No. 1 Duke secured a 76-61 victory over No. 17 North Carolina on Saturday, avenging an earlier loss with a dominant second-half run despite key injuries. Cameron Boozer led the Blue Devils with 26 points and 15 rebounds, while the Tar Heels struggled without star forward Caleb Wilson.
The matchup at Cameron Indoor Stadium marked the regular-season finale for both Atlantic Coast Conference teams. Duke, entering with a 7-game win streak, improved to 29-2 overall and 17-1 in ACC play, tying the conference record for most regular-season wins with 29. North Carolina fell to 24-7 overall and 12-6 in the ACC, despite earning the No. 4 seed and a double-bye in the upcoming ACC Tournament in Greensboro.
Duke jumped to an early 11-9 lead after the first media timeout, powered by Maliq Brown's six points in place of the injured Patrick Ngongba II. The Blue Devils extended to 24-13 midway through the first half, with Cameron Boozer contributing a 3-pointer assisted by his twin brother Cayden. North Carolina rallied late in the half, closing on an 8-0 run to trail 39-34 at halftime, led by Henri Veesaar's nine points and six rebounds, and eight points each from Derek Dixon and Jarin Stevenson.
Injuries plagued both sides. Duke's starting point guard Caleb Foster exited with a right foot injury after 11 minutes, scoring five points and two assists; he did not return and was seen in a walking boot. Ngongba, averaging 10.7 points and six rebounds, also sat out with a boot on his right foot. North Carolina's Caleb Wilson, a projected top NBA Draft pick averaging 19.8 points and 9.4 rebounds, missed the game—and the rest of the season—due to a broken right thumb suffered in practice while recovering from a prior left-hand fracture.
The second half belonged to Duke, who erupted on a 20-2 run early, extending to 63-44. Brown tallied a career-high 15 points, nine rebounds, and five steals, while Dame Sarr added 10 points. Cayden Boozer stepped up with seven points, five rebounds, and three assists in 29 minutes. Boozer's performance included back-to-back baskets and drawing an offensive foul during the surge. For North Carolina, Dixon led with 17 points, but the Tar Heels managed only a late push to 73-56 with under three minutes left.
This win caps Duke's best two-season ACC run since the late 1990s, going 36-2 in conference play over the last two years. Both teams receive double-byes in the ACC Tournament, with a potential semifinal rematch on Friday.
