Blue Devil Country

Voracious Duke Basketball Effort Soundly Humbles Virginia

Duke basketball recorded its 31st consecutive home victory while improving to 37-2 against conferences foes over the past two seasons.
Matt Giles|
Feb 28, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA;Duke Blue Devils forward Dame Sarr (7) reacts after hitting a three-pointer during the first half against the Virginia Cavaliers at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images
Feb 28, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA;Duke Blue Devils forward Dame Sarr (7) reacts after hitting a three-pointer during the first half against the Virginia Cavaliers at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images | Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

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Jon Scheyer's fourth Duke basketball team is becoming more and more lethal every time it touches the floor of late. After knocking off the then-No. 1 Michigan Wolverines in Washington, D.C., last Saturday and handing the Notre Dame Fighting Irish its worst home loss since the Spanish-American War, the now-No. 1 Blue Devils (27-2, 15-1 ACC) exhibited their supreme prowess once again via a 77-51 home win over No. 11 Virginia Cavaliers (25-4, 13-3 ACC) on Saturday afternoon.

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Isaiah Evans set the tempo. He accounted for Duke's first nine points in the contest, shooting 3-for-4 beyond the arc across the first five minutes of action. The sophomore wing from Fayetteville, N.C., was in full-on launch mode, seeking out any opening to put the pedal to the metal with his scorching shooting touch.

Freshman power forward Cameron Boozer then complemented that attack by displaying his typical force and composure in all facets of the game. While not getting his shot to fall in the early going but earning frequent trips to the charity stripe, the Naismith Award frontrunner tallied three points, three rebounds, one assist, one steal, and one block by the nine-minute mark in the first half.

Following two quick splashes from deep courtesy of Blue Devil sophomore guard Darren Harris off the bench, Duke led Virginia, 25-12, with just over six minutes remaining ahead of the break. On the squad's next possession after getting a locked-in stop on the other end of the floor, freshman wing Dame Sarr chipped in with a three of his own to push the lead to 16.

And the Cameron Crazies erupted. Virginia head coach Ryan Odom was left with no choice but to call a timeout, hoping to find a way to cool off the Blue Devils' all-around sizzle.

The Cavaliers heated up a bit for a few minutes. Even so, Duke managed to a take a 41-26 lead in to the locker room, thanks in large part to the Blue Devils countering so many of Virginia's makes with Boozer's return trips to the foul line, where he went 11-for-12 across the first 20 minutes. Plus, freshman center Patrick Ngongba II's confident 3-point make with two minutes left on the clock further deflated the visiting team's efforts to get the margin back down to single digits.

Duke basketball versus the Virginia Cavaliers
Feb 28, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Caleb Foster (1) pokes the ball away from Virginia Cavaliers guard Malik Thomas (1) during the first half at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images | Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

Evans and Boozer were the two Blue Devils who reached double-digit points in the first half with 14 and 11, respectively.

Duke Basketball Extends Clinic to Second Half

More Cameron Boozer dominance. More "Showtime" from Isaiah Evans. More timely contributions from the ferocious supporting cast.

All in all, the Blue Devils picked up right where they left off in the first half, showing zero mercy to the befuddled Cavaliers.

Evans' emphatic left-handed dunk in transition capped off a 7-0 run and gave Duke a 53-32 advantage with 14:08 left on the clock, at that point just making the lead seem pretty much insurmountable in light of the Blue Devils' well-seized momentum.

Indeed, it was.

Three Blue Devils finished with 11 points or more: Isaiah Evans (19 points, 5-for-9 shooting from three), Cameron Boozer (18 points, nine rebounds, four assists, one steal, one block), and Patrick Ngongba II (11 points, five boards).

With the win, Duke basketball secured the No. 1 seed for the ACC Tournament and at least a share of the conference's regular season title.

Next up for the Blue Devils, now riding a six-game winning streak since their road loss to the archrival UNC Tar Heels, is another Tobacco Road road bout in what will be their penultimate regular season outing. Duke squares off against the unranked NC State Wolfpack (19-9, 10-5 ACC) in Raleigh's Lenovo Center at 7 p.m. ET Monday (ESPN).

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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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