Upcoming Event: Women's Basketball versus Countdown to Craziness on October 3, 2025 at 7 p.m.
/
7 p.m.
Women's Basketball
vs Countdown to Craziness
Thursday, December 30
Blacksburg, VA
7 P.M.
Duke University
at
Virginia Tech
Photo by: Duke Athletics
Blue Devils Open ACC Play Thursday in Blacksburg
12/29/2021 9:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
#15 Duke Blue Devils (9-1, 0-0 ACC) at Virginia Tech Hokies (9-3, 1-0 ACC)
Thursday, Dec. 30 • 7:00 PM
Blacksburg, Va. • ACC Network
Cassell Coliseum (9,147)
Tickets: www.hokiesports.com (1-800-828-3244)
Live Stats: www.GoDuke.com
Radio: Blue Devil Sports Network (WDNC 620 AM, www.GoDuke.com, Varsity Network App)
Radio Talent: Chris Edwards (PXP)
TV/Video: ACC Network
TV Talent: Pam Ward (PXP), Stephanie White (Color)
Setting the Scene...
Coming off a break from the Christmas holiday, the 16th-ranked Duke women's basketball team (9-1, 0-0 ACC) will travel to Blacksburg, Va., to face Virginia Tech (9-3, 1-0) on Thursday, Dec. 30 at 7 p.m.
The game will be carried live on ACC Network with Pam Ward (PXP) and Stephanie White (Color) calling the action. It will also be carried on the Blue Devil Sports Network via WDNC AM 620, the Varsity Network app and www.GoDuke.com with Chris Edwards (PXP) on the air at 6:45 p.m.
What is Next?...
Duke will return home after the new year by hosting Notre Dame (Jan. 2) and Georgia Tech (Jan. 6) in Cameron Indoor Stadium. Both games will be aired live on ACC Network Extra.
A Look at Virginia Tech...
Virginia Tech enters the contest with a 9-3 overall and 1-0 league mark with a recent victory over Florida State. The Hokies have been paced by Elizabeth Kitley (18.7 points, 9.5 rebounds), Aisha Sheppard (14.4 points, 41 treys) and Kayana Traylor (10.0 points).
The Series with Virginia Tech...
Duke and Virginia Tech will meet for the 32nd time in school history with the Blue Devils leading the series 27-4. The Blue Devils won 26 out of the first 28 contest in the series with the Hokies, but Virginia Tech has won two out of the last three games.
In games played in Blacksburg, Va., Duke owns a 12-2 ledger, but lost the most recent contest on Feb. 27, 2020, 70-56.
Storylines/Other Blue Devil Notes...
• In ACC openers, Duke owns a 32-13 overall
record. The Blue Devils have opened ACC play on the road in two out of the last three years.
• Duke owns an all-time record of 32-13 in the first game following the Christmas break.
• Two of the top 3-point shooting teams in the nation will hit the hardwood on Thursday. Duke averages 8.3 treys per contest, while Virginia Tech averages 9.7. The Hokies rank 11th nationally and first in the ACC, while the Blue Devils rank 39th nationally and fourth in the league.
• After opening the season averaging 15.3 points over the first seven games, Celeste Taylor has averaged 6.7 points over the last three contests. She has hit only 36.4 percent from the field during those games and only 2-of-7 treys. Taylor is still stuffing the stat sheet in other ways, averaging 5.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 3.3 steals during that stretch.
• Senior Miela Goodchild has been getting more minutes recently and taken full advantage of the opportunity, hitting four out of her nine 3-point field goal attempts. She is coming off scoring 10 points at Charleston Southern, marking the third time this season she has scored double-digits.
• Shayeann Day-Wilson is one of five freshman nationally to register 19 points, four rebounds, four assists and four steals in a game on the year.
• With the win over Charleston Southern, Duke finished non-conference action with nine victories - that is the most for a Blue Devil team since the 2017-18 season when they finished non-conference action 11-2.
• Duke head coach Kara Lawson has coached Duke in 14 contests so far with her only two losses coming against a No. 1 (South Carolina) and No. 2 (Louisville) ranked opponent.
• The Blue Devils held No. 1 South Carolina to a season-low 55 points and 35.1 field goal percentage.
• Duke's Celeste Taylor is one of the best players in the ACC in transition. She has scored 27 of her 127 points when in transition on the season.
• Lexi Gordon pulled down a season-high eight rebounds in the South Carolina contest and drained two treys.
• Elizabeth Balogun has drained a 3-pointer in five straight games, while Shayeann Day-Wilson has hit treys in eight consecutive contests.
• Graduate student Amaya Finklea-Guity has been providing solid play off the bench in the post for the Blue Devils. She is hitting 72.7 percent of her field goals on 16-of-22 attempts.
• Entering the Iowa game on Dec. 2, unranked teams were 0-47 versus top-10 opponents on the season, before Duke knocked off No. 9 Iowa. The current record is 2-74 (through Dec. 27) with the two wins coming by the Blue Devils and Georgia Tech (over UConn). The 15-point win over Iowa was the largest margin of victory over a top-10 team for Duke since defeating FSU by 13 the 2017-18 season.
• Duke has scored 394 points off the bench in 10 games for an average of 35.8, while its opponents are averaging only 10.5 a contest. The Blue Devils' 35.8 per game average leads the ACC with NC State in second (34.7). Only Duke and NC State are averaging 30.0 points off the bench or better in the ACC.
• Freshman Shayeann Day-Wilson has hit 22-of-39 treys the last six games, including 20-of-35 the last five contests. Her 26 three-pointers on the season ranks as the fifth-most by a freshman nationally (Tess Myers of Duquesne leads with 36 in 12 games).
• Duke has allowed 75 points or less in every game under Kara Lawson as head coach. The 14-straight games allowing 75 points or less is the longest streak since the 2019-20 season when the Blue Devils allowed less than 75 points in 17 straight contests.
• The Blue Devils have posted 20+ points in the first quarter in eight of the 10 contests played this season. Duke had led after the first 10 minutes in each of the first eight games prior to the South Carolina contest.
• The Blue Devils feature eight different players that have drained at least one 3-pointer on the season, while six have hit six or more.
• Since arriving at Duke, Vanessa de Jesus has produced a 2.3 assist/turnover ratio (50/22).
• In the 13 games under Kara Lawson since arriving, Duke has scored 70+ points in 12 of the 13 contests. The Blue Devils have won every game in which they have scored 70 points or more. The only losses were to Louisville and South Carolina - top five teams.
• In 14 games over the last two years under Kara Lawson, the Blue Devils have drained 112 treys for an average of 8.3 a contest.
• Elizabeth Balogun steps on the court in 2021-22 with Duke marking the third different ACC squad she has played for. She is the first women's basketball player in ACC history to play for three different teams in the league (Louisville, Georgia Tech).
• Imani Lewis' 30 career double-doubles entered the season ranking tied for 23rd nationally in the NCAA for active career leaders.
• Blue Devil senior Elizabeth Balogun represented her home country of Nigeria in the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. She appeared in all three contests for the Nigerians and played with former Duke standout Oderah Chidom with Nigeria.
• Duke features three graduate students in 2021-22 that are all attending the Duke Fuqua School of Business -- Amaya Finklea-Guity, Jade Williams and Lexi Gordon.
• Kara Lawson's playing career has her in elite company as she is one of only three NCAA Division I women's basketball coaches to play in a NCAA Final Four, win an Olympic Gold Medal and win a WNBA Championship (Lindsay Whalen of Minnesota and Cynthia Cooper-Dyke of Texas Southern).
• Junior transfer Jordyn Oliver will miss the 2021-22 season, after suffering an achilles injury over the summer.
• Follow @DukeWBB and @KaraLawson20 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, while Kara Lawson is at KaraLawson.
Approaching 400 ACC Wins...
Duke currently owns 398 ACC wins over the history of the program. The Blue Devils need two more victories to reach 400 over the 45 years of ACC women's basketball.
Both Duke and NC State currently own 398 ACC wins over the history of its programs.
Four ACC programs feature 300 or more league wins -- Duke (398), NC State (398), North Carolina (383) and Virginia (373).
Lawson Heads Back to Home State...
Blue Devil head coach Kara Lawson will head back to her home state of Virginia for the first time as a head coach when Duke faces the Hokies on Thursday.
Lawson grew up in Alexandria, Va., and attended West Springfield High School.
As a student-athlete at Tennessee, Lawson played two games in the state of Virginia - both against Old Dominion in Norfolk, Va. On Jan. 28, 2001 the Lady Vols won 87-70 and on Jan. 7, 2003 Tennessee won 91-63.
Thursday, Dec. 30 • 7:00 PM
Blacksburg, Va. • ACC Network
Cassell Coliseum (9,147)
Tickets: www.hokiesports.com (1-800-828-3244)
Live Stats: www.GoDuke.com
Radio: Blue Devil Sports Network (WDNC 620 AM, www.GoDuke.com, Varsity Network App)
Radio Talent: Chris Edwards (PXP)
TV/Video: ACC Network
TV Talent: Pam Ward (PXP), Stephanie White (Color)
Setting the Scene...
Coming off a break from the Christmas holiday, the 16th-ranked Duke women's basketball team (9-1, 0-0 ACC) will travel to Blacksburg, Va., to face Virginia Tech (9-3, 1-0) on Thursday, Dec. 30 at 7 p.m.
The game will be carried live on ACC Network with Pam Ward (PXP) and Stephanie White (Color) calling the action. It will also be carried on the Blue Devil Sports Network via WDNC AM 620, the Varsity Network app and www.GoDuke.com with Chris Edwards (PXP) on the air at 6:45 p.m.
What is Next?...
Duke will return home after the new year by hosting Notre Dame (Jan. 2) and Georgia Tech (Jan. 6) in Cameron Indoor Stadium. Both games will be aired live on ACC Network Extra.
A Look at Virginia Tech...
Virginia Tech enters the contest with a 9-3 overall and 1-0 league mark with a recent victory over Florida State. The Hokies have been paced by Elizabeth Kitley (18.7 points, 9.5 rebounds), Aisha Sheppard (14.4 points, 41 treys) and Kayana Traylor (10.0 points).
The Series with Virginia Tech...
Duke and Virginia Tech will meet for the 32nd time in school history with the Blue Devils leading the series 27-4. The Blue Devils won 26 out of the first 28 contest in the series with the Hokies, but Virginia Tech has won two out of the last three games.
In games played in Blacksburg, Va., Duke owns a 12-2 ledger, but lost the most recent contest on Feb. 27, 2020, 70-56.
Storylines/Other Blue Devil Notes...
• In ACC openers, Duke owns a 32-13 overall
record. The Blue Devils have opened ACC play on the road in two out of the last three years.
• Duke owns an all-time record of 32-13 in the first game following the Christmas break.
• Two of the top 3-point shooting teams in the nation will hit the hardwood on Thursday. Duke averages 8.3 treys per contest, while Virginia Tech averages 9.7. The Hokies rank 11th nationally and first in the ACC, while the Blue Devils rank 39th nationally and fourth in the league.
• After opening the season averaging 15.3 points over the first seven games, Celeste Taylor has averaged 6.7 points over the last three contests. She has hit only 36.4 percent from the field during those games and only 2-of-7 treys. Taylor is still stuffing the stat sheet in other ways, averaging 5.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 3.3 steals during that stretch.
• Senior Miela Goodchild has been getting more minutes recently and taken full advantage of the opportunity, hitting four out of her nine 3-point field goal attempts. She is coming off scoring 10 points at Charleston Southern, marking the third time this season she has scored double-digits.
• Shayeann Day-Wilson is one of five freshman nationally to register 19 points, four rebounds, four assists and four steals in a game on the year.
• With the win over Charleston Southern, Duke finished non-conference action with nine victories - that is the most for a Blue Devil team since the 2017-18 season when they finished non-conference action 11-2.
• Duke head coach Kara Lawson has coached Duke in 14 contests so far with her only two losses coming against a No. 1 (South Carolina) and No. 2 (Louisville) ranked opponent.
• The Blue Devils held No. 1 South Carolina to a season-low 55 points and 35.1 field goal percentage.
• Duke's Celeste Taylor is one of the best players in the ACC in transition. She has scored 27 of her 127 points when in transition on the season.
• Lexi Gordon pulled down a season-high eight rebounds in the South Carolina contest and drained two treys.
• Elizabeth Balogun has drained a 3-pointer in five straight games, while Shayeann Day-Wilson has hit treys in eight consecutive contests.
• Graduate student Amaya Finklea-Guity has been providing solid play off the bench in the post for the Blue Devils. She is hitting 72.7 percent of her field goals on 16-of-22 attempts.
• Entering the Iowa game on Dec. 2, unranked teams were 0-47 versus top-10 opponents on the season, before Duke knocked off No. 9 Iowa. The current record is 2-74 (through Dec. 27) with the two wins coming by the Blue Devils and Georgia Tech (over UConn). The 15-point win over Iowa was the largest margin of victory over a top-10 team for Duke since defeating FSU by 13 the 2017-18 season.
• Duke has scored 394 points off the bench in 10 games for an average of 35.8, while its opponents are averaging only 10.5 a contest. The Blue Devils' 35.8 per game average leads the ACC with NC State in second (34.7). Only Duke and NC State are averaging 30.0 points off the bench or better in the ACC.
• Freshman Shayeann Day-Wilson has hit 22-of-39 treys the last six games, including 20-of-35 the last five contests. Her 26 three-pointers on the season ranks as the fifth-most by a freshman nationally (Tess Myers of Duquesne leads with 36 in 12 games).
• Duke has allowed 75 points or less in every game under Kara Lawson as head coach. The 14-straight games allowing 75 points or less is the longest streak since the 2019-20 season when the Blue Devils allowed less than 75 points in 17 straight contests.
• The Blue Devils have posted 20+ points in the first quarter in eight of the 10 contests played this season. Duke had led after the first 10 minutes in each of the first eight games prior to the South Carolina contest.
• The Blue Devils feature eight different players that have drained at least one 3-pointer on the season, while six have hit six or more.
• Since arriving at Duke, Vanessa de Jesus has produced a 2.3 assist/turnover ratio (50/22).
• In the 13 games under Kara Lawson since arriving, Duke has scored 70+ points in 12 of the 13 contests. The Blue Devils have won every game in which they have scored 70 points or more. The only losses were to Louisville and South Carolina - top five teams.
• In 14 games over the last two years under Kara Lawson, the Blue Devils have drained 112 treys for an average of 8.3 a contest.
• Elizabeth Balogun steps on the court in 2021-22 with Duke marking the third different ACC squad she has played for. She is the first women's basketball player in ACC history to play for three different teams in the league (Louisville, Georgia Tech).
• Imani Lewis' 30 career double-doubles entered the season ranking tied for 23rd nationally in the NCAA for active career leaders.
• Blue Devil senior Elizabeth Balogun represented her home country of Nigeria in the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. She appeared in all three contests for the Nigerians and played with former Duke standout Oderah Chidom with Nigeria.
• Duke features three graduate students in 2021-22 that are all attending the Duke Fuqua School of Business -- Amaya Finklea-Guity, Jade Williams and Lexi Gordon.
• Kara Lawson's playing career has her in elite company as she is one of only three NCAA Division I women's basketball coaches to play in a NCAA Final Four, win an Olympic Gold Medal and win a WNBA Championship (Lindsay Whalen of Minnesota and Cynthia Cooper-Dyke of Texas Southern).
• Junior transfer Jordyn Oliver will miss the 2021-22 season, after suffering an achilles injury over the summer.
• Follow @DukeWBB and @KaraLawson20 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, while Kara Lawson is at KaraLawson.
Approaching 400 ACC Wins...
Duke currently owns 398 ACC wins over the history of the program. The Blue Devils need two more victories to reach 400 over the 45 years of ACC women's basketball.
Both Duke and NC State currently own 398 ACC wins over the history of its programs.
Four ACC programs feature 300 or more league wins -- Duke (398), NC State (398), North Carolina (383) and Virginia (373).
Lawson Heads Back to Home State...
Blue Devil head coach Kara Lawson will head back to her home state of Virginia for the first time as a head coach when Duke faces the Hokies on Thursday.
Lawson grew up in Alexandria, Va., and attended West Springfield High School.
As a student-athlete at Tennessee, Lawson played two games in the state of Virginia - both against Old Dominion in Norfolk, Va. On Jan. 28, 2001 the Lady Vols won 87-70 and on Jan. 7, 2003 Tennessee won 91-63.
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