Preview: Oregon State WBB versus Duke

The Oregon State Women’s Basketball team wraps up their East Coast trip with a game against the Duke. Tip-off is on Saturday, November 25, at noon PST. You can listen on the Oregon State Beavers Sports Network or watch on ACCN Extra through WatchESPN. Let’s take a closer look at the Blue Devils.

Duke Blue Devils (#16 in AP Poll, 3-1)

Duke is led by All-American Lexi Brown, who is averaging 20.3 points per game, along with her sharp-shooting teammate Rebecca Greenwell, who is second on the team at 15 points per game. Brown is somebody that the Beavers will need to bottle up, but not too aggressively, as she has been making teams pay at the foul-line by making 23-24 free throws. Greenwell has maintained her reputation as an outside shooter thus far this season, nailing 50% of her threes.

While the Blue Devils have a couple stars in the back-court, the Blue Devils have the size to square off with OSU in the front-court as they have seven players listed at 6’2’’ or above. Leaonna Odom and Erin Mathias lead the front-line starters with 8.3 and 7.3 rebounds per game respectively.

Prediction

This should be a close contest between two ranked teams. Key components for Oregon State’s game plan will be staying out of foul trouble in the post, as well as containing Brown down the stretch for Duke. The last thing this team will need is Brown recreating an Arike Ogunbowale-like performance and willing the Blue Devils to a comeback. Oregon State takes a close one.