Women's March Madness second round takeaways: Duke survives for another Sweet 16 berth
Teams are punching their tickets for trips to the women's Sweet 16. First one through in 2025: Duke.
Follow along as 's experts weigh in on Sunday's second-round games:
The foundation of Duke's recent run of success is built on defense. But it was junior guard Ashlon Jackson and the Blue Devils' offense that made the difference in their Round of 32 victory over Oregon.
Second-seeded Duke is returning to the Sweet 16 for a consecutive season after defeating No. 10 seed Oregon 59-53. Jackson scored all 20 of her points in the second half, knocking down more 3-pointers (five) than Oregon as a team (four).
Jackson set the tone early in the third quarter, making 3-pointers on consecutive possessions coming out of the locker room. She remained aggressive, converting a layup on Duke's fourth offensive possession and hitting her third 3 of the game on its fifth time down the floor.
Amid her offensive explosion, Duke's defense stiffened — opening the second half on an 11-0 run. The sprint was a turning point, as the Blue Devils flipped a five-point halftime deficit into a six-point lead. With 4:30 to play in the third quarter, Jackson hit yet another 3-pointer, stretching Duke's lead to 10, which was its largest lead of the game.
The Blue Devils have a balanced scoring attack, with four players averaging at least 10 points per game. Its offense can be inconsistent, but it allows various players to step up in different moments. Duke played Sunday's game with its leading scorer, freshman forward Toby Fournier, as she was out with illness. But Jackson emerged in the second half in Fournier's place.
UNC or West Virginia — Duke's Sweet 16 opponent — will surely now key in even more on Jackson before Friday's matchup in Birmingham, Ala. A Blue Devils' victory would move them to their first Elite Eight since 2006.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Duke Blue Devils, Oregon Ducks, Michigan Wolverines, Women's College Basketball
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