It Started Like a Trap, Turned Into a Mess, Then Became a Statement—Cameron Boozer Took Over, Duke Blue Devils Flipped the Switch After Halftime, and What This Wild Night Revealed About No. 3 Duke Has Everyone Talking
For nearly a half inside Cameron Indoor Stadium, the game felt like it was drifting toward something Duke rarely experiences: real danger. The No. 3 Blue Devils came out fast, stumbled badly, and spent much of the opening 20 minutes looking nothing like an undefeated national contender. Turnovers piled up. Momentum swung. Confidence wavered.
And then, almost without warning, the floor tilted.
By the end of the night, Duke had walked away with a 97–73 win over Lipscomb, an 11–0 record, and another reminder that this team can absorb chaos—and still overwhelm opponents when it decides to lock in.
But make no mistake: this wasn’t a routine win. It was a revealing one.
A Fast Start That Quickly Went Sideways
Duke couldn’t have scripted a better opening. The Blue Devils jumped out to a 10–0 lead, moving the ball crisply and attacking the rim with confidence. Cameron Boozer was involved immediately, facilitating early offense and setting the tone.
Then everything unraveled.
Passes were intercepted. Dribbles were poked loose. Decisions slowed. Duke began turning the ball over at an alarming rate, finishing the night with 22 giveaways—the most in a single game since Jon Scheyer took over the program.
Lipscomb didn’t hesitate to capitalize. Playing with house money, the Bisons attacked Duke’s ball-handlers, spaced the floor, and punished mistakes. A 12–2 run flipped the game, and at one point the visitors led by as many as 10 in the first half. The crowd inside Cameron grew restless—not angry, but uneasy.
This wasn’t the type of dominance Duke had shown earlier in the season.
Cameron Boozer Brings Order to Chaos
When Duke needed steadiness, Cameron Boozer delivered it.
The freshman forward finished with 26 points and 13 rebounds, shooting efficiently, converting all six of his free throws, and serving as Duke’s emotional anchor. While the game swirled around him, Boozer played with control—scoring through contact, cleaning up misses, and repeatedly halting Lipscomb’s momentum.
His presence mattered most when Duke looked most vulnerable. A tip-in just before halftime capped a late surge that allowed Duke to sneak into the break with a slim lead instead of heading to the locker room searching for answers.
That basket didn’t win the game—but it shifted it.
The Second-Half Avalanche
What followed after halftime looked far more familiar.
Sparked by Boozer’s aggression and renewed defensive urgency, Duke unleashed a devastating run that completely reshaped the game. The Blue Devils ripped off a 33–9 stretch in the second half, turning a tense contest into a runaway.
Defensively, Duke suffocated Lipscomb, forcing tougher shots and ending possessions with rebounds. Offensively, the ball finally moved with purpose. The turnovers didn’t vanish—but they stopped defining the night.
Isaiah Evans knocked down four three-pointers on his way to 16 points. Darren Harris and Maliq Brown provided a jolt off the bench with 11 points apiece, while Brown added nine rebounds and relentless energy. Patrick Ngongba controlled the interior, posting a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds.
Once Duke took command, it didn’t look back.
Dominance Where It Mattered Most
Even during the messy stretches, one advantage never disappeared: the glass.
Duke demolished Lipscomb on the boards, winning the rebounding battle 55–21 and grabbing 20 offensive rebounds that turned into 26 second-chance points. While turnovers kept the Bisons alive early, rebounding ensured Duke was never fully at risk.
That physical dominance became overwhelming in the second half, draining Lipscomb’s energy and erasing any hope of a late push.
Why This Game Matters Moving Forward
On the surface, this was just another nonconference win. Dig deeper, and it becomes something else entirely.
Duke didn’t win because it was flawless. It won because it adjusted. It won because it trusted its depth. It won because, even on a night defined by mistakes, it still controlled the most important areas of the game.
Those traits matter more than margins in December.
The Blue Devils now turn their attention to a much bigger stage, with a showdown against Texas Tech looming at Madison Square Garden. Against a ranked, physical opponent, Duke won’t have the luxury of extended sloppiness.
But if the second-half version of this team shows up—the connected, aggressive, unrelenting version—then this chaotic night against Lipscomb may end up being a blessing in disguise.
It started like a trap.
It turned into a mess.
And it ended as a statement.
Duke survived its own worst tendencies—and reminded everyone why, even on ugly nights, it remains one of the most dangerous teams in college basketball.
