Michigan Vs Duke: Cameron Boozer, No. 3 Duke Knocks Off No. 1 Michigan in D.C.
In a high-profile nonconference matchup, michigan vs duke finished with No. 3 Duke handing No. 1 Michigan a 68-63 defeat at Capital One Arena on Saturday night. The result snapped Michigan's 11-game winning streak and provided both teams a tournament-style test in the nation's capital.
Michigan Vs Duke at Capital One Arena
The Edward Jones Capital Showcase presented by Bad Boy Mowers staged a charged setting for the michigan vs duke meeting, which had a 6: 30 p. m. tip and national television coverage on with announcers Dan Shulman, Jay Bilas and Kris Budden. ’s College GameDay was on-site for the teams’ morning shootaround, and the arena atmosphere reflected that build-up: fans traded chants throughout the night and secondary-market prices pushed upper-level tickets into the $600 range and courtside seats into the thousands.
Cameron Boozer and Duke scoring balance
Cameron Boozer led Duke with 18 points and hit a crucial 3-pointer with 1: 55 remaining that put the Blue Devils ahead 64-58. Isaiah Evans added 14 points, Caleb Foster scored 12, and Patrick Ngongba II contributed 11 as Duke spread the offense. The balanced production helped the Blue Devils hold off Michigan in the closing minutes and secure the 68-63 final.
Yaxel Lendeborg and Michigan response
Yaxel Lendeborg paced Michigan with 21 points. The Wolverines had been unbeaten in 11 straight since their 14-0 start was snapped, and they entered the game riding a dominant season that included 21 wins by 10 or more points and multiple top-10 road victories. Still, Michigan came up short in D. C., unable to overcome missed perimeter attempts and a rebounding deficit.
Rebounds, fouls and turning points
Duke won the rebounding battle 41-28, a margin that translated into second-chance opportunities and fewer clean looks for Michigan. Michigan went 6-of-25 from 3-point range, settling for numerous one-and-done perimeter shots, and those misses amplified Duke’s strength on the glass. Late in the first half, Ngongba was fouled fighting for a rebound with 0. 8 seconds left and made both free throws to give Duke a 35-33 edge at intermission; those free throws and later Boozer’s late 3 were decisive swings in a game decided by five points.
Coaches and context: Jon Scheyer and Dusty May
Duke coach Jon Scheyer described the game as feeling like a March contest and praised his team’s readiness for a high-stakes environment. Michigan coach Dusty May said the matchup revealed lessons for his team: poor rebounding and untimely errors cost the Wolverines, and facing an opponent that capitalized on mistakes was costly. Carlos Boozer, Cameron’s father and a former Duke and NBA player, watched from the stands.
Series history, neutral-site trends and Michigan team profile
The programs met for the first time in 12 years; Duke improved its series mark against Michigan to 23-8 and extended its unbeaten run on neutral courts in the matchup to 7-0. Michigan’s pregame profile noted a deep run of dominant victories: at the time it traveled to Washington the Wolverines were 25-1, a season that included 13 wins by 20 or more, 10 by 30 or more and a Big Ten record seven wins by 40-plus. The roster’s “Big Three” — Yaxel Lendeborg (14. 4 ppg, 7. 5 rpg), Morez Johnson Jr. (13. 5 ppg, 7. 3 rpg) and Aday Mara (11. 2 ppg, 7. 1 rpg) — accounted for over 45 percent of scoring and more than 55 percent of rebounding. Mara entered the week with 71 blocks (2. 73 bpg) and at least one block in every game; he ranked third nationally with 22 multi-block games, including a career-high six against Penn State, and had added playmaking with 16 assists over his last four games, including seven at Northwestern.
L. J. Cason had produced four double-figure games in his last five appearances while shooting 58. 8 percent from the field and going 9-for-27 from three over that stretch. Sixth-man Trey McKenney had 18 double-figure games, a team-best 90. 5 percent from the free-throw line with 15 consecutive makes, and 43 three-pointers on the season. What makes this notable is the collision of two long-term trajectories — Duke’s neutral-site success against Michigan and Michigan’s season-long dominance — producing a single result that reshapes the narrative for both teams heading toward postseason play.
Additional context from the pregame planning underscored the matchup’s rarity: Michigan had not played in downtown Washington, D. C., since the 2017 Big Ten Tournament when the team made a run at the title after an off-airport incident en route, and its last return to D. C. had been a 2021 Coaches vs. Racism game against Prairie View A& M. The game also marked Michigan’s fifth College GameDay appearance and its first at a neutral site.
Fans and media attention reflected the event’s profile. The national build-up and the game’s physical, defensive first half set a stage that both coaches said simulated tournament conditions. The contributed to coverage of the game.
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