The Duke Blue Devils won both of their games last week by 59 combined points, a pair of dominant displays against new ACC members California and Stanford. With five victories in their last six games, the Blue Devils rose two spots to No. 14 in the updated USA TODAY Sports women’s basketball coaches poll on Tuesday.
Toby Fournier, who picked up her third ACC Rookie of the Week award on Monday, put together her first career double-double against the Golden Bears with 23 points and 11 rebounds. The Blue Devils held California to just 38 points, the lowest total for a ranked opponent in school history, and Duke’s 59.2 points allowed per contest are second only to the North Carolina Tar Heels among ACC teams.
The Tar Heels beat Duke in Chapel Hill last week, and the head-to-head triumph kept UNC one spot above the Blue Devils at No. 13. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish (No. 3) are the only ACC team higher than the Tobacco Road rivals.
Head coach Kara Lawson and her team get a chance at a fourth ranked win this coming Sunday with a road game against No. 18 Georgia Tech, but the SMU Mustangs await first on Thursday.