Michigan Vs Duke: Cameron Boozer, No. 3 Duke knock off No. 1 Michigan in D.C.
In a packed Capital One Arena, michigan vs duke turned into a late-game defensive grind and a momentum swing for Duke: Cameron Boozer scored 18 points and hit a 3-pointer with 1: 55 left to help No. 3 Duke knock off top-ranked Michigan, 68-63, in a neutral-site matchup billed as a possible Final Four preview.
Key moments decided the outcome
Boozer’s late 3 pushed Duke into a 64-58 lead with less than two minutes remaining. Yaxel Lendeborg led Michigan with 21 points, while Isaiah Evans added 14 for Duke. Caleb Foster scored 12 and Patrick Ngongba II contributed 11 as Duke found soft spots in Michigan’s top-rated defense. Duke won the rebounding battle 41-28 and Michigan went 6-of-25 from 3-point range.
Michigan Vs Duke: a rare neutral-site clash
The teams met for the first time in 12 years. With the result, Duke improved to 23-8 all-time 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 matchup was staged in Washington and carried heavy fan interest: College GameDay broadcast from the arena during the teams’ morning shootaround, upper-level tickets were selling in the $600 range, and courtside seats were listed upwards of $6, 000 in the hours before the game.
How the first half set the tone
Defense dominated a physical 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 teams traded hard, contested possessions throughout, and Duke’s control of the glass produced second-chance opportunities that Michigan could not match.
Michigan’s season context and player production
Michigan entered the Capital Showcase with a 25-1 record and a long list of season marks: 21 wins by 10 or more points, 13 by 20+, 10 by 30+, seven by 40+ (a Big Ten record) and one by 50+. The Wolverines had won 11 straight since their 14-0 start was snapped, including six road victories and three top-10 wins — No. 5 Nebraska (75-72), at No. 7 Michigan State (83-71) and at No. 7 Purdue (91-80). Michigan’s so-called "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 more than 45 percent of the team’s scoring and over 55 percent of its rebounding heading into the game. Mara had 71 blocks (2. 73 bpg), 22 multi-block games and a career-high six blocks against Penn State; over his last four games he added 16 assists (4. 0 apg), including a career-best seven at Northwestern.
Pregame notes, broadcast details and odd web warning
The game was the Edward Jones Capital Showcase presented by Bad Boy Mowers at Capital One Arena; tipoff had been set for 6: 30 p. m. on with Dan Shulman, Jay Bilas and Kris Budden on the call, and both teams were featured on ’s College GameDay ahead of the matchup. Michigan’s last trip to Washington, D. C., had been in 2021 when No. 6 Michigan defeated Prairie View A&M 77-49 in the Coaches vs. Racism matchup. The Wolverines’ last downtown D. C. appearance before that came during the 2017 Big Ten Tournament title run at the Verizon Center (now Capital One Arena), when the No. 8 seed won four games in four days after the team plane slid off the runway en route to the nation’s capital. Separate website text noted that detroitnews. com wants to ensure the best experience for readers and that the browser is not supported, asking users to download a supported browser for the best experience.
Coaches and consequences
Duke coach Jon Scheyer said the game "felt like a March or April game, " praising the competitiveness and tournament-like atmosphere. Michigan coach Dusty May reflected on lessons from the matchup, saying the Wolverines did not rebound the way they needed to and made timely errors that Duke capitalized on. Michigan had not lost since a home defeat by three points to Wisconsin on Jan. 10 prior to this game.
One summary line in pregame materials noted a separate headline that Duke defeated Michigan 70-63 to record its 11th win all time over an No. 1 team; the final box score in the arena read 68-63. With his father, former Duke and NBA star Carlos Boozer, in attendance, Cameron Boozer delivered a late shot that proved decisive. The contributed to this report.
Duke could return to Capital One Arena in just over a month for the East Regional of the NCAA tournament, and teams that met under the bright lights of this neutral-site showcase will now shift focus to conference play and the postseason calendar ahead.
