Louisville, Ky. — Duke turned a sluggish first half into a statement victory Tuesday night, overwhelming No. 20 Louisville with a scorching second-half surge to claim an 84–73 win and notch its third straight victory.
Cameron Boozer sparked the turnaround, pouring in a game-high 27 points and jumpstarting the rally with seven points during a pivotal 16–6 burst shortly after halftime.
Isaiah Evans added 23 points as the sixth-ranked Blue Devils erupted offensively, shooting an eye-popping 71 percent in the final 20 minutes to erase a nine-point deficit.
Down 47–38 at halftime, Duke (14–1, 3–0 ACC) seized control almost immediately. The Blue Devils connected on five of their first seven shots and consistently attacked the rim, going 6-of-9 from the free-throw line in a decisive six-minute stretch. Boozer’s pair of free throws capped the run and gave Duke a 54–53 advantage with 13:36 remaining.
The momentum didn’t stop there. Caleb Foster and Evans combined for 13 points during another surge that pushed Duke’s lead into double figures with less than seven minutes left.
From there, the Blue Devils dictated the pace and closed out their eighth straight win over Louisville.
Foster finished with 20 points as Duke hit 17 of 24 shots in the second half and made 10 of 16 free throws. Overall, the Blue Devils went 19-for-28 at the line in the victory.
Louisville (11–4, 1–2 ACC) was led by Ryan Conwell’s 24 points, while Aly Khalifa chipped in 17 off the bench. The Cardinals struggled mightily after the break, though, shooting just 10 of 31 from the field and a cold 2-for-17 from three-point range as they dropped their second consecutive game.
Louisville also remained shorthanded, playing without freshman point guard Mikel Brown Jr. for the fifth straight contest due to a lower back injury. Brown leads the team in assists.
The Cardinals had looked sharp early, shooting 47 percent in the first half and draining 10 three-pointers, but a nearly four-minute scoring drought to open the second half proved to be the turning point.
Up Next:
Duke hosts SMU on Saturday, while Louisville returns home to take on Boston College.
