First Duke Basketball Loss Comes in Home Away From Home

With Saturday night's 82-81 loss at the hands of the No. 19-ranked Texas Tech Red Raiders (9-3, 0-0 Big 12), Duke basketball head coach Jon Scheyer and his No. 3 Blue Devils (11-1, 0-0 ACC) fell to 1-1 in New York City's Madison Square Garden.

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As has been the case throughout its ambitious non-conference campaign, Duke's resiliency was impressive. This time, though, the Blue Devils' frequent bounceback efforts weren't quite sufficient to silence a group of Red Raiders who refused to back down, even when facing considerable foul trouble throughout.

Duke basketball freshman forward Cameron Boozer — Dec 20, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders forward Lejuan Watts (3) controls the ball against Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer (12) during the first half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Texas Tech jumped out to a 9-0 lead, forcing a timeout by Scheyer less than two minutes into the contest.

Duke then proceeded to outscore Grant McCasland's bunch, 46-27, across the remainder of the first half. Freshman power forward Cameron Boozer's variety of crafty spins, vicious drives, and overpowering rebounds, paired with the Blue Devils' potent 3-point shooting as a unit, left the undersized Red Raiders with no discernible answers at that juncture.

And Texas Tech's woes worsened as its star-studded big man, JT Toppin, had to ease off his aggressiveness due to early foul trouble.

Duke Basketball Machine Eventually Runs Out of Answers

In the second half, the Blue Devils came out clicking on all cylinders and continued to deliver momentum-building buckets, both down low and beyond the arc, for a few minutes.

Duke basketball guard Cayden Boozer — Dec 20, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Cayden Boozer (2) drives to the basket against Texas Tech Red Raiders guards Leon Horner (6) and Christian Anderson (4) and forward Lejuan Watts (3) during the first half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

However, Texas Tech's 20-5 run brought the Red Raiders to within two at 63-61 with 10 minutes and change remaining on the clock.

Unsurprisingly, Duke answered in fearless fashion, countering that Texas Tech punch by locking down on defense and producing a steady supply of buckets.

But down the stretch, Duke's winning streak ultimately came to an end as a result of missed free throws and a sizzling show from Texas Tech guard Christian Anderson, who poured in a game-high 27 points and a barrage of clutch buckets from deep.

Trailing 82-81 on the game's final possession with 1.6 seconds remaining, a 3-point attempt by Cameron Boozer bounced off the rim.

Boozer tallied a team-high 23 points, adding eight rebounds, seven assists, one block, and two steals. But he committed four turnovers and shot only 9-for-14 at the foul line.

Only one other Blue Devil reached double-digit points, as Cameron Boozer's twin brother, freshman guard Cayden Boozer, finished with 13 points and two assists.

Duke basketball versus the Texas Tech Red Raiders — Dec 20, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders guard Donovan Atwell (12) and forward JT Toppin (15) celebrate after defeating the Duke Blue Devils at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Except for a highly anticipated showdown against the now-No. 2 Michigan Wolverines in late February, the Blue Devils encounter conference bouts from here on out.

The squad's first ACC opponent is the unranked Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (8-4, 0-0 ACC), who will arrive in Duke's Cameron Indoor Stadium to battle the Blue Devils on Wednesday, Dec. 31, at 4 p.m. ET (ACC Network).

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