Coastal Carolina came into Cameron Indoor Stadium looking to challenge Duke, but nobody could have predicted how brutally the Blue Devils would respond. What initially appeared to be a physical battle quickly turned into a one-sided basketball demolition, with Duke delivering a stunning 113-52 victory.
The 61-point victory was particularly significant for head coach Jon Scheyer, marking the largest winning margin of his coaching career.
However, the story behind this remarkable result was about much more than the final score.
Coastal Carolina came out aggressively, attacking Duke physically from the opening minutes. Several Blue Devils found themselves on the floor after hard collisions, raising concerns about possible injuries. John Blackwell appeared to be in serious pain after being thrown down, while Pat Ngongba also took a hard fall. Sebastian Wilkins suffered an accidental poke in the eye.
Fortunately, the situations did not develop into anything more serious.
Instead of allowing the physical approach to disrupt their rhythm, Duke eventually found its response. Once the Blue Devils adjusted to Coastal Carolina’s strategy, the game completely changed.
Duke produced a devastating 16-0 run and never looked back.
PAT NGONGBA DELIVERS A CAREER NIGHT
The biggest individual story of the evening was undoubtedly Pat Ngongba.
The Duke big man delivered the best offensive performance of his career, finishing with an outstanding 28 points while shooting 10-of-13 from the field and 2-of-3 from three-point range. He also collected nine rebounds.
His dominance was so impressive that he was personally outscoring Coastal Carolina until Trey Perry helped the Chanticleers reach 29 points with 11:33 remaining in the game.
Ngongba’s performance demonstrated just how dangerous Duke can become when its interior players are operating at this level.
But he wasn’t the only Blue Devil making an impact.
John Blackwell finished with 15 points, while Dame Sarr contributed 12. Cayden Boozer added 11 points and delivered an outstanding 12 assists with just one turnover.
JoJo Boumtje Boumtje also contributed nine points.
DUKE’S DEFENSE MADE THINGS EVEN WORSE
Although Duke’s offensive performance attracted plenty of attention, its defensive effort was equally impressive.
Coastal Carolina struggled to find any rhythm throughout the contest, shooting just 30% from the field and an extremely poor 18% from beyond the three-point line.
The Chanticleers managed only 19 made field goals from 63 attempts and connected on just four of their 22 three-point attempts.
Duke also dominated the rebounding battle, collecting 53 rebounds compared with Coastal Carolina’s 27.
The Blue Devils recorded 39 defensive rebounds, nine blocks and forced 17 turnovers.
Coastal Carolina simply couldn’t find consistent answers against Duke’s defensive pressure.
CAYDEN BOOZER AND DUKE’S BENCH PROVIDE ANOTHER BIG BOOST
One of the most encouraging developments was the contribution from Duke’s supporting cast.
The Blue Devils received 38 points from their bench, with Caleb Foster leading the way with 15 points in just 17 minutes.
Bryson Howard and Deron Rippey contributed eight points apiece, while Rippey produced two spectacular drives that added excitement to an already dominant performance.
Cameron Williams also connected on his first three-pointer, while Sebastian Wilkins finished with four points and a team-high 11 rebounds.
Boozer’s playmaking was another major highlight. His 12 assists against only one turnover demonstrated remarkable composure and decision-making.
Three Duke players also achieved personal milestones: Ngongba recorded a career-high in scoring, Boozer established a personal best in assists, and Wilkins set a personal best in rebounds.
A BIGGER TEST AWAITS DUKE
Despite the impressive victory, Duke cannot afford to become too comfortable.
The Blue Devils are expected to face a much tougher physical challenge against Michigan State on Tuesday in Chicago.
That matchup will provide a better indication of how prepared Scheyer’s team is for another demanding test.
There were still a few areas for improvement against Coastal Carolina. Duke missed 15 free throws, converting just 26 of 41 attempts for 63%.
Drew Scharnowski also missed the game as part of his rehabilitation and workload management.
Caleb Foster was ejected after receiving two technical fouls, while Maxime Meyer made the most of his five minutes on the court, recording three rebounds, one block and an impressive pass.
Nevertheless, the biggest takeaway remains clear: Duke showcased its offensive firepower, defensive intensity and remarkable depth.
Coastal Carolina attempted to make the contest physical, but the Blue Devils eventually turned that challenge into one of the most dominant performances of Jon Scheyer’s coaching career.
FINAL SCORE: DUKE 113, COASTAL CAROLINA 52.
The question now is whether Duke can carry this incredible momentum into its upcoming showdown with Michigan State.
