Duke’s Explosive Second Half Shocks No. 20 Louisville—Can Anyone Stop Their Perfect ACC Run?

Duke came out swinging Monday night in Durham—and boy, did they deliver a masterclass in dominance against Louisville. Cameron Boozer, with a solid 19 points and 10 rebounds, spearheaded the Blue Devils’ runaway 83-52 victory that sealed a clean sweep over the Cardinals—the very team tipped to challenge Duke atop the ACC. This wasn’t just a win; it was a statement. Isaiah Evans and Patrick Ngongba II chipped in 15 points apiece, fueling a second-half spurt of 13 unanswered points that turned a nail-biter into a blowout. Meanwhile, Louisville struggled mightily, shooting a dismal 29.6%, unable to crack Duke’s ironclad defense or hang on the glass. The Blue Devils not only extended their impressive 27-game home winning streak but also reinforced why they’re the preseason favorites everyone’s watching. You could almost feel the momentum shift right at halftime—and Duke pounced without letting up. If you sat this one out, you missed a swirling storm of grit and precision. LEARN MORE

DURHAM, N.C. — Cameron Boozer had 19 points and 10 rebounds to help No. 4 Duke roll past No. 20 Louisville 83-52 on Monday night, giving the preseason Atlantic Coast Conference favorite a sweep of its projected top challenger.

Isaiah Evans and Patrick Ngongba II each added 15 points for the Blue Devils (19-1, 8-0 ACC), who scored 13 unanswered points spanning halftime to assert control after leading by just one shortly before the break. That spurt was merely the start of turning this into a romp, with the Cardinals struggling to make much of anything while the Blue Devils dominated the glass and the paint and shot 50.8%.

Duke took its first meeting with the team picked to finish second in the ACC on Jan. 6, rallying from 12 down on the road and shooting 70.8% (17 of 24) in the second half. The Blue Devils left no doubt in this one on the way to their 27th straight home win, which pushed them to 7-1 against AP Top 25 foes.

Ryan Conwell scored 18 points to lead the Cardinals (14-6, 4-4), who went 3 for 22 from the field over a roughly 15-minute stretch that carried into the second half. Louisville finished the game shooting 29.6%.

Louisville freshman and top NBA draft prospect Mikel Brown Jr. didn’t play in the first meeting while missing six weeks with a back injury. He returned in Saturday’s win against Virginia Tech but followed with a rough debut in Cameron Indoor Stadium, going 0 for 8 in the first half while finishing with seven points on 1-of-13 shooting with three turnovers.