Duke avenged one noncon loss in the NCAA Tournament. Can it repeat vs. LSU?
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Duke seeks to test its growth in Sweet 16 rematch vs. LSU.
- LSU, 29-5, enters semifinal after back-to-back 100-point wins.
- Coaches note both teams have improved and expect a tougher test.
Expectations for Duke’s season dropped swiftly in November as the team struggled through its nonconference season. Predictions went from a deep March Madness run to one of the first teams out of the tournament field.
Several months removed from its 3-6 start, the Blue Devils have a second consecutive opportunity to make a direct comparison against a nonconference opponent when it faces LSU in the NCAA women’s basketball tournament Sweet 16.
No. 3 seed Duke plays No. 2 seed LSU at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. The two teams played at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Dec. 4 as part of the ACC-SEC Challenge. LSU, then-ranked No. 5 in the nation, beat the unranked Blue Devils, 93-77, in their final loss before a 17-game winning streak.
“We’re really excited. The opportunity to play in the Sweet 16 is something that not everyone gets; barely anyone gets that opportunity. It’s incredible,” sophomore All-American Toby Fournier said on Sunday. “LSU is a great team. We’re a great team, too. It’s gonna be a really good matchup, and I’m super excited.”
Fournier said every game is a chance to see how the team has grown this year, but she admitted it’s nice to get shots to validate that growth against opponents who beat Duke earlier this season. Senior Taina Mair also said her team has grown tremendously and the rematch against LSU will be “a test” of its improvements.
Ashlon Jackson emphasized Duke is not the same team that lost to the Tigers in December, but it’s still not “sleeping on” LSU. The Tigers are 29-5 this season and enter the regional semifinal after dropping 100 points in back-to-back tournament games and holding both opponents under 60. The Tigers beat Jacksonville by 58 points in the first round and topped that with a 60-point margin of victory over Texas Tech on Sunday night.
Flau’jae Johnson scored 20 in the win over the Dolphins and 24 in its victory against the Red Raiders. She leads the Tigers with 14.3 points per game and three 20-point performances in the last four games.
“They’re not the same team, we’re not the same team,” said Jackson, a senior guard. “That is a great team, great coach, great players. I would love to see our development over the months that it’s been since we played them. It should be really fun. We’re all really looking forward to it.”
Looking back at the regular season
In Game 1, the Blue Devils kept the game close through the third quarter. LSU scored 31 in the second period and used a 9-0 run to create a three-possession game, but Duke still stayed within 10 points through three. A 10-2 run in the fourth quarter, however, put the game out of reach.
Six Tigers scored in double figures, led by Johnson’s 18 points, while four Blue Devils surpassed the 10-point mark. Both programs shot 50% or better from the field, but Duke left points at the free throw line (11-of-19) and gave up 15 second-chance points.
Duke head coach Kara Lawson said she hasn’t watched any film on LSU since the teams played but knows the Tigers are one of the best teams in the country on both ends of the floor.
“We’ll watch film, and we’ll get prepared. We’ll make the long flight out to California,” Lawson said. “We’re excited to be in the Sweet 16 again and excited about the matchup.”
LSU head coach Kim Mulkey acknowledged her team played well in the first two games, but the opponents get more difficult as the tournament progresses.
“Who do we play next? Is it over yet? Duke is winning? If that’s who we end up playing, it’s hard to beat people twice,” Mulkey said Sunday; the Tigers’ game concluded before Duke’s. “They’re better, I’m sure, and I think we’re better.”
