The energy inside Cameron Indoor Stadium felt supercharged Friday night, and Duke made sure it translated directly onto the court. In a clash that reunited former Blue Devil teammates Jon Scheyer and Greg Paulus—now standing on opposite sidelines—the No. 5 Blue Devils delivered a commanding, highlight-filled 100–42 victory over Niagara in the Brotherhood Run. Despite the pregame warmth between the two coaches, any nostalgia dissolved instantly when the ball went up. From the opening tip, Duke played with precision, poise and a relentless offensive rhythm that overwhelmed the Purple Eagles from start to finish.
Six different Blue Devils finished in double figures as Duke lit up the scoreboard and showcased the kind of balanced, explosive offense that can carry a team deep into March. The numbers alone told the story: 51.5% shooting from deep, 19-for-24 at the free-throw line, and a defensive performance that held Niagara to just 27.7% shooting from the field. But beyond the stats was the way Duke moved—confident, fast, and connected on nearly every possession.
Caleb Foster set the tone early, drilling a three less than 30 seconds into the game. His teammates backed him up immediately with suffocating defense, forcing Niagara into rushed possessions. Though Cameron Boozer had his first shot blocked, he quickly regrouped and splashed a mid-range jumper to put Duke up 5–0. It was clear from the start that the Blue Devils were dialed in.
Head coach Jon Scheyer emphasized the importance of imposing energy from the opening whistle:
“Our thing is always about how we respond, but I prefer not to have to respond after giving up five or six layups to start every game,” Scheyer said. “For us, that was a big point of emphasis. We didn’t want that starting group to pace.”
Duke’s defensive intensity soon frustrated Niagara. Just over three minutes into play, Reggie Prudhomme wrapped up Patrick Ngongba II on a layup attempt, earning a flagrant-1. Ngongba calmly knocked down both free throws, and while Trenton Walters answered with a three on the next possession, Duke responded with a blistering 10–0 run. By the second media timeout, the Blue Devils were in full command with a 22–8 lead, and the Crazies were in midseason form.
Darren Harris and Isaiah Evans electrified the arena with back-to-back transition threes, while Boozer slashed through the lane for a smooth, crowd-pleasing finish. Duke’s offensive flow was unselfish and well-orchestrated—every pass seemed to find the right hands at the right time. All nine Blue Devils who saw the floor in the first half posted a positive plus-minus, further underscoring the team’s cohesion.
Scheyer praised his squad’s willingness to share the ball:
“I love the sharing tonight. I thought we made really unselfish passes,” he said. “Sometimes when you get a lead, it becomes easy to hunt shots. We didn’t do that at all, and that says a lot about our team.”
Despite their dominance, Duke did encounter early struggles on the glass, failing to secure an offensive rebound in the first seven minutes. But where second-chance points lacked, three-point shooting thrived. Foster, Evans, Sarr, Harris and Cayden Boozer all connected from deep, pushing Duke’s first-half percentage to 46.7%. Niagara leaned heavily on Walters, who hit three triples, but the rest of the team struggled, collectively going 5-for-16 from beyond the arc.
Evans summarized Duke’s deep-ball approach with refreshing simplicity:
“Three is always worth more than two,” he said with a grin. “But it’s about fighting for open threes and good threes—getting paint touches and finding guys on the weak side. That’s more important than the three itself.”
By halftime, Duke had built a 47–19 cushion, leaving little doubt about the eventual outcome. Still, the Blue Devils came out of the break firing, pushing the lead even further with another explosive 10–0 run. Dame Sarr’s steal and transition assist to Ngongba ignited the crowd, and soon after, Maliq Brown and Cameron Boozer threw down emphatic dunks that rattled the rim and the rafters.
With 10 minutes remaining, Duke led 74–31; three minutes later, the gap widened to 80–31. Every possession felt like another opportunity for fireworks. When the scoreboard ticked up to 97–42 in the final minute, the roar inside Cameron reached a crescendo.
Niagara’s frustrations mounted as Duke’s defense tightened, limiting them to just 27.7% from the field overall. Meanwhile, Duke continued stacking contributions up and down the lineup. Ngongba delivered a breakout performance with a career-high 17 points, bolstered by an impressive 10-for-11 showing at the free-throw line.
Scheyer was thrilled with his big man’s assertiveness:
“We’ve got to get him more touches,” he said. “When you have a big who can make free throws, it’s a huge asset, especially closing games. He’s got more in him. He can go dominate.”
Foster and Cayden Boozer each knocked down three of their four attempts from deep, Evans sported bright-pink Nike “Price of Admission” shoes while drilling three triples of his own, and the Cameron faithful erupted when Ifeanyi Ufochukwu, Jack Scott, and Cameron Sheffield entered the game late.
Despite the lopsided score, Paulus expressed deep gratitude for the opportunity:
“For us to learn while competing against them is something that will really benefit our program,” he said. “I get emotional talking about it because of how much I love this place. I’m proud to be a part of it.”
Duke’s Brotherhood Run continues Sunday when the Blue Devils take on Howard at 4 p.m., carrying momentum—and a whole lot of swagger—into their next challenge.
