Blue Devil Country

Duke Freshman the Unsung Hero in Comeback Win Over Louisville

This Duke freshman's contributions won't show up in the stat sheet, but they were crucial in order for the Blue Devils to get it done on the road.
Hugh Straine|
Dec 16, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Dame Sarr (7) dribbles up court during the first half against the Lipscomb Bisons at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images
Dec 16, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Dame Sarr (7) dribbles up court during the first half against the Lipscomb Bisons at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images | Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

The No. 6-ranked Duke Blue Devils (14-1, 3-0 ACC) put together a fantastic comeback effort in the second half to take down No. 20 Louisville (11-4, 1-2 ACC) 84-73 at the KFC Yum! Center on Tuesday night.

The Blue Devils gave up 47 points to the Cardinals in the first half, the most surrendered by the Blue Devils in any half this season. This was the third contest in a row where Jon Scheyer's club allowed 40 or more points to its opponent in the first half after doing so just once across the team's first 12 games of the 2025-26 campaign.

However, Duke came out in the second half and completely flipped the switch. Louisville shot 16-of-34 (47%) as a team in the first half and 10-of-21 (48%) from three-point range to take a 47-38 lead entering the halftime break, but it was held to just 10-of-31 (32.3%) shooting from the floor and a wild 2-of-17 (11.8%) performance from three across the final 20 minutes.

The Cardinals have one of the highest three-point shot tendencies in the nation, and the Blue Devils looked night and day defensively, in both transition and the half-court, from the first half to the second. Duke was much more aggressive coming off screens and attacking close-outs while controlling the tempo of the game itself, something the Cardinals completely controlled in the opening frame.

However, the unsung hero for Duke in its fifth ranked victory of the year won't have any stats that jump out at fans, but his contributions were as important as anyone's.

Dame Sarr Shuts Down Ryan Conwell in Second Half To Give Duke Major Boost

Ryan Conwell, Louisville's leading scorer at 19.6 points per game entering the matchup against the Blue Devils, got everything he wanted in the first half. The senior kicked the game off with three straight threes to give Louisville its first nine points, and he entered the halftime locker room with a game-high 16 points on 5-of-11 (45.5%) shooting from the field and 4-of-7 (57.1%) shooting from the perimeter.

Then, enter 6'8" freshman Dame Sarr.

Sarr was Conwell's primary assignment for practically the entirety of the second half. Scheyer didn't even bother switching on Conwell at any point, and kept the Italian rookie on him through every action Pat Kelsey tried to run. Sarr came into Duke regarded as one of the team's best all-around defenders, and he proved why by taking Conwell completely out of the game.

Louisville's leading scorer didn't have a single easy look in the second half, and the lack of his involvement, thanks to Sarr, totally threw the Cardinals out of any offensive rhythm. Conwell couldn't even use Sarr's unwillingness to switch as an advantage to free teammates up, as the Duke freshmen's length made it nearly impossible to find a gap.

Isaiah Evan
Jan 6, 2026; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Isaiah Evans (3) shoots against Louisville Cardinals guard Isaac McKneely (10) during the first half at KFC Yum! Center. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images | Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images

Conwell finished the second half with eight points on 3-of-8 (37.5%) shooting from the floor and 0-of-4 from outside. Scheyer put Sarr up to the task of taking Louisville's biggest threat away, and Sarr answered the call.

Granted, Conwell did seem bothered by a hand or wrist issue that he suffered at some point in the first half. He spent a few short minutes on the bench in the second, but that doesn't change the fact that any look he was aiming to find was taken away.

The Oderzo, Italy native finished the game with just four points on 1-of-5 (20%) shooting and 0-of-3 from three-point range, but his elite defensive showing across the final 20 minutes provided a major boost for the Blue Devils to get things done on the road.

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Hugh Straine
HUGH STRAINE

Hugh Straine is an accomplished writer and proud Bucknell University alumnus, holding a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing. He has served as editor of The Bucknellian, worked as an analyst for ESPN+ and Hulu, and currently reports on college sports as a general reporter for On SI.