Women’s College Basketball ACC-SEC Challenge Matchup

The upcoming third year of the Women’s College basketball ACC-SEC challenge will feature a matchup between two teams that have both reached the Elite 8 but haven’t clashed on the court in the last 15 years.

The LSU Tigers, under coach Kim Malkey, are set to play against the Blue Devils at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, North Carolina on Thursday, December 4th, as reported by various sources. The complete schedule was made available shortly after this news broke.

While the exact time and broadcast details are still pending, it seems likely that Duke and LSU will be contenders for ESPN’s prime time slots.

Duke holds a slight edge in their historical matchups against LSU, being 3-2 overall. However, they haven’t played since the 2010 NCAA Tournament, where Duke triumphed 60-52 at Cameron to advance to the Sweet 16. Their most memorable encounter was back in the 2006 Final Four, where Duke advanced to the national title game by defeating LSU 64-45. Last season, LSU managed to beat Duke in the Elite Eight in Chattanooga, propelled by Augustus’s impressive 24 points and Sylvia Fowles’ double-double performance.

Speaking of Augustus, she will be in attendance for the matchup as she’s now an assistant coach for the Tigers.

Both teams had stellar seasons, with each securing at least 29 victories. Duke won the ACC Tournament and marked their first Elite Eight appearance since 2013. Their strong defense limited South Carolina to just 54 points, a season low, although the Blue Devils ultimately fell to the Gamecocks in Birmingham, Alabama. Duke is bringing back ACC Rookie of the Year Toby Fournier and all-ACC defender Jadin Donovan, alongside ESPN’s fourth-ranked recruit, Utah Point Guard Emily Skinner.

On the other hand, LSU made yet another appearance in the Elite Eight last season before losing to UCLA. The Tigers retain standout guards Fraughe Johnson and Mikayla Williams while also bolstering their lineup with notable transfers: Kate Cobalt from Notre Dame, Amiya Joyner from East Carolina, and Milaysia Fulwiley from South Carolina. Additionally, Mulkey’s recruiting class includes four top-35 players.

Under Mulkey’s leadership, LSU is unbeaten against ACC teams, standing at 9-0. Duke, however, is 4-4 against SEC teams during Lawson’s tenure, with three of those losses attributed to South Carolina.

Last season, the SEC performed strongly in the challenge, winning 10 of the 16 matchups against the ACC. Duke and LSU have not faced each other in the regular season since 2000, when they played at neutral sites in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Other notable games in the ACC-SEC Challenge include a visit to Oklahoma on December 3rd, and matchups featuring North Carolina in Texas, Notre Dame against Ole Miss, and Notre Dame versus Louisville, with South Carolina playing on December 4th.