Syracuse's two-game win streak ends as they are overwhelmed by Duke's inside game

The Blue Devils simply had their way inside most of the game against the Orange

Feb 16, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer (12) brings the ball around Syracuse Orange forward William Kyle (42) during the during the first half at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

Two first half runs saw #3 Duke outscore Syracuse, 20-0, setting the tone for the night in what would be a 101-64 laugher at Cameron Indoor Stadium.  That was actually the better half for the Orange (15-12, 6-8 ACC) who were completely blown out by the Blue Devils (24-2, 13-1) after halftime.

Even with that pair of runs helping Duke to a healthy 16-point halftime advantage, they stood on the gas the entire second half, blistering the nets for 61 points by shooting 71.9 percent after halftime.  SU posted 40 points after the break, shooting 50.0 percent overall and hitting 6-of-11 3-pointers, but they could not slow down a brutally efficient scoring machine.

The Blue Devils smashed Syracuse inside throughout the game, enjoying a double figure rebounding advantage while owning the points in the paint statistic, 52-30.

It did not take long for Duke to drop the first run of the night on the Orange

Both teams held two-point leads in the opening minutes, but Duke was the first team to string together a run, piling up nine straight points to grab a 16-9 lead just after the game was nine minutes old.  Naithan George hit a 3-pointer in an effort to stop the bleeding, but the Blue Devils added on seven more straight points to push their lead to 23-12.

Nate Kingz and William Kyle III pushed back, scoring six and four points, respectively, as they pushed the Orange within 28-22 at the under-four media timeout.  The Orange would shave another point off the margin, but Duke closed the half by rattling off 11 straight points for a 40-24 lead.

The second half was simply more of the same

The Blue Devils returned to the court and immediately ended the game, starting the second half with an 8-2 run to push their lead out to 22.  SU chipped the lead down to 19, but the hosts answered with seven straight points en route to building a 68-40 lead at the under-12 media timeout.

After a Donnie Freeman 3-pointer, Duke posted six more points to strengthen their lead to 74-43 just before the midpoint of the second half.  Syracuse got within 24 points less than two minutes later, but an 8-0 Blue Devil burst snuffed out any momentum the visitors may have had.

Kyle led the Orange offense with 12 points.  Kingz posted ten points while Donnie Freeman and J.J. Starling each added nine and George eight

Cam Boozer was as advertised, hanging a 12-point, ten-rebound double-double in the first half and finishing with 22 points and a dozen boards.  Isaiah Evans provided additional punch with 21 points.  Nikolas Khamenia finished with 14 points while Cayden Boozer and Patrick Ngongba added 12 points each.

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