Duke Vs Notre Dame: Top-Ranked Duke Dominates Return to ACC Play in Lopsided Road Win
In duke vs notre dame, top-ranked Duke returned to ACC play with a dominant performance that left Notre Dame struggling to score, losing the battle on the glass and watching its tournament hopes grow precarious.
Duke Vs Notre Dame — Game Flow and Key Moments
Duke came in on a roll and quickly imposed itself, opening with a run that began 6-2 and extended into a 16-4 advantage by the first media timeout. The Blue Devils widened the gap through the first half, ending the period with two threes from Dame Sarr and another from Caleb Foster. Cameron Boozer closed the half with 20 points, 9 rebounds and 2 assists, and Duke continued to pull away after intermission.
Cameron Boozer’s Impact
The Irish simply couldn't stop Cameron Boozer at multiple stages of the game. Boozer hit at least two nothing-but-net three-point shots early, had 14 points and 5 rebounds at one point, and finished with 24 points, 13 rebounds and 2 assists. Boozer also hit free throws coming out of the break that matched Notre Dame's point total in a stretch when Duke was running away.
Shooting, Rebounding and the Statistical Gap
Notre Dame struggled to make shots all night, finishing 37 percent from the field and 27 percent from behind the three-point arc. The Irish were also outrebounded 49-27. Duke has outscored Notre Dame 34-20 since halftime; another play-by-play note put the post-halftime run at 25-13 in Duke’s favor. Four of the five Duke starters finished in double digits, and Duke rolled to a margin that felt insurmountable for the home team.
Notre Dame Personnel and Scoring Notes
For Notre Dame, Brady Koehler and Braeden Shrewsberry each finished with 14 points. Carson Towt had 7 rebounds. Sir Mohammed did hit a three with 10: 40 to play to make it 78-39. Cole Certa provided some points earlier in the game, and Logan Imes hit a three, but those efforts could not narrow the growing deficit. At an under-12 timeout in the second half, Duke had scored just four points since the previous break while Notre Dame had three — all seven Fighting Irish points in that stretch coming from Brady Koehler, who had a three-pointer and two made free throws.
Bench Play, Momentum Shifts and Game Temperature
Darren Harris was influential off the bench, contributing 12 points in nine minutes. Patrick Ngongba II had six points in an early stretch that looked like a “football score” developing as Duke’s offense multiplied opportunities. Despite three-pointers from Koehler and Logan Imes, Notre Dame was being doubled-up at the first break of the second half. The Irish did give playing time to Matthew MacLellan during the game.
Consequences: Records, Tournament Picture and Sideline Incidents
Notre Dame falls to 12-16 overall and 3-12 in ACC play, while Duke improved to 26-2, 14-1 in ACC play. Notre Dame will have to win one more game than Pitt to make the ACC tournament; there are three games remaining on the schedule. A broadcast characterized the result as Notre Dame's worst home loss since the 19th Century. Adding to the night’s negative developments for the Irish, Notre Dame head coach Michah Shrewsberry appeared to hurt himself during the game; later, Micah Shrewsberry was given a technical foul at the 16: 36 mark.
Looking Ahead
The scale of this defeat forces a reassessment of Notre Dame's immediate goals: they must win additional games, including one more than Pitt, in the closing three contests to reach the ACC tournament. For Duke, the performance reinforced national-champion–level talk and the group’s top-ranked status as it continues through ACC play. Recent coverage painted the game as a definitive statement in Duke’s season and a stark warning for the Irish moving forward.
