Duke’s Scheyer ‘Couldn’t Be More Proud’ Following UNC Win

Jon Scheyer was very pleased with how the Blue Devils ended the regular season.

Feb 7, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer reacts in the first half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

The No. 1-ranked Duke Blue Devils (29-2, 17-1 ACC) ended their 2025-26 regular season on a high note, defeating arch rival No. 17 North Carolina (24-7, 12-6 ACC) at Cameron Indoor Stadium 76-61 on Saturday night. The Blue Devils close the regular season on an eight-game win streak, winning those contests by an average margin of 23.1 points.

Duke had already secured the outright ACC regular season title as well as the No. 1 seed in the ACC Tournament, and with how the Blue Devils ended things heading into the postseason, it's extremely difficult to see any ACC squad taking them down in the conference tournament.

Mar 2, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer (12) reacts during the second half against the NC State Wolfpack at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

Both clubs dealt with significant injuries, as it was reported on Friday that UNC star freshman forward Caleb Wilson would miss the remainder of the season after undergoing season-ending surgery. Wilson led the Tar Heels in points, rebounds, steals, and blocks before the injury and was arguably the most electric player in college basketball.

Duke sophomore center Patrick Ngongba appeared on the injury report later in the week and ended up not suiting up against North Carolina. In the first half of the contest, junior guard Caleb Foster exited the game after sustaining a right foot injury. Foster returned to the bench in the second half in a walking boot.

Feb 24, 2026; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer claps against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the second half at Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center. Mandatory Credit: Michael Caterina-Imagn Images | Michael Caterina-Imagn Images

Duke Dominant Inside the Paint

Even without Ngongba, Duke still boasted a major advantage in the paint with the absence of Wilson. National Player of the Year frontrunner Cameron Boozer further cemented his case for the award, going for a game-high 26 points to go along with 15 rebounds and five assists on 10-of-17 (58.8%) shooting from the field.

Feb 24, 2026; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Maliq Brown (6) drives as Notre Dame Fighting Irish forward Ryder Frost (7) defends during the second half at Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center. Mandatory Credit: Michael Caterina-Imagn Images | Michael Caterina-Imagn Images

This was Boozer's 17th double-double on the season.

Duke outscored North Carolina 36-28 inside the paint and outrebounded Hubert Davis' club 42-29. The Blue Devils also grabbed 18 offensive boards to just five for the Tar Heels. Duke turned those offensive rebounds into 14 second-chance points.

Feb 28, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA;Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer (left) reacts during the first half against the Virginia Cavaliers at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images | Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

Jon Scheyer ‘Proud’ of Duke’s Performance Against UNC

The Blue Devils won this game with rebounding and defense. Duke held North Carolina to just 27 points in the second half while forcing 14 turnovers on the Tar Heels that turned into 24 Duke points. UNC generated four points on eight Blue Devil cough-ups.

North Carolina entered the contest averaging less than 10 turnovers a matchup.

Jan 24, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer (right) talks to forward Isaiah Evans (3) during the second half against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images | Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

After the game, head coach Jon Scheyer expressed just how pleased he was with his team's performance.

“Couldn’t be more proud of our guys, that was not an easy situation - Caleb goes down, Pat couldn’t go and it crushed them that they couldn’t go - but it was our defense & rebounding in the 2nd half that won us the game," Scheyer said.

Mar 2, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer (12) lays the ball up against the NC State Wolfpack during the second half at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

The Blue Devils will now get ready for the ACC Tournament Quarterfinals next Thursday.