2-seed Duke women's basketball fended off an upset-hungry 10-seed Oregon Ducks squad 59-53 in the Round of 32 to advance to the program's second straight Sweet Sixteen. The Blue Devils got the win at Cameron Indoor Stadium in front of the Blue Devil faithful.
Duke was without its leading scorer Toby Fournier, as the ACC Rookie of the Year "wasn't feeling well" and was not cleared by team doctors to play.
The lack of Fournier's presence proved troublesome for the Blue Devils early on as the feisty Ducks squad got out to a 12-9 lead after the first quarter and a 28-23 lead at the halftime break.
Then, enter Ashlon Jackson in the second half. After being held scoreless in the first half, the junior went off in the second for 20 points on 7-of-17 shooting from the field.
After the performance from Jackson which eventually led to the Blue Devils' victory, fans on social media reacted to the show that she put on.
ASHLON JACKSON HEATERRRR pic.twitter.com/mg02QzD4gW
— Bala 💫 (@BalaPattySZN) March 23, 2025
Ashlon Jackson legacy game today. Even when they were down in the first half, super positive energy and a hugely stabilizing presence on offense.
— Owen Pence (@OwenPence) March 9, 2025
Still thinking about Ashlon Jackson's performance today against Oregon.
— Wayne Bumpass (@WayneBumpass) March 23, 2025
20 points
4 rebounds
1 night night pic.twitter.com/vfLTa3BOMN
And after a dagger three in the corner from Jackson that put the Blue Devils up by seven with a minute and a half to go in the Round of 32 matchup, the junior hit a cold-blooded "night night" celebration to send the Ducks home, and fans went crazy for Jackson's Stephen Curry-esque move.
ASHLON JACKSON HIT THE NIGHT NIGHT 💤
— ESPN (@espn) March 23, 2025
The Blue Devils advance to their 19th Sweet 16 appearance 👏 pic.twitter.com/YRmGSDWg8L
. @Ashlon3Jackson CALLED NIGHT NIGHT 😴 #MarchMadness x @DukeWBB x @SportsCenter pic.twitter.com/ULoC0BDH6E
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessWBB) March 23, 2025
Ashlon Jackson just hit the “night night” letttssss ffnnnnnn goooooo!!!!!
— _nechaboo_ (@nechaboo22) March 23, 2025
Jackson sent social media crazy with the move and the Blue Devils will now move forward to to the Sweet Sixteen for the second straight season. The program will look to avenge last season, as the Blue Devils fell to UConn 53-45 in last season's Sweet Sixteen.
The Blue Devils have a possibility to face their arch rival in the next round of the big dance, as they will play the winner of 3-seed North Carolina and 6-seed West Virginia. The Tar Heels and Mountaineers will face off tonight at 7:00pm ET on ESPN2.
Duke is 1-1 against the Tar Heels this season, falling to UNC 53-46 in Chapel Hill and then winning 68-53 at Cameron Indoor later in the season.
Fournier's timetable to return is unclear at the moment, so head coach Kara Lawson and the rest of the program are unsure if the star freshman will be available for Duke's next game. But behind Jackson, the Blue Devils look to keep moving forward.