By: Masha Bullard
Cameron Boozer recorded 26 points and 13 rebounds as No. 3 Duke overcame an early deficit to defeat Lipscomb 97–73 on Dec. 17 in Durham, delivering head coach Jon Scheyer his 100th career victory. The Blue Devils used a dominant second-half surge and overwhelming rebounding edge to pull away after a sloppy first half threatened their unbeaten start.
Duke (11-0) trailed by as many as 10 points before halftime, struggling with ball security and committing a season-high 16 turnovers in the opening 20 minutes. Lipscomb capitalized with 27 points off miscues and briefly seized momentum behind Grant Asman and Mateo Esmeraldo. Still, Duke closed the half on a 17–8 run to reclaim a narrow lead entering the break.
Boozer’s physical presence ignited the turnaround. The freshman star shot 10-of-17 from the field, converted all six free throws, and added three assists while anchoring a decisive 33–9 second-half run that broke the game open. Duke’s frontcourt, including Patrick Ngongba II, dominated the glass 55–21 and turned 20 offensive rebounds into 26 second-chance points, eliminating any realistic comeback hopes for the Bisons.
Isaiah Evans contributed 16 points, while reserves Darren Harris and Maliq Brown added 11 each to highlight Duke’s depth. Ngongba finished with a double-double (10 points, 11 rebounds), underscoring the Blue Devils’ interior control throughout the closing stretch.
Lipscomb (6-5) showed resilience early and led for portions of the first half, but the Atlantic Sun contender struggled to generate rebounds or sustained offense after intermission. The loss came despite 18 points from Asman and 14 points with eight assists from Esmeraldo.
The milestone win marked a significant achievement for Scheyer in just his fourth season replacing Mike Krzyzewski, reinforcing Duke’s status as a national title contender built around Boozer and a deep, versatile roster.
