Duke Vs Michigan — Cameron Boozer, No. 3 Duke knock off No. 1 Michigan
In a raucous, possible Final Four preview in Washington, duke vs michigan ended with No. 3 Duke handing a neutral-site loss to top-ranked Michigan as Cameron Boozer scored 18 points and hit a late 3. The provided report lists the final score both as 70-63 and 68-63.
Cameron Boozer hit the big shot down the stretch
Cameron Boozer scored 18 points and drilled a 3-pointer with 1: 55 left that gave Duke a 64-58 lead in the closing minutes on Saturday night at Capital One Arena. With his father, former Duke and NBA star Carlos Boozer, in attendance, Boozer supplied the finishing touch in what the report calls a tight, physical game between two bluebloods.
Key contributors and in-game details
Isaiah Evans added 14 points for Duke, Caleb Foster scored 12, and Patrick Ngongba II had 11 as Duke found soft spots in Michigan’s defense. Yaxel Lendeborg led the Wolverines with 21 points. Duke won the rebounding battle 41-28, and Michigan shot 6-of-25 from 3-point range.
Duke Vs Michigan: series history and milestones
In the programs’ first meeting in 12 years, Duke improved to 23-8 against Michigan and 7-0 on neutral courts, a series that includes the 1992 national title game. Michigan has not beaten Duke since Dec. 6, 2009, in Ann Arbor. The win marked Duke’s 11th victory all time over an No. 1 team in the provided report.
How the game unfolded: defense, fouls and the half
Defense dominated a spirited first half in which neither team led by more than five points. Patrick Ngongba II was fouled while fighting for a rebound with 0. 8 seconds left in the half and made both free throws to give Duke a 35-33 lead at the break. The second half featured timely plays from Duke and too many one-and-done perimeter looks for Michigan, which had entered the game on an 11-game winning streak.
Coaches’ take and broader poll context
Duke coach Jon Scheyer said, “That was a game that didn't feel like it was played in February. That felt like a March or April game. Obviously, we have a ton of respect for Michigan, the staff, and how good they are. And I thought it just was a big-time game where our guys were ready to compete at a high level. ” Scheyer also added that the matchup “helped us understand what a tournament environment is all about” and called the event a useful simulation for postseason play.
Second-year Michigan coach Dusty May, whose Wolverines are noted in the report for their unselfishness, said, “We know more about our team now. We'll be better because of this game and overall. We didn't rebound the way we needed to, and we made some timely errors, and when you're playing someone like Duke, they make you pay for every mistake. And they did that tonight. ” Michigan entered the game ranked No. 1 after replacing Arizona atop the Top 25 earlier this week; the now-fourth-ranked Wildcats won at No. 2 Houston the same day, creating the first instance since Feb. 8, 2025, that the teams ranked Nos. 1 and 2 lost on the same day.
Atmosphere, broadcast and what’s next
Fans traded chants of “Let's go Duke!” and “Let's go Blue!” at Capital One Arena, where a televised pregame show called College GameDay broadcast from inside the arena during the teams’ morning shootaround. Tickets for upper-level seats were selling in the $600 range before the game, with courtside seats listed as high as $6, 000. Duke improved to 25-2 in the provided report and could return to Capital One Arena in just over a month for the East Regional of the NCAA tournament, while Michigan is also listed at 25-2 in the report.
Officials and teams will move on to recovery and the next entries on their schedules; unclear in the provided context is the precise next opponent for either program.
