A dominant 20-2 scoring burst in the second half secured Duke’s victory over North Carolina. (Image credit: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
(Credit: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
Despite facing a challenge to their roster depth, top-ranked Duke effortlessly pulled ahead of No. 17 North Carolina during Saturday night’s matchup.
The Blue Devils (29-2, 17-1 ACC) clinched a 76-61 victory against their long-standing rivals, the Tar Heels, marking a 17-1 ACC season record. A crucial 20-2 surge early in the second half, spearheaded by Dame Sarr and Maliq Brown, proved decisive, especially as Patrick Ngongba II remained sidelined and Caleb Foster saw only 11 minutes of play before a right foot injury forced him out.
Advertisement
North Carolina (22-9, 12-6) narrowed Duke’s lead to a single point, 41-40, within the first minute of the second half. However, by the 10:59 mark, Duke had established a significant 63-44 lead, propelled by key contributions from Sarr and Brown.
[Enter Yahoo Fantasy Bracket Mayhem now for your shot at $50K]
Brown, stepping in for Ngongba in the starting lineup, achieved a personal best of 15 points and secured nine rebounds in his last game at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Sarr also contributed 10 points, netting consecutive shots and then drawing an offensive foul during Duke’s offensive outburst.
These efforts bolstered the performance of standout freshman Cameron Boozer, who recorded another double-double in what is expected to be his final home appearance before the 2026 NBA Draft. Boozer, a top contender for the Wooden Award, finished with 26 points and 15 rebounds. Consistently averaging a double-double, he has achieved at least 10 points and 10 rebounds in seven of Duke’s most recent ten contests.
Advertisement
Even though North Carolina previously dealt Duke their sole ACC defeat of the season with a 71-68 home win on February 7, they began the regular-season closer as 18.5-point underdogs due to Caleb Wilson’s unavailability. The Tar Heels’ star player sustained a fractured right thumb while performing drills as part of his rehabilitation from a broken left hand.
Lacking Wilson, North Carolina found themselves at a disadvantage, even with Duke experiencing injuries. The Tar Heels managed to reduce Duke’s halftime lead to five points after Foster exited the game and both Brown and Isaiah Evans accumulated two fouls, sending them to the bench.
What is the severity of Foster’s and Ngongba’s injuries?
Ngongba, who typically contributes 10.7 points and six rebounds per game, was uniformed but sported a boot on his right foot. He previously put up 11 points in 19 minutes during Duke’s decisive victory against NC State on Monday, having scored at least 11 points in each of his past five games.
Advertisement
Foster, conversely, appears to have sustained a potentially more severe injury. Play was halted in the first half when he clutched his right foot. He displayed clear frustration while on the bench, and following a few minutes of sideline treatment, he headed to Duke’s locker room.
He did not rejoin the team on the court for the second half, and upon his eventual return to the bench, he was seen wearing a walking boot on his right foot.
Foster, who starts at point guard for Duke, logs the third-highest minutes on the squad and ranks second only to Cameron Boozer in assists per game. With Foster observing from the sidelines, Cameron’s twin, Cayden Boozer, saw his most extensive playing time since recording 34 minutes against SMU on January 10.
Cayden Boozer contributed 7 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists over 29 minutes during Saturday night’s contest. Cayden’s role has been less prominent as his brother’s standing as a probable top-three selection in the upcoming NBA Draft has become more assured, yet he could prove to be a critically valuable asset for the Blue Devils in the postseason should Foster’s absence be prolonged.
Advertisement
Tar Heels secure the fourth seed for the ACC Tournament
A potential third face-off this season between the Tar Heels and Blue Devils appears to be a strong possibility.
Following their victory against Clemson, North Carolina has claimed the No. 4 seed in the ACC tournament, trailing only Duke, Virginia, and Miami. Should both the Tar Heels and Blue Devils emerge victorious from their quarterfinal matches, they are set to clash in the ACC tournament semifinals in Greensboro on Friday evening.
Duke, in contrast, concluded its most impressive two-season stretch in ACC competition since the early 2000s. Having posted a 19-1 conference record last year, Duke’s overall ACC regular-season record over the past two seasons now stands at 36-2. The Blue Devils had not experienced fewer than three ACC losses in a single season since 2005-06, and these consecutive one-loss seasons represent the program’s most successful period since their 46-2 ACC run spanning the 1997-98, 1998-99, and 1999-2000 seasons.
-
Yahoo Sports Staff
-
Yahoo Sports Staff
The game concluded definitively following Duke’s extended scoring streak at the start of the second half. As expected, Cam Boozer spearheaded the Blue Devils’ efforts, tallying 26 points, 15 rebounds, and 5 assists. Maliq Brown contributed 15 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 steals.
Derek Dixon scored 17 points, pacing UNC, as the Tar Heels’ record fell to 24-7.
Both Duke and UNC are slated to receive a double-bye in the upcoming ACC tournament.
-
Yahoo Sports Staff
North Carolina has managed a small scoring spurt, but they remain 17 points behind with barely 3 minutes left on the clock. The outcome of this game is decided.
Duke 73, UNC 56 | Remaining: 2:55
-
Nick Bromberg
An impressive performance by the Blue Devils. Duke had not recorded fewer than three losses in ACC competition since the 2005-06 season.
-
Yahoo Sports Staff
North Carolina eventually broke Duke’s scoring streak with a basket, but not before Duke pushed their advantage to 63-44, much to the crowd’s excitement at Cameron Indoor.
-
Yahoo Sports Staff
The frontrunner for the Wooden Award has already achieved a double-double, with just under 12 minutes remaining in the contest.
He boasts 17 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 assists, as the Blue Devils further their lead to 60-44.
-
Yahoo Sports Staff
Duke is now heating up, with Dame Sarr, Cayden Boozer, and Maliq Brown each landing three-pointers, pushing Duke’s lead back into double-digit territory.
Duke 58, UNC 44
-
Yahoo Sports Staff
Both Boozer brothers are now contributing to the momentum, with Cayden sinking a three-pointer to stretch Duke’s lead to six points.
Duke 50, UNC 44 | Remaining: 15:21
-
Nick Bromberg
According to the ESPN broadcast, Foster is managing a right foot injury. He recorded five points and two assists across 11 minutes of play before sustaining the injury with roughly four minutes left in the first half.
-
Yahoo Sports Staff
The second half has commenced, and we anticipate an exciting contest following UNC’s late surge at the close of the first half.
Caleb Foster’s injury might significantly impact this game. He is confirmed not to return for the rest of the match.
-
Yahoo Sports Staff
Here are results from other ranked team contests today:
Marquette 68, No. 4 UConn 62
Wisconsin 97, No. 13 Purdue 93
Louisville 92, No. 22 Miami 89
No. 5 Florida 84, Kentucky 77
No. 7 Houston 82, OK State 75
No. 13 Virginia 76, Va Tech 72
No. 14 Kansas 104, K-State 85
No. 6 Iowa State 86, Arizona State 65
No. 24 Vandy 86, No. 23 Tennessee 82
George Mason 86, No. 25 Saint Louis 57 -
Nick Bromberg
Both Maliq Brown and Isaiah Evans have incurred two fouls, and Caleb Foster has remained out of the game since his injury.
-
Yahoo Sports Staff
North Carolina eroded Duke’s lead with a late surge, maintaining a tight scoreline.
Cameron Boozer tallied 12 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists for the Blue Devils. Maliq Brown was a defensive force (3 steals, 1 block) and contributed 10 points. Caleb Foster’s injury has the potential to be a significant factor in the game’s outcome.
Henri Veesaar is spearheading UNC’s attack with 9 points and 6 rebounds. Derek Dixon and Jarin Stevenson each have 8 points.
-
Yahoo Sports Staff
North Carolina has narrowed the deficit to 3 points, with slightly under 2 minutes remaining in the first half.
Derek Dixon’s three-pointer extended UNC’s scoring run to 8-0.
Duke 35, UNC 32
-
Nick Bromberg
He exited the game due to what appeared to be a right foot or ankle injury and is currently receiving treatment on the sideline.
-
Nick Bromberg
North Carolina has committed five turnovers, which explains why they are trailing 24-15, even with a 47% shooting percentage from the field thus far.
-
Yahoo Sports Staff
Duke is beginning to establish a slight lead after tightening up their defense.
The score stands at 24-13 with 10 minutes remaining, following a three-pointer from Cameron Boozer, who was assisted by his brother Cayden on the perimeter.
-
Yahoo Sports Staff
When North Carolina employs a double-team on him, he successfully passes to a teammate. When left unguarded, he consistently scores.
Duke 17, UNC 13 | Remaining: 11:54 in first half
-
Yahoo Sports Staff
Maliq Brown is paving the way for the Blue Devils, securing several easy baskets near the rim as the Tar Heels heavily focus their defense on Cameron Boozer.
Duke 11, UNC 9 | Remaining: 15:13 in first half
-
Nick Bromberg
Duke has collected four offensive rebounds, stemming from an initial 1-of-6 shooting performance. However, the Blue Devils then converted four of their subsequent five attempts before the first television timeout.
-
Yahoo Sports Staff
Play has commenced at Cameron Indoor!
Duke is currently riding a seven-game winning streak. Their most recent defeat was against UNC in Chapel Hill.
