#11/#15 DOOK BLUE DEVILS 18 - 6 (11 - 0 ACC, 1st)
NCAA Net 9 (UNC 19); Massey Rating 10 (UNC 24); RPI 11 (Nolan) (UNC 29): Torvik 7 (UNC 19), WAB 13 (UNC 22)
Last season 29-8, (14-4, 3rd); 3-0 ACCT Champion, 3-1 NCAAT (lost to S. Carolina 50-54 in the Elite Eight)
#21/20 and 21-5 (10-3) UNC’s next conference game is Sunday afternoon against dook at Cameron. The teams have met 111 times and after a Carolina 1-2 result last year the Heels lead 56-55. Carolina won at home 53-46 in OT but lost in Durham 53-68. UNC was missing both Alyssa Ustby and Reniya Kelly. The heartbreaker was however a meeting in the Sweet Sixteen in Birmingham, won by the Evil Empire 38-47. Carolina could not overcome an ice-cold 28.3% shooting night.
So far, dook is 9-1 both at home and away. Four of their losses were on neutral courts. The Blue Devils are 30-17 against UNC at Cameron.
Whatever the recent history, Massey favors dook by 8; Torvik has dook by 9 and Nolan, dook by 7. This year both teams are ranked in the Top 25.
In non-conference play, dook went 5-6 and were unranked in every poll. The opening game was against Baylor in Paris. The Bears won, 58-52. Not sure why they would play a game in Henry County Tennessee, although Paris is the county seat and is approximately halfway between Waco and Durham. Well, whatever. The dookies did play a tough schedule, ranked #8 by Nolan. Holy Cross and Norfolk State were easy wins, but not so West Virginia, a 49-57 loss. A trip to Liberty produced a 71-57 win, but a Tampa trip was a loss 72-85 to South Florida, the second year in a row they have lost to the Bulls.
The Devils attended the Players Era Championship in Las Vegas, and got pushed around by South Carolina (L 66-83) and UCLA (L 59-89). The ACC/SEC game was with LSU in Cameron with the Bengals winning 77-93. They also played the mandated ACC December game and beat for the second year Virginia Tech 70-54. Non-conference play concluded with wins against South Dakota State (97-54) and Belmont in Nashville 97-54
Conference play headed into the new year with a win at Syracuse (71-51) and the dookies have never looked back as twelve straight conference wins followed, having them 13-0 and atop the ACC. Coach Kara Lawson is given the credit for “turning the season around”.
There are returning starters: Toby Fournier, A 6-3 sophomore F who is the leading scorer (18.8 ppg, currently #2 in the ACC) and as last year leads in blocked shots. This season she is also the leading rebounder (7.8 rpg). She is from Canada and has extensive experience as a member of the Canadian juniors. Taina Mair, a one-time BC Eagle, returns. The 5-9 senior G averages 11.4 ppg and just as she has in past years leads in assists and steals. Ashlon “Action” Jackson, a 6-0 senior G (11.6 ppg) and a prolific outside shooter at 33.3% on 50 of 150 is also back As last year, 6-3 junior F Delaney Thomas (10.5/5.8) is the fourth starter. This group of four has started every game so far.
For the first 11 games, 6-0 junior W Jadyn Donovan, a McD’s AA, was starting. Last year Donovan was on the All-ACC Defensive Team but this year has struggled with injuries (1.6 ppg) and has not played in any ACC game since January. Her place has been taken by Riley Nelson, a 6-2 redshirt sophomore G (9.3/3.4). Nelson started her career at Maryland but spent all of her first year at dook on IR. This year she has started every ACC game.
This is the five we can expect to see on Sunday: Fournier, Mair, Jackson, Thomas and Nelson. There are reserves, but minutes are hard to come by at dook if you are not in the top seven or eight rotation. The two players who complete the seven woman rotation are Jordan Wood, a 6-4 junior F (5.0/3.5) and the top-rated freshman of a year ago, Arianna Roberson, a 6-4 C who was a McDonald’s AA, but blew out a knee playing on the USA 3x3 team and missed all of last season. This season as a reserve she adds 9.1 ppg and 6.4 rpg.
If an eighth player is needed it will be true freshman Anna Wikstrom, who’s from Norway (1.6 ppg). The other freshman of note is Emilee Skinner, another McDonald’s AA, who has had an injury-riddled first year and has appeared in only 3 games. A 6-0 G, even in her very limited time was efficient: 4.3 ppg and 4.7 rpg. Someone to watch out for next season..
Canada’s Emma Koabel, a 5-11 senior G, has not played. Two other names are on the roster: 5-6 senior PG Olivia Martin and Hailey Johnson, a 5-11 GS G. Martin, a former student manager, has appeared in one game and Johnson, a transfer from Pepperdine, two games.
Statistics don’t show a lot, and when it is recognized that this is a rivalry game, stats may not be all that important. Defensively, dook and Carolina are close in most areas. The Devils lead the ACC in points allowed (53.6) with UNC #2 (58.1). Field goal defense UNC leads (.348) with dook #2 (.350). Defending the three dook leads at .249 with UNC again #2 at .256. Amazingly dook shoots free throws even worse than Carolina: .705 (#13) vs. .728 (#10). Rebounding is about even, with dook’s rebound margin at 8.5 (#1) and UNC at 6.5 (#4).
Usually dook has great numbers on defense, often holding teams to under 50 points. This season the offensive numbers are better, 79.2 ppg (#3) while Carolina is at 71.2 (#8) Dook does not turn the ball over and the ATO and TOM are 1-2 in conference.
It might be noted also that dook does not rely on the 3-pointer as a major part of their offense and have attempted just 225 (78 made for 34.7%). Only Notre Dame and Pitt have fewer attempts. Notre Dame makes theirs (40.2%) and Pitt (our opponent a week from Sunday) does not (27.9%). Dook has no 40% shooters but six average 30% or better. Jackson gets the sore arm award for 150 attempts (33.3%). Leading scorer Fournier has just 35 attempts (11 made for 31.4%) but otherwise shoots 55.2% from the floor overall.
Dook is of course coached by Kara Marie Lawson, who at dook is 115-47 (59-27). Her playing career at Tennessee, the WNBA and the Olympics is well documented and doesn’t need to be listed here. Lawson was for a number of years an ESPN broadcaster, and a love affair between the network and Lawson has subsequently been evident.
North Carolina has acquired enough depth to have 10 players with double-digit minutes. Dook has 7. Can this be turned to Carolina’s advantage?
A win against dook in Durham would be an upset and a big plus for Carolina. The team’s third place (and the coveted double bye) is a tie with NCSU although the Heels hold the tiebreaker. Syracuse is ½ game back at 10-4 but again, UNC has the tie breaker. Virginia and Virginia Tech, both 9-5, are yet to be played. UNC has five games remaining, three on the road. If the Heels are a true top contender, this is where it needs to be shown.
Game time is 1 PM Sunday. The game will be broadcast by the ABC. GoHeels will have the live audio with Matt Krause on the call.
NCAA Net 9 (UNC 19); Massey Rating 10 (UNC 24); RPI 11 (Nolan) (UNC 29): Torvik 7 (UNC 19), WAB 13 (UNC 22)
Last season 29-8, (14-4, 3rd); 3-0 ACCT Champion, 3-1 NCAAT (lost to S. Carolina 50-54 in the Elite Eight)
#21/20 and 21-5 (10-3) UNC’s next conference game is Sunday afternoon against dook at Cameron. The teams have met 111 times and after a Carolina 1-2 result last year the Heels lead 56-55. Carolina won at home 53-46 in OT but lost in Durham 53-68. UNC was missing both Alyssa Ustby and Reniya Kelly. The heartbreaker was however a meeting in the Sweet Sixteen in Birmingham, won by the Evil Empire 38-47. Carolina could not overcome an ice-cold 28.3% shooting night.
So far, dook is 9-1 both at home and away. Four of their losses were on neutral courts. The Blue Devils are 30-17 against UNC at Cameron.
Whatever the recent history, Massey favors dook by 8; Torvik has dook by 9 and Nolan, dook by 7. This year both teams are ranked in the Top 25.
In non-conference play, dook went 5-6 and were unranked in every poll. The opening game was against Baylor in Paris. The Bears won, 58-52. Not sure why they would play a game in Henry County Tennessee, although Paris is the county seat and is approximately halfway between Waco and Durham. Well, whatever. The dookies did play a tough schedule, ranked #8 by Nolan. Holy Cross and Norfolk State were easy wins, but not so West Virginia, a 49-57 loss. A trip to Liberty produced a 71-57 win, but a Tampa trip was a loss 72-85 to South Florida, the second year in a row they have lost to the Bulls.
The Devils attended the Players Era Championship in Las Vegas, and got pushed around by South Carolina (L 66-83) and UCLA (L 59-89). The ACC/SEC game was with LSU in Cameron with the Bengals winning 77-93. They also played the mandated ACC December game and beat for the second year Virginia Tech 70-54. Non-conference play concluded with wins against South Dakota State (97-54) and Belmont in Nashville 97-54
Conference play headed into the new year with a win at Syracuse (71-51) and the dookies have never looked back as twelve straight conference wins followed, having them 13-0 and atop the ACC. Coach Kara Lawson is given the credit for “turning the season around”.
There are returning starters: Toby Fournier, A 6-3 sophomore F who is the leading scorer (18.8 ppg, currently #2 in the ACC) and as last year leads in blocked shots. This season she is also the leading rebounder (7.8 rpg). She is from Canada and has extensive experience as a member of the Canadian juniors. Taina Mair, a one-time BC Eagle, returns. The 5-9 senior G averages 11.4 ppg and just as she has in past years leads in assists and steals. Ashlon “Action” Jackson, a 6-0 senior G (11.6 ppg) and a prolific outside shooter at 33.3% on 50 of 150 is also back As last year, 6-3 junior F Delaney Thomas (10.5/5.8) is the fourth starter. This group of four has started every game so far.
For the first 11 games, 6-0 junior W Jadyn Donovan, a McD’s AA, was starting. Last year Donovan was on the All-ACC Defensive Team but this year has struggled with injuries (1.6 ppg) and has not played in any ACC game since January. Her place has been taken by Riley Nelson, a 6-2 redshirt sophomore G (9.3/3.4). Nelson started her career at Maryland but spent all of her first year at dook on IR. This year she has started every ACC game.
This is the five we can expect to see on Sunday: Fournier, Mair, Jackson, Thomas and Nelson. There are reserves, but minutes are hard to come by at dook if you are not in the top seven or eight rotation. The two players who complete the seven woman rotation are Jordan Wood, a 6-4 junior F (5.0/3.5) and the top-rated freshman of a year ago, Arianna Roberson, a 6-4 C who was a McDonald’s AA, but blew out a knee playing on the USA 3x3 team and missed all of last season. This season as a reserve she adds 9.1 ppg and 6.4 rpg.
If an eighth player is needed it will be true freshman Anna Wikstrom, who’s from Norway (1.6 ppg). The other freshman of note is Emilee Skinner, another McDonald’s AA, who has had an injury-riddled first year and has appeared in only 3 games. A 6-0 G, even in her very limited time was efficient: 4.3 ppg and 4.7 rpg. Someone to watch out for next season..
Canada’s Emma Koabel, a 5-11 senior G, has not played. Two other names are on the roster: 5-6 senior PG Olivia Martin and Hailey Johnson, a 5-11 GS G. Martin, a former student manager, has appeared in one game and Johnson, a transfer from Pepperdine, two games.
Statistics don’t show a lot, and when it is recognized that this is a rivalry game, stats may not be all that important. Defensively, dook and Carolina are close in most areas. The Devils lead the ACC in points allowed (53.6) with UNC #2 (58.1). Field goal defense UNC leads (.348) with dook #2 (.350). Defending the three dook leads at .249 with UNC again #2 at .256. Amazingly dook shoots free throws even worse than Carolina: .705 (#13) vs. .728 (#10). Rebounding is about even, with dook’s rebound margin at 8.5 (#1) and UNC at 6.5 (#4).
Usually dook has great numbers on defense, often holding teams to under 50 points. This season the offensive numbers are better, 79.2 ppg (#3) while Carolina is at 71.2 (#8) Dook does not turn the ball over and the ATO and TOM are 1-2 in conference.
It might be noted also that dook does not rely on the 3-pointer as a major part of their offense and have attempted just 225 (78 made for 34.7%). Only Notre Dame and Pitt have fewer attempts. Notre Dame makes theirs (40.2%) and Pitt (our opponent a week from Sunday) does not (27.9%). Dook has no 40% shooters but six average 30% or better. Jackson gets the sore arm award for 150 attempts (33.3%). Leading scorer Fournier has just 35 attempts (11 made for 31.4%) but otherwise shoots 55.2% from the floor overall.
Dook is of course coached by Kara Marie Lawson, who at dook is 115-47 (59-27). Her playing career at Tennessee, the WNBA and the Olympics is well documented and doesn’t need to be listed here. Lawson was for a number of years an ESPN broadcaster, and a love affair between the network and Lawson has subsequently been evident.
North Carolina has acquired enough depth to have 10 players with double-digit minutes. Dook has 7. Can this be turned to Carolina’s advantage?
A win against dook in Durham would be an upset and a big plus for Carolina. The team’s third place (and the coveted double bye) is a tie with NCSU although the Heels hold the tiebreaker. Syracuse is ½ game back at 10-4 but again, UNC has the tie breaker. Virginia and Virginia Tech, both 9-5, are yet to be played. UNC has five games remaining, three on the road. If the Heels are a true top contender, this is where it needs to be shown.
Game time is 1 PM Sunday. The game will be broadcast by the ABC. GoHeels will have the live audio with Matt Krause on the call.
