Texas Longhorns Fall in Season Opener vs. Duke Blue Devils: Live Game Updates

The Texas Longhorns set their sights on the season opener against the Duke Blue Devils on Tuesday night.

Texas Longhorns head coach Sean Miller talks with the media during SEC Media Days at Grand Bohemian Hotel. | Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

The much-anticipated Sean Miller era will finally get underway as the Texas Longhorns gear up for their season opener on Tuesday night.

The Longhorns will tip off for the first time in the 2025-26 season, taking on a difficult challenge traveling to Charlotte, North Carolina, and battling a Final Four team from a season ago in the No. 6 Duke Blue Devils at the Spectrum Center.

Texas will look for a much-improved season after going a disappointing 19-16 record and 6-12 in the SEC, which ended in the NCAA Tournament First Four round, falling to the Xavier Musketeers 80-66. After the loss, the Longhorns parted ways with former head coach Rodney Terry and hired the head coach of the team they lost to, hiring Miller on March 24, 2025

Longhorns vs. Blue Devils

Texas Longhorns guard Chendall Weaver talks with the media during SEC Media Days at Grand Bohemian Hotel. | Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

With changes occurring to the Longhorns' coaching staff, the roster has also undergone some changes. Texas is heading into the season with key returners and new faces across the team. Miller secured the returns of guard Chendall Weaver, guard Jordan Pope, and guard Tramon Mark, while also retaining forward Nic Codie and Anthon McDermott from last season's Texas squad.

Miller snagged two of his players from Xavier to follow him to Austin: forward Lassina Traore and forward Dailyn Swain. Also coming to Austin are guard Simeon Wilcher from St. John’s, center Matas Vokietaitis from Florida Atlantic, and forward Camden Heide from Purdue.

Duke is also heading into the matchup with a new-look roster, losing their entire starting five to the 2025 NBA Draft, which made an appearance in the Final Four. As always, the Blue Devils will feature elite freshmen talent and this year will be led by Cameron Boozer. The talented freshman forward averaged 28.5 points, 17.5 rebounds, and five assists in the Blue Devils' two preseason games against UCF and Tennessee.

The all-time series between Texas and Duke is completely lopsided, with the Longhorns winless against the Blue Devils. The Longhorns are 0-5 all-time against Duke, with the most recent meeting coming in 2017, where Texas fell in overtime to top-ranked Duke 85-78, in the semifinals of the PK80-Phil Knight Invitational at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon.

The Longhorns' first chance to make a big first impression in their new era is tonight at 7:45 PM against Duke at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, and be sure to check back here at tipoff for live updates as the game goes on.

Follow below for live updates as the game progresses.

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Live Game Updates

Texas' starting lineup: guard Chendall Weaver, guard Tramon Mark, forward Dailyn Swain, forward Nic Codie, center Matas Vokietaitis.

The Longhorns won the tipoff, and we are underway from the Spectrum Center.

Under 16 Timeout

It's been a contested start to the matchup as the Longhorns lead 5-3 with 15:14 minutes left in the first half.

Both teams have struggled from the field, with Texas shooting 2 of 8 from the field and Duke shooting 1 of 7. Tramon Mark scored the first point of the Longhorns this season with a mid-range jumper and Dailyn Swain scored his first points as a Longhorn with a three-pointer. It took the Blue Devils until the 16:30 minute mark to score their first points with a made three from Dame Sarr.

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Shots have begun to fall for both teams, with the Longhorns still holding the lead 12-11.

Swain has found a rhythm now mid-way throughout the first half, the forward is now 4 of 6 from the field with 10 points and a rebound in eight minutes. The Blue Devils have also found a rhythm, currently on a run of three straight made field goals.

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Texas finds itself down for the first time in the game with the Blue Devils taking the lead 26-17.

The Longhorns' defense has been solid, but a few lapses allowed Duke to go on a 15-2 run to overtake Texas, increasing their run of made field goals to nine straight. Blue Devils guard Isaiah Evans was a big part of Duke's run with 14 points and shooting four of five from three.

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The Longhorns battled to cut the Blue Devils' lead to just two with 3:57 minutes left in the first half.

Texas's defense has stepped back up, forcing Duke to be on a 2:34-minute scoring drought. Vokietaitis has begun making his presence felt in the paint with five points, three of three from the foul line, and three rebounds.

Halftime: Texas 33, Duke 32

Texas fought its way all the way back to retake the lead as they head into the locker room with the Longhorns up one over the Blue Devils.

From the field, the Longhorns shot 33 percent, making 10 of their 30 shot attempts in the first half. Texas has been dominating on the glass, outrebounding the Blue Devils 25 to 15; the Longhorns' 12 offensive rebounds have been crucial with 11 second-chance points. On the defensive side of the court, Texas has done a great job keeping talented freshman Cameron Boozer in check, with the freshman being held scoreless, missing all seven of his shot attempts.

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Texas has come out slow out of the break, while Duke has come out firing, retaking the lead 40-33 through four minutes of the second half.

The Longhorns are yet to score in the second half, starting 0 of 6 in their shot attempts, and Cameron Boozer has found a rhythm, scoring finding his first buckets, scoring four points, with three rebounds and an assist.

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The Longhorns are staying in this one, still trailing the Blue Devils 49-41.

Texas finally got its first second-half points, with Jordan Pope hitting two step-back three-pointers, making two of his three shot attempts, and being perfect from three-point range in the second half. Texas is still struggling from the field being making just 3 of their 13 shot attempts.

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While Texas battles, Duke has begun to pull away, up 11 points, which is the largest lead for either team, with the Blue Devils leading 59-48.

The Longhorns started closing in on the Duke lead, going on a 7-0 run; however, the Blue Devils responded with an 8 to 0 run of their own to begin separating from the Longhorns.

Under 4 Timeout

The Longhorns will be down 14 points heading down the stretch, with the Blue Devils up 68-54 with 3:43 minutes left in the game.

Texas has struggled to find consistency from the offensive side of the court, currently shooting 8 of 24 from the field and three of eight from three-point range in the second half. Cameron Boozer got himself involved in the matchup with 11 points in the second half, going to the free throw line nine times and converting seven of his attempts.