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Round of 32 NCAA Tournament Preview: No. 5 Duke vs. No. 4 Georgia

By Ben Dull

NASHVILLE, TN - MARCH 02: Georgia Bulldogs wave to the crowd as the walk off the court during the fourth period between the Georgia Lady Bulldogs and the Missouri Tigers in a SEC Women's Tournament game on March 2, 2018, at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, TN. (Photo by Steve Roberts/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) Georgia downs Missouri 55-41
NASHVILLE, TN - MARCH 02: Georgia Bulldogs wave to the crowd as the walk off the court during the fourth period between the Georgia Lady Bulldogs and the Missouri Tigers in a SEC Women's Tournament game on March 2, 2018, at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, TN. (Photo by Steve Roberts/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) Georgia downs Missouri 55-41 /
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The Georgia Lady Bulldogs, the No. 4 seed in the Albany Region, defeated Mercer 68-63 in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. They’ll take on the Duke Blue Devils in round two, who topped Belmont 72-58 in their opener.

A look at the numbers for this second round matchup:

  • Duke averages 67.1 possessions per 40 minutes, which puts them in the 15th percentile nationally.
  • The Blue Devils have been one of the 10 best three-point shooting teams in the country the last two seasons. They’ve shot 38+% from deep in both seasons, and took 29.5% of their shots from downtown this season.
  • Duke’s defense generates over 10 steals per game. Their 15.2% steal rate is the 12th highest in the country.
  • Georgia’s defense boasts a top-10 block rate of 13.8%, and they’ve held opponents to 34.7% shooting from the field this season (sixth best nationally).

With the help of HerHoopStats, here’s a look at the Four Factors (defined in their glossary) for each team:

Players to watch in this one:

  • Lexie Brown and Rebecca Greenwell are a dynamic backcourt duo. The two combined for 31 points, five assists and five steals in their win over Belmont.
  • 6’2 forward Leaonna Odom is coming off a very strong opening round performance. She finished with a line of 25 points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals in 37 minutes.
  • Caliya Robinson (23 points, 16 rebounds, four assists and two blocks) and Mackenzie Engram (21 points, 10 rebounds, four assists) dominated inside for Georgia in round one.

Stats obtained via HerHoopStats.

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