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Setting the Scene...
After being on the road for the past two contests, the Duke women's basketball team (10-9, 4-4 ACC) will return home to Cameron Indoor Stadium for the first of three straight home contests. The Blue Devils will host Georgia Tech (14-5, 5-3) Sunday, Jan. 26 at 2 p.m., to kick off the homestand. Sunday's game will mark Duke's annual Mental Wealth Day.
The game will be aired live on ACC Network Extra with
Ryan Craig (PXP) and Debbie Taylor (Color) calling the action. It will also be carried on the Duke Sports Network via WDNC AM 620, TuneIn app and www.GoDuke.com with Chris Edwards (PXP) on the air beginning at 1:45 p.m. (ET).
What is Next?...
Duke will be off Thursday, before returning to action on Super Bowl Sunday versus NC State at 2 p.m., Feb. 2. It will be aired live on ACC Network Extra.
Three Keys...
1)
Haley Gorecki is the only player nationally to average over 17.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.0 steals.
2)
Leaonna Odom came up big at Clemson and Syracuse with back-to-back 20-point games. She has averaged 21.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.5 steals and 1.5 assists over the last two games.
3)
Leaonna Odom and
Haley Gorecki (1,169) currently rank 27th and 29th on Duke's all-time scoring list. Odom (1,226) needs three points to move past Carey Kauffman (1,228) and 10 pass Stacy Hurt (1,241).
Strength of Schedule...
The Blue Devils feature the sixth-toughest schedule nationally -- Virginia (1), Oklahoma (2), Indiana (3), Miami (4), Ohio State (5) and Duke (6) round out the top six.
Duke's five non-conference losses in 2019-20 came against teams that have collected a combined 84-13 record.
The Blue Devils are currently ranked No. 42 in the latest RPI.
Mental Wealth Day Sunday...
Duke in partnership with The Jed Foundation (JED) will host its annual Mental Wealth Day Sunday, Jan. 26 as the Blue Devils host Georgia Tech at 2 pm.
From 12-1 p.m. in Scharf Hall, fans can arrive early and listen and engage with a panel promoting positive mental health habits and discussing mental health as related to sports and students. The panel and activities are free with a ticket to the game.
The panel will consist of former Duke men's basketball and NBA player Cherokee Parks, Duke University Vice Provost and Vice President of Student Affairs Mary Pat McMahon and will be moderated by Duke Athletics Director of Behavior Health Dr.
Shawn Zeplin.
Following the panel, attendees can make their way to Champions Club in Cameron Indoor to participate in various activities listed below:
• Interactive Tea Station: Practice mindfulness with a fresh cup of tea! Sample the difference between several types of teas, including Sencha Green Tea, Rooibos Herbal Tea, Ginger Root, and more.
• BrainTap: Tap into your best self! BrainTap helps restore your brain's natural balance so you can feel relaxed, rebooted and revitalized anytime, anywhere.
• Wellbeats: Workout anywhere with "Wellbeats," an on-demand fitness provider that has nearly 300 classes that range from one to 50 minutes.
• Therapy Dogs: Interact with dogs trained to provide affection, comfort and support to those in need.
The activities will run from 1 p.m. through the end of halftime. Mental Wealth t-shirts will be on sale throughout the game with proceeds benefiting The Jed Foundation (JED). JED is a nonprofit that protects emotional health and prevents suicide for our nation's teens and young adults.
Storylines/Other Blue Devil Notes...
•
Haley Gorecki will start her 50th straight contest in a Blue Devil uniform Sunday against Georgia Tech.
• In the ACC stats, Duke leads the league with 10.7 steals per game.
• In two career games against Georgia Tech,
Jade Williams has averaged 13.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.5 blocks and 1.5 steals.
• Duke had scored only 108 points over the two previous games prior to ripping off 88 at Syracuse.
• Over the last two games,
Haley Gorecki has dished 16 assists.
•
Haley Gorecki averaged 36.1 minutes a contest last season and is averaging 35.9 minutes in 2019-20. She would become the first Blue Devil to average 35.0 minutes or more in back-to-back seasons.
• Duke trailed, 40-33, heading into the fourth quarter against Notre Dame and rallied for a 50-47 victory. It was the Blue Devils' largest comeback in the fourth quarter since the NCAA moved to the quarter system in 2015-16.
•
Haley Gorecki currently ranks tied for first in the ACC with 101 made free throws and second with 118 attempts, while ranking third with an 85.6 free throw percentage. Her 101 free throws made ranks tied for sixth nationally.
• For the fifth time this season, Duke had five players hit at least one three-pointer against Virginia Tech. The Blue Devils also accomplished this against High Point and Boston College. Duke had not featured five different players hitting a trey since the 2014-15 campaign when it did it twice.
• Duke's 39 bench points against Virginia Tech was a season high and the most since Nov. 16, 2014 versus Alabama.
• Since scoring 15 points at Louisville,
Azana Baines has scored nine points and hit only 3-of-18 field goals.
•
Leaonna Odom ranks fourth in the ACC in field goal percentage, at 53.7 percent per game.
•
Haley Gorecki (3rd),
Leaonna Odom (5th), and
Miela Goodchild (11th) all rank in the top 11 in the ACC in steals per game – Gorecki at 2.16 spg, Odom at 2.00 spg, and Goodchild at 1.63 spg.
• After scoring double-digits in three straight games,
Onome Akinbode-James has scored only 20 points the last 10 contests.
• Duke features the fourth-tallest squad in school history standing with an average height of 73.21. The three tallest teams were in 2016-17 (73.38), 2011-12 and 2014-15 (73.25).
• Follow @DukeWBB and @CoachPDuke on Twitter to get the latest updates on Duke women's basketball. Also, "Like" Duke Women's Basketball on Facebook to get the latest videos, pictures and more. DWB is on Instagram at dukewbb.
The Series with Georgia Tech..
Duke and Georgia Tech will meet for the 72nd time in school history with the Blue Devils leading the series 61-10, but the Yellow Jackets have won three out of the last five meetings.
In games played in Durham, N.C., Duke owns a 29-3 mark, including wins in 17 out of the last 18 contests.
Coach P has totaled a 12-3 record against Georgia Tech.
Nell Fortner, Georgia Tech head coach, is 0-2 against Duke as she faced the Blue Devils while head coach at Auburn in 2005 and 2010.
Odom Steps Up...
Over the last two games, senior
Leaonna Odom has stepped up her game averaging 21.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.5 steals and 1.5 assists. It marked the second time this season and third time in her career she has notched back-to-back 20-point games.
She has hit 65.5 percent of her shots on 19-of-29 field goals over the last two contests. At Syracuse, Odom collected her third double-double of the season with 23 points and 10 rebounds, while hitting 11-of-14 field goals.
Offense Comes Alive...
Duke's offense came alive at Syracuse scoring 88 points, which was the most by the Blue Devils in ACC play this season.
The 19 assists equalled a season high on the year for Duke.
The Blue Devils drained 8-of-15 treys, which was the third-most in a game in 2019-20.
Duke had not reached the 80-point mark since the Boston College game, which was the Blue Devils' first league game in December.
Patrick Nets High in Home State...
Freshman
Jaida Patrick made her return to her home state of New York at Syracuse and made a splash with a career-high 11 points, career-high three blocked shots and grabbed five boards in a career-high 16 minutes.
She hit 4-of-10 field goals and 3-of-3 free throws. It marked the first time in ACC play she has played double-digit minutes.
Tough Defense...
In ACC contests, Duke's defense has been among the best in the conference in a number of key categories.
In eight league games, Duke's defense ranks in the top five in scoring defense (4th, 61.63), field goal percentage defense (4th, 37.5), assists (5th, 13.38), steals (1st, 11.63) and three-point field goal percentage defense (1st, 24.9).
Tight League Games...
Duke has been so close in ACC play but has not been able to close out most of the games.
Six of Duke's eight ACC games have been decided by six points or less. It is one away from tying the school record of seven set in 1995-96 and 1988-89.
Meanwhile, other seasons with six games decided by 6 points or less: 2008-09, 1994-95, 1993-94, 1989-90, 1987-88, 1986-87 and 1984-85.
The 1988-89 season all occurred during the regular season, but all other seasons included games played in the ACC Tournament.
Best All-Around Player...
No Duke player has averaged at least 17.0 points, 3.0 assists and 6.0 rebounds in back-to-back seasons.
Haley Gorecki averaged 17.2 points, 3.9 assists, and 7.1 rebounds last year and is averaging 17.8 points, 4.2 assists and 6.4 rebounds this year.
Alana Beard came closest to these thresholds, averaging 19.8 points, 4.4 assists, and 6.1 rebounds in her sophomore year and 22.0 points, 3.0 assists, and 6.9 rebounds her junior year.
At Clemson, Gorecki totaled 16 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and three steals. It marked her second time over the last two years she has notched all-around numbers like this (16 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists and three steals vs. Pitt on Feb. 3, 2019). She is one of only three Duke players to register numbers like this since the 2011 campaign -- Lexie Brown (twice), Jasmine Thomas.
Boykin Provides Spark...
Since starting to see double-figure minutes five games ago,
Mikayla Boykin has averaged 10.8 points, 1.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.0 steals for the Blue Devils.
She has scored double-digits in four out of the last five contests, while hitting 47.6 percent from the field. Boykin has drained 8-of-15 treys for a 53.3 percentage during those games.
Boykin sank 5-of-5 treys in the first half at Syracuse and scored a career-high 15 points.
Double-Doubles/20-Point Games...
Haley Gorecki owns four double-doubles on the season, which ranks tied for ninth in the ACC. She also ranks tied for sixth with six games with 20 or more points.
Over the last two years, Gorecki has notched 17 games with 20 or more points, which is the most in the ACC.
20+ Point Games Last Two Seasons
17
Haley Gorecki, Duke
15 Kiah Gillespie, Florida State
15 Jocelyn Willoughby, Virginia
14 Elissa Cunane, NC State
14 Janelle Bailey, UNC
13 Nausia Woolfolk, Florida State
In the ACC Stats...
Haley Gorecki continues to showcase she is one of the best all-around players in the nation as she currently ranks in the top 15 of the following ACC stat categories --
Scoring (3rd, 17.8)
Assists (8th, 4.2)
Free Throw Percentage (3rd, 85.6)
Steals (3rd, 2.16)
Three-Point Field Goals Made (13th, 1.89)
Minutes Played (5th, 35.64)
One of Only Three in ACC...
Haley Gorecki, along with Dana Evans (Louisville) and Kiara Lewis (Syracuse), are the only players in the ACC who rank in the top five in the conference in scoring and top 10 in assists.
Haley Gorecki (17.8 ppg, 4.2 assists)
Dana Evans (19.2 ppg., 4.3 assists)
Kiara Lewis (17.7 ppg., 5.3 assists)
Impressive Against ACC...
In eight conference contests,
Haley Gorecki ranks second the ACC in scoring (19.5) and her 156 points is the second-most in league play.
She ranks eighth in field goal percentage (44.9), sixth in free throw percentage (82.9), tied for 10th in three-point field goals made (2.0) and 12th in three-point percentage (34.0).
Gorecki also ranks fifth in assists (4.8), tied for second in steals (2.6) and 18th in rebounding (6.4).
Tough Non-Conference Slate...
Of Duke's 11 non-conference opponents in 2019-20, eight of those have winning records. Overall, the Blue Devil opponents have combined for a 146-54 mark so far through Jan. 23.
Here is a closer look - High Point (7-10), Texas A&M (16-3), UNLV (10-9), Northwestern (17-2), Idaho State (8-9), Troy (15-3), Davidson (12-6), Penn (10-4), Nebraska (14-5), South Carolina (18-1) and FGCU (19-2).
Duke's five losses came to teams with a combined 84-13 record.
At Home in 2019-20...
Duke has totaled an 8-2 record at home this season. In those games, the Blue Devils are averaging 73.2 points, while holding opponents to 62.0 points.
Haley Gorecki has averaged 18.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.2 steals at home this season. She has notched four games with 20 or more points.
Miela Goodchild has drained 22 three-pointers for a 37.9 percentage. Over two seasons at Duke, Goodchild has hit 55-of-134 three-pointers at home in Cameron for a 41.0 percentage.
Duke's Gorecki Moving Up Charts...
Over her career, graduate
Haley Gorecki owns 146 three-pointers made, which ranks ninth on Duke's all-time charts.
Gorecki already ranks seventh on the Blue Devil three-pointers attempted list with 454.