No. 4 Duke improved to 10-0 with a 66-60 victory at No. 7 Michigan State on Saturday, rallying from a halftime deficit at the Breslin Center. Cameron Boozer led the Blue Devils with 18 points and 15 rebounds in the second half surge. The win marked Duke's fourth victory over a ranked non-conference opponent this season.
The Blue Devils trailed 34-31 at halftime but mounted a comeback in the second half, outscoring the Spartans 35-26 to secure the victory. Duke's defense held Michigan State to 21-of-66 shooting from the field (.318), its lowest percentage of the season, and limited them to a season-low 60 points after the Spartans entered averaging 78.6 points per game.
Cameron Boozer, a freshman forward, struggled early with just two points in the first half but exploded for 16 points and eight rebounds after the break, finishing with 18 points, 15 rebounds, five assists, and fouling out late. His key assist set up Caleb Foster for a crucial 3-pointer that gave Duke a six-point lead with under 20 seconds remaining. Foster added 12 points, including the game-clinching shot, while Nikolas Khamenia contributed 10 points and nine rebounds, making all three of his first-half 3-pointers. Isaiah Evans scored nine points, including three free throws with 58 seconds left to extend the lead to 60-55.
For Michigan State, now 8-1, Carson Cooper recorded 16 points and 16 rebounds, but the Spartans faltered down the stretch, missing 12 of their final 15 field goals. Jeremy Fears Jr. went 0-for-10 from the field despite 13 assists and strong defense. Duke outrebounded Michigan State 43-42, overcoming the Spartans' nation's fourth-best rebounding margin of +13.5.
Duke head coach Jon Scheyer praised his team's resilience: "That was a big-time basketball game... I thought the will from our guys to make one or two more plays." Michigan State coach Tom Izzo called Duke "the best team we've played, with the best player we've played." This victory is Duke's first top-10 road win since February 2019 and ties them for the second-longest active win streak at 10 games.