Michigan Vs Duke: Cameron Boozer’s 18 Points Lift No. 3 Duke Over Top-Ranked Michigan in D.C.
No. 3 Duke handed top-ranked Michigan a neutral-site loss, beating the Wolverines 68-63 in Washington, D. C., a result that ended Michigan’s 11-game winning streak and marked another marquee victory for Duke. The outcome matters now because it altered national pecking order and tested both teams in a venue and format intended to simulate postseason intensity.
Michigan Vs Duke at Capital One Arena
The Edward Jones Capital Showcase at Capital One Arena hosted the long-awaited meeting in the nation’s capital. Tipoff had been set for 6: 30 p. m., with Dan Shulman, Jay Bilas and Kris Budden on the broadcast call, and both teams were featured on College GameDay ahead of the matchup. Fans created a raucous environment that felt like postseason basketball; tickets were in high demand in the hours before the game.
Cameron Boozer and Duke’s balanced attack
Cameron Boozer led Duke with 18 points, hitting a go-ahead 3-pointer with 1: 55 left to put Duke up 64-58. Isaiah Evans added 14 points, Caleb Foster scored 12 and Patrick Ngongba II contributed 11 as Duke showcased offensive versatility. Duke also dominated the glass, winning the rebounding battle 41-28, a margin that opened second-chance opportunities and forced Michigan into rushed perimeter possessions.
Michigan’s statistical resume and rotations entering the game
Michigan had arrived at the showcase producing one of the most dominant seasons in program history: a 25-1 record listed before the game, with 21 wins by 10 or more points, 13 by 20 or more, 10 by 30 or more, seven by 40 or more (a conference record) and one by 50 or more. The Wolverines’ “Big Three” — Yaxel Lendeborg (14. 4 points per game, 7. 5 rebounds per game), 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. Lendeborg scored 21 on the night.
Mara entered the game with 71 blocks (2. 73 bpg), at least one in every contest and 22 multi-block games; over his last four games he had 16 assists (4. 0 apg), including a career-best seven at Northwestern. L. J. Cason had surged late in the schedule with four double-figure games in his last five, shooting 58. 8 percent over that stretch and connecting 9-of-27 from three. Sixth man Trey McKenney brought 18 double-figure outings and a team-best 90. 5 percent at the free-throw line, with 43 three-pointers on the season. Those season-long markers framed expectations that Michigan would rely on its depth and efficiency in D. C.
Game flow, key moments and cause-effect turning points
Defense controlled a physical first half; Patrick Ngongba was fouled while fighting for a rebound with 0. 8 seconds left in the period and converted both free throws to give Duke a 35-33 lead at the break. Down the stretch, Duke’s success on the boards (41 rebounds) and Michigan’s 6-of-25 performance from three created a sequence of possessions that favored the Blue Devils. Michigan settled for many one-and-done perimeter shots, which, combined with timely Duke conversions and a late Boozer 3, produced the decisive margin.
What makes this notable is how the rebounding disparity translated directly into scoring opportunities and momentum: Duke’s 41 rebounds yielded extra chances that Michigan’s perimeter misses failed to counter.
Coaches, context and historical threads
Jon Scheyer characterized the matchup as a game that felt like March, praising the competitive environment and the learning value for his roster. Michigan coach Dusty May noted that the game revealed more about his team’s needs, citing rebounding shortfalls and timely errors that Duke punished. The contest was the programs’ first meeting in 12 years; historically, Duke moved to 23-8 all-time against Michigan and 7-0 on neutral courts, while Michigan had not beaten Duke since a 2008 win in Ann Arbor.
Michigan had returned to Washington for the first time since 2021, and its last downtown D. C. appearance dated to the 2017 conference tournament run when the team won four games in four days after its plane slid off the runway en route to the capital. The teams’ prior meetings include a Dec. 3, 2013 game (4, 463 days earlier) and Michigan’s most recent prior win over Duke on Dec. 6, 2008 (6, 283 days earlier). Those timelines underscored the rarity of the matchup and the historical weight attached to the result.
Technical note on accessibility
A regional news website displayed a notice ahead of the event noting it was optimized for the latest browser technology and that older browsers might be unsupported, urging readers to download modern browsers for the best experience. This message highlighted how access to pregame coverage varied for some fans.
The 68-63 result shifts postseason narratives and gives Duke a high-profile neutral-site victory while providing Michigan a benchmark loss from which both coaches said they will take lessons as the season progresses.
