Upcoming Event: Women's Basketball versus Countdown to Craziness on October 3, 2025 at 7 p.m.
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7 p.m.
Women's Basketball
vs Countdown to Craziness
Friday, March 22
Columbus, Ohio
2:30 p.m.
Duke University
vs
Richmond
Photo by: Nat LeDonne / Duke Athletics
Duke Set to Tip Off NCAA Tournament Action Friday Versus Richmond
3/21/2024 12:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball
THE OPENING TIP
BALLIN' LIKE ITS MARCH MADNESS – TOURNEY TIME PART 2
ABOUT THE SPIDERS
SERIES HISTORY
A BATTLE TESTED BUNCH – STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE
BLOCK PARTY – EVERYONE'S INVITED
UP NEXT
Should the Blue Devils win, they will advance to the second round to take on the winner of No. 2-seed Ohio State and No. 15-seed Maine on Sunday, March 24.
To stay up to date with Duke women's basketball, follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook by searching "DukeWBB."
Duke Centennial
In 2024, Duke celebrates its Centennial, marking one hundred years since Trinity College became Duke University. Duke will use this historic milestone to deepen the understanding of its history, inspire pride and strengthen bonds and partnerships, and prepare for a second century of continued excellence and impactful leadership. To learn more, please visit 100.duke.edu.
#GoDuke
- Making its 26th all-time appearance and second straight under head coach Kara Lawson, the Duke women's basketball team earned the No. 7 seed in the Portland 3 Region of the 2024 Division I NCAA Tournament.
- Duke opens NCAA Tournament action in Columbus, Ohio vs. No. 10-seed Richmond in the First Round on Friday, March 22 at 2:30 p.m., with the game set to air live on ESPNews.
- In their 25 previous appearances, the Blue Devils have won at least one tournament game en route to compiling a 59-25 (.702) record -- No. 8 on the NCAA list. Duke's 59 NCAA Tournament wins are also tied for sixth all-time.
- Friday's contest marks the 10th all-time meeting between Duke and Richmond and the first at a neutral site. The Blue Devils have won three consecutive against the Spiders and lead the series 8-1.
- Duke and Richmond met earlier this season -- Nov. 6 -- in the season opener for both teams. The Blue Devils coasted to an 83-53 victory getting spectacular performances from junior Reigan Richardson (28 pts, 12-of-15 shooting) and freshman Oluchi Okananwa (22 pts, 12 rebs, 3 stls, 2 asts).
- The Blue Devils have taken on one of the nation's toughest slates this season with their SOS ranking No. 4 nationally (NCAA rankings as of March 17). The Blue Devils are also No. 20 in the NCAA NET rankings.
- The Blue Devils rank fifth nationally in blocks with an average of 5.8 rejections -- first in the ACC (NCAA rankings as of March 17). Senior Kennedy Brown, graduate student Camilla Emsbo and rookie Jadyn Donovan have posted 30-plus blocks each, leading the way with 43, 42 and 34 rejections, respectively.
- Duke has seen a balanced attack on offense with two players averaging double figures. Junior Reigan Richardson (11.5) leads the charge and is joined in double figures by sophomore Taina Mair (10.2).
- The Blue Devils have assists on more than 50 percent of their field goals (.560) with 454 dimes on 810 buckets. Mair leads the team with 3.7 per contest.
- Duke has had six different leading scorers this season led by Richardson (8), Mair (7) and freshman Oluchi Okananwa (7).
- On the defensive end, Duke has continued making it difficult for teams as the Blue Devils have held 30 of 31 opponents this season below their respective season scoring average while holding foes to 36.4-percent shooting -- No. 21 in the NCAA.
BALLIN' LIKE ITS MARCH MADNESS – TOURNEY TIME PART 2
- Making its 26th all-time appearance and second straight under head coach Kara Lawson, the Duke women's basketball team earned the No. 7 seed in the Portland 3 Region of the 2024 Division I NCAA Tournament.
- Duke opens the NCAA Tournament in Columbus, Ohio vs. No. 10-seed Richmond in the First Round on Friday, March 22 at 2:30 p.m., with the game set to air live on ESPNews. On the other side of the bracket is No. 2 seed Ohio State and No. 15 seed Maine, who will square off at noon on ESPN.
- The winners of the two games will face off in the Second Round on Sunday with times and TV designations yet to be determined.
- In their 25 previous appearances, the Blue Devils have won at least one tournament game en route to compiling a 59-25 (.702) record -- No. 8 on the NCAA list.
- The Blue Devils' 59 NCAA Tournament wins are also tied for sixth all-time.
- Duke has advanced to the regional semifinal 17 times, including four trips to the Final Four (1999, 2002, '03, '06).
- Although the Blue Devils have a rich NCAA Tournament history, Friday's game marks the first appearance in the big dance for most of the players on the 2023-24 roster.
- Kennedy Brown, Ashlon Jackson and Reigan Richardson get set to dust off their dancing shoes with the trio representing the current Blue Devils who have played in the NCAA Tournament, helping Duke advance to the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament as members of the 2022-23 squad.
ABOUT THE SPIDERS
- Champions of the Atlantic 10 Conference, Richmond captured the conference's automatic bid via a 65-51 victory over Rhode Island in the A-10 title game.
- It marked the program's first A-10 championship as well as the program's first conference title since the 1991 season (CAA).
- The Spiders, who are making their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2005 and fourth overall, enter the big dance at 29-5 overall, winners of five straight and 12 of their last 13 games.
- Richmond features a balanced offensive attack with four players averaging double figures -- Maddie Doogan (15.4), Grace Townsend (13.3), Addie Budnik (11.8) and Rachel Ullstrom (11.5). Doogan paces the efforts on the glass with 5.7 caroms per game while Townsend averages a team-best 5.1 assists.
- In the NCAA Rankings, Richmond enters postseason play ranked top 10 in the NCAA in four categories -- free throw percentage (4th), blocks (6th), three-point percentage (7th) and total three pointers made (10th).
- Individually, Budnik checks in ninth nationally in total blocks and 14th in blocks per game while Ullstrom ranks 11th in three-point shooting.
SERIES HISTORY
- Friday's contest marks the 10th all-time meeting between Duke and Richmond and the first at a neutral site.
- The Blue Devils have won three consecutive against the Spiders and lead the series 8-1.
- Duke and Richmond met earlier this season -- Nov. 6 -- in the season opener for both teams. The Blue Devils coasted to an 83-53 victory getting spectacular performances from junior Reigan Richardson (28 pts, 12-of-15 shooting) and freshman Oluchi Okananwa (22 pts, 12 rebs, 3 stls, 2 asts).
A BATTLE TESTED BUNCH – STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE
- Duke has embarked on one of the toughest schedules in the NCAA this season with its strength of schedule ranking among the top 10, checking in at No. 4 nationally (NCAA rankings as of March 17). The Blue Devils are also in the top 25 of the NCAA NET, ranking No. 20 on the list.
- The Blue Devils' schedule has gotten progressively more challenging each year under Coach Lawson. Duke finished the 2022-23 season with the 10th toughest schedule in the NCAA.
- The Blue Devils have faced 11 opponents ranked in the AP Top 25 thus far this season (4-7). Five of the teams Duke has played this season also boast a top-30 SOS -- Stanford (5th), South Carolina (20th), NC State (22nd), North Carolina (25th), Georgia (29th).
- Additionally, Duke owns a trio of notable non-conference wins over teams that earned bids to the 2024 NCAA Tournament:
- Nov. 6 – 83-53 vs. Richmond
- Nov. 14 – 66-62 at Columbia
- Dec. 10 – 82-63 vs. Florida Gulf Coast
BLOCK PARTY – EVERYONE'S INVITED
- The Blue Devils' length has proven to be a factor on the defensive end this season as the squad averages 5.8 blocks per game -- No. 5 in the NCAA and tops in the ACC (NCAA rankings as of March 17).
- Duke has registered five or more blocks in 20 games this season, including a pair of games with double-digit swats -- Coastal Carolina (12) and NC Central (11) -- as well as six contests with eight or more rejections -- at Stanford, vs. South Carolina, vs. Florida Gulf Coast, vs. Boston College, at Virginia, vs. North Carolina.
- Senior Kennedy Brown, graduate student Camilla Emsbo and rookie Jadyn Donovan have posted 30-plus blocks each, leading the way with 43, 42 and 34 rejections, respectively. They are joined in double digits by junior Reigan Richardson (14) and freshman Delaney Thomas (12).
- In the victory over Florida State (1.25), Brown set the Duke record for most blocks in a first quarter, tallying four of her game-high five rejections during the period.
UP NEXT
Should the Blue Devils win, they will advance to the second round to take on the winner of No. 2-seed Ohio State and No. 15-seed Maine on Sunday, March 24.
To stay up to date with Duke women's basketball, follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook by searching "DukeWBB."
Duke Centennial
In 2024, Duke celebrates its Centennial, marking one hundred years since Trinity College became Duke University. Duke will use this historic milestone to deepen the understanding of its history, inspire pride and strengthen bonds and partnerships, and prepare for a second century of continued excellence and impactful leadership. To learn more, please visit 100.duke.edu.
#GoDuke
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