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Thursday, March 28, 2024
The Observer

Duffy, Severe come to play, make difference

Sophomore lefty Megan Duffy hit a right-handed floater with the shot clock winding down and 2:02 left on the game clock in the second half Saturday, putting the Irish up 50-48 - a lead they would not relinquish.But she wasn't the only Irish guard who came to play on Saturday. Senior captain Le'Tania Severe sparked a stagnant Irish offense when they needed it the most.The play of Duffy and Severe made the difference against Boston College, a team rumored to have one of the best backcourts in the Big East in Amber Jacobs and Jessalyn Deveny.Jacobs, though, was unable to connect on a three pointer to win the game and finished 4-for-15 from the field. Deveny was held to 4-for-11 shooting.Meanwhile, Duffy and Severe made sure the 6,808 Joyce Center fans knew the Eagles were not the only team with a talented backcourt.Duffy played the entire game, scoring 16 points on 6-for-11 shooting, including 3-for-5 from behind the arc. She committed only one turnover, while registering four steals and dishing out three assists. The 5'7" Duffy also grabbed three rebounds against a team with two 6-foot-4 players in the posts.But then there was Severe. She consistently slashed and drove to the basket against the bigger Eagles. When the shot clock was winding down and it seemed like there was nowhere to go, Severe found a way to score and found a way for the Irish to win.Severe only took eight shots, but she made five. She didn't miss a free throw, either, going 5-for-5 when the other members of her team weren't hitting their free throws. And the best part about Severe's 39 minutes were her turnovers - or lack thereof. She didn't turn the ball over once, despite handling the ball a significant amount.And it wasn't just their offense that made this duo better than the backcourt of Boston College. It was their defensive effort.Severe and Duffy forced Jacobs and Deveny into tough shots, resulting in poor shooting performances. They left Boston College searching for ways to score, as they helped hold the Eagles to 50 points, over 20 below their 72.3 points per-game average.But Duffy and Severe weren't looking to be the heroes of the game. They just wanted to win."I'm just trying to do a good job running the point, keeping everybody in the right position," Duffy said. "Some nights I get more shots than other times. Some games I have to score, some games I don't. The biggest thing is getting these guys' shots and keeping the team together. I feed off a lot from playing good defense, and that is kind of my game."In the Big East, Duffy and Severe may not be regarded as the best backcourt tandem just yet. But they sure are making a case for themselves.

The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of the Observer.