Blue Devil Country

Duke Basketball Passes Major Road Test Against Spartans

Duke basketball toughness ensured the Blue Devils' 10th straight victory.
Matt Giles|
Dec 6, 2025; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer (12) advances against Michigan State Spartans center Carson Cooper (15) during the first half at Jack Breslin Student Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Dale Young-Imagn Images
Dec 6, 2025; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer (12) advances against Michigan State Spartans center Carson Cooper (15) during the first half at Jack Breslin Student Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Dale Young-Imagn Images | Dale Young-Imagn Images

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Duke Blue Devils

The Duke basketball winning streak has grown to 10, as the No. 4-ranked Blue Devils (10-0, 0-0 ACC) recorded a 66-60 true road win over the No. 7 Michigan State Spartans (8-1, 1-0 Big Ten) in the Breslin Center on Saturday afternoon.

Duke basketball head coach Jon Scheyer and Michigan State's Tom Izzo
Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo talks to Duke head coach Jon Scheyer before tipoff at Breslin Center in East Lansing on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Despite Duke's centerpiece weapon, freshman forward Cameron Boozer, going scoreless across the first 17 minutes of action, the No. 4 Blue Devils jumped out to an early lead and held a 19-17 advantage at the under-8 media timeout in the first half. They did so, in large part, by employing a widespread 3-point attack during that span.

But careless passes and the lack of bucket-getting assertiveness from Boozer quickly caught up with the Blue Devils. They cooled off considerably as a team from downtown and trailed the Spartans, 34-31, at halftime.

Duke basketball versus the Michigan State Spartans
Dec 6, 2025; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; Michigan State Spartans forward Coen Carr (55) dunks past Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer (12) during the first half at Jack Breslin Student Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Dale Young-Imagn Images | Dale Young-Imagn Images

At that point, freshman forward Nikolas Khamenia — 3-for-4 beyond the arc before the break — was the only Duke basketball player who had tallied more than one made field goal.

Cameron Boozer Powers Duke Basketball Bounceback

After scoring only two points in the first half, Boozer more than doubled that output across the first 80 seconds of the second half alone. The 18-year-old, who entered the contest averaging team-highs with 23.6 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.7 steals per game, picked up his third foul just a couple minutes later but remained on the floor and picked up steam, muscling his way to the rim for easy buckets before draining a 3-pointer to tie the score at 45-45 with just over 12 minutes to play.

Boozer accounted for 14 of Duke's first 17 points out of the break.

Michigan State didn't back down, though. Plus, with just under eight minutes left on the clock, Boozer's foul count rose to four, forcing fourth-year head coach Jon Scheyer to substitute for the early Naismith Award frontrunner.

However, Boozer returned to the court just a few minutes later. And as the Blue Devils have done all season, they stepped up in crunch time, as sophomore guard Isaiah Evans, the late-game hero against the No. 15 Florida Gators in Tuesday night's 67-66 home victory, hit a shot from deep to give Duke a 55-53 lead with just under four minutes to play and knocked down three free throws, providing a five-point cushion, after drawing a foul on a 3-point attempt with just under a minute to play

Evans finished with nine points, three rebounds, and one steal, shooting 2-for-6 from three. Boozer posted a game-high 18 points, 15 boards, five assists, two steals, and one block before fouling out with 11.9 ticks remaining.

Blue Devil junior guard Caleb Foster (12 points, four rebounds, two assists, one block), who sealed the victory at the charity stripe, and Nikolas Khamenia (10 points, eight rebounds, one steal) joined Cameron Boozer as double-figure scorers.

Duke basketball now has a lengthy break before welcoming the unranked Lipscomb Bisons (5-4, 0-0 ASUN) to Cameron Indoor Stadium on Tuesday, Dec. 16, at 6 p.m. ET (ACC Network).

Stay tuned to Duke Blue Devils On SI for more Duke basketball news.

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Matt Giles
MATT GILES

Matt Giles is the editor and publisher of Duke Blue Devils on SI, North Carolina Tar Heels on SI, and NC State Wolfpack on SI, making him a key source for comprehensive coverage of these storied college basketball programs. Since joining SI in 2022, Matt has been dedicated to providing in-depth analysis, breaking news, and exclusive content on all three teams. He covers everything from game previews and recaps to player profiles and recruiting updates. Matt's expert knowledge of these teams has made his work a go-to resource for fans and followers of Duke, NC State, and UNC. As publisher, he shapes the editorial direction, ensuring that the most relevant and timely information reaches his audience.

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