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GREENVILLE, SC — Physical. Relentless. Dominant.
That’s the story as Duke Blue Devils powered past TCU Horned Frogs 81–58 inside Bon Secours Wellness Arena, locking up a spot in the Sweet 16 with a defensive clinic that defined the night.
Holding a narrow 38–34 halftime lead, Duke flipped the switch coming out of the break.
After a quiet first half, Cameron Boozer took control, turning into the engine that powered Duke’s second-half surge. But it wasn’t just offense—it was defense that slammed the door shut.
TCU came out aggressive, opening the half on a 6–0 run and briefly taking a 50–44 lead with 12:25 remaining. That’s when Duke responded like a championship-caliber team.
The Blue Devils’ interior presence—anchored by Patrick Ngongba II and Maliq Brown—completely shifted the game. Paint touches disappeared, rebounds turned into fast breaks, and TCU’s rhythm never recovered.
From that point on, it was all Duke.
Key Performers
Isaiah Evans: 17 points, led all scorers in 1st half with 13 points.
Cameron Boozer: Game-high 19 points and 11 rebounds. After a slow start, he dominated the glass and controlled the pace especially when TCU went small due to foul trouble.
TCU Spark – Micah Robinson: Finished with 19 points, doing everything he could to keep the Horned Frogs competitive, but it wasn’t enough against Duke’s defensive pressure.
From the Podium (Press Conference Highlights)
Jon Scheyer highlighted Boozer’s versatility when Carlito asked about him initiating the offense:
“He is a point guard. When we have Cameron and Cayden on the floor, we have two point guards with the way they both have playmaking ability.”
On the return of Ngongba II, Scheyer emphasized the impact on both ends:
“Having Pat back gives us our true front line again—a dimension we’ve been missing for a few weeks. We did a great job controlling the glass with our front line back.”
TCU Stats
| # | Player | PTS | FG | 3FG | FT | REB | A | PF | TO | MIN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1* | PIERRE,J | 4 | 2-10 | 0-4 | 0-0 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 33 |
| 2* | HARDING,B | 8 | 3-8 | 2-3 | 0-0 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 36 |
| 5* | ROBINSON,M | 18 | 7-18 | 3-9 | 1-2 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 37 |
| 15* | PUNCH,D | 4 | 1-10 | 0-2 | 2-2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 30 |
| 24* | EDMONDS,X | 12 | 5-8 | 1-1 | 1-2 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 20 |
| 00 | POSEY,J | 4 | 2-2 | 0-0 | 0-1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 3 | LELEVICIUS,L | 1 | 0-4 | 0-2 | 1-2 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 15 |
| 6 | SIMMONS,A | 0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 7 | EDWARDS,K | 0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 8 | JONES,R | 0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 23 | SALATCHOUM,V | 2 | 1-2 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| 55 | TOOLSON,T | 5 | 2-7 | 1-3 | 0-1 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 15 |
| TM | TEAM, | 0 | – | – | – | 2 | 1T | 2 | ||
| TOTALS | 58 | 23-69 | 7-24 | 5-10 | 25 | 12 | 19 | 9 | ||
| GAME PCT | 33.3 | 29.2 | 50.0 | |||||||
| THIS HALF | 24 | 10-38 | 2-11 | 2-3 | 14 | 4 | 7 | 5 | ||
| HALF PCT | 26.3 | 18.2 | 66.7 | |||||||
Duke Stats
| # | Player | PTS | FG | 3FG | FT | REB | A | PF | TO | MIN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2* | BOOZER,C | 9 | 3-6 | 0-1 | 3-3 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 36 |
| 3* | EVANS,I | 17 | 6-14 | 2-8 | 3-4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 29 |
| 6* | BROWN,M | 12 | 4-5 | 0-0 | 4-5 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 26 |
| 7* | SARR,D | 14 | 4-8 | 4-7 | 2-2 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 29 |
| 12* | BOOZER,C | 19 | 7-10 | 0-1 | 5-5 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 33 |
| 8 | HARRIS,D | 0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 13 | SHEFFIELD,C | 0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 14 | KHAMENIA,N | 6 | 1-4 | 1-4 | 3-4 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 26 |
| 20 | SCOTT,J | 0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 21 | NGONGBA,P | 4 | 2-2 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 13 |
| TM | TEAM, | 0 | – | – | – | 2 | 0 | 1 | ||
| TOTALS | 81 | 27-49 | 7-21 | 20-23 | 42 | 17 | 15 | 17 | ||
| GAME PCT | 55.1 | 33.3 | 87.0 | |||||||
| THIS HALF | 43 | 16-26 | 4-11 | 7-9 | 24 | 9 | 7 | 11 | ||
| HALF PCT | 61.5 | 36.4 | 77.8 | |||||||
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