standing at 6-foot-5 and 6-6, gave Duke a major advantage inside.

Emsbo and Brown combined for 23 points and 14 rebounds in the contest, using height to their advantage. They easily muscled past Georgia Tech’s post players who were at least 3 inches shorter. Kara Dunn was among those tasked with guarding Duke’s inside players. Dunn stood 7 inches shorter than Brooks.

Their height and length assisted significantly in the scoring and rebounding.

“That’s a huge factor, and that was something that coach Kara emphasized coming into tonight,” Emsbo said. “That’s where we had our mismatch. I think our guards did a great job of recognizing that mismatch and taking advantage of it.”