Banged-Up Duke Basketball Totally Tames Tigers at ACC Tournament

Duke basketball legend Jon Scheyer will now prepare the Blue Devils for what would be his third conference showcase crown as head coach.

Mar 13, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer reacts in the first half at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

After squeaking out an 80-79 win over the No. 8 seed Florida State Seminoles on Thursday night, Jon Scheyer's top-ranked and No. 1 seed Duke basketball team took care of business once again in Charlotte's Spectrum Center. This go-round, though, Scheyer's fourth batch of Blue Devils advanced to the ACC Tournament championship bout with a tough-minded 73-61 semifinal victory over the No. 5 seed Clemson Tigers on Friday night.

The Blue Devils and Tigers exchanged blows often via back-and-forth buckets in the early going, battling to the tune of seven lead changes and four ties across the first 10 minutes and change in the first half. But Duke put together a 10-0, courtesy of a 3-point splash from sophomore guard Darren Harris sandwiched between driving scores by freshman guard Cayden Boozer and two free throws from sophomore wing Isaiah Evans, enjoying a 29-18 lead with under five minutes to play in the half.

nice read by Cayden caps a 10-0 run‼️👿 pic.twitter.com/UQE1wHTgSO

— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) March 14, 2026

Six members of shorthanded Duke's seven-man rotation — junior guard Caleb Foster (right foot fracture) and sophomore center Patrick Ngongba II (right foot soreness) were ruled for the entire ACC Tournament — scored in the first half: freshman power forward Cameron Boozer (12 points), Cayden Boozer (nine), freshman forward Nikolas Khamenia (eight), Isaiah Evans (four), freshman guard Dame Sarr (four), and Darren Harris (three).

Behind the Boozer twins' combined 22 points between the first 20 minutes, the Blue Devils took a 41-22 halftime advantage into the locker room. So, that duo's first-half scoring total matched that of veteran ACC head coach Brownell's entire Clemson squad, which went without a field in the final 7:44 ahead of the break.

At the half

Boozer twins: 22
Clemson: 22 pic.twitter.com/R7kXRT2DJW

— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) March 14, 2026

Duke Basketball Executes Smoothly in Second Half

Scheyer's Blue Devils seized a 49-29 lead at the 15:15 mark in the second half after Cameron Boozer knocked down an open three. And although the Tigers continued to claw, they never quite cut their deficit to single digits, as Duke delivered timely answers with driving baskets and successful trips to the charity stripe, also locking down on the defensive end throughout the final 10 minutes of play.

Three Blue Devils tallied 14 points or more in the contest: Cameron Boozer (24 points, 14 rebounds, five assists, one block), Cayden Boozer (16 points, two rebounds, one assist), Nikolas Khamenia (14 points, six rebounds, one steal).

Mar 13, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; Clemson Tigers forward Jake Wahlin (10) with the ball as Duke Blue Devils guard Nikolas Khamenia (14) defends in the first half at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Duke basketball will now gear up to face the No. 2 seed Virginia Cavaliers for the ACC Tournament title nets at 8:30 p.m. ET Saturday (ESPN). The Blue Devils are aiming to capture the program's 24th championship (next highest total is the UNC Tar Heels' 18 all time) at the conference's historic annual event, and it would mark the third overall and second in a row under Jon Scheyer's command.

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