WASHINGTON — Cameron Boozer netted 18 points, leading No. 3 Duke to another neutral-site victory against Michigan, overcoming the top-ranked Wolverines 68-63 on Saturday night in a thrilling potential Final Four showdown in the nation’s capital.
The Wolverines had been on an impressive 11-game win streak, rising to the top of the AP Top 25 poll this week, overtaking Arizona. Coincidentally, the now-fourth-ranked Wildcats defeated No. 2 Houston earlier on Saturday, marking the first occasion since Feb. 8, 2025, that the top two teams in the poll lost on the same day.
With his father, former Duke and NBA star Carlos Boozer, present, Cameron Boozer nailed a 3-pointer with 1:55 remaining, extending the Blue Devils’ lead to 64-58. Isaiah Evans contributed 14 points for Duke (25-2), who may return to Capital One Arena in just over a month for the East Regional of the NCAA tournament.
“That was a game that felt more like March or April than February,” Duke coach Jon Scheyer remarked. “We hold immense respect for Michigan, their staff, and their talent. It was a high-stakes matchup, and our guys were primed to compete at an elite level.”
In their first encounter in 12 years, Duke elevated its record against Michigan to 23-8 and remains undefeated at 7-0 on neutral grounds, a series that includes the iconic 1992 national title game. Michigan last triumphed over Duke on Dec. 6, 2009, in Ann Arbor.
Yaxel Lendeborg scored 21 points for Michigan (25-2), which had not faced defeat since a three-point loss to Wisconsin on Jan. 10.
While second-year coach Dusty May’s Michigan team is often praised for its selflessness, Jon Scheyer’s Blue Devils displayed greater offensive diversity. Caleb encourage scored 12 points, and Patrick Ngongba II added 11 as Duke exploited vulnerabilities in the Wolverines’ top-ranked defense.
plus, Duke dominated the boards 41-28, as Michigan struggled with their shooting, hitting just 6-of-25 from beyond the arc.
“When scheduling a game like this, the outcomes are unpredictable, even during preparation. We’ve gained insight into our team and will improve as a result,” May commented. “We didn’t rebound effectively and made critical mistakes, and playing against a team like Duke means they capitalize on every misstep. They did just that tonight.”
Fans passionately exchanged chants of “Let’s go Duke!” and “Let’s go Blue!” for this compelling matchup in a city eager for significant basketball. ESPN’s “College GameDay” aired live from inside the arena during the teams’ morning practice, with upper-level tickets selling for around $600 just hours before the game, while courtside seats soared to over $6,000.
Defense dominated a hard-fought first half where neither team led by more than five points. Ngongba was fouled while contesting a rebound with just 0.8 seconds remaining, sinking both free throws to hand the Blue Devils a 35-33 edge at halftime.
Remarkably, Duke never fell behind again.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
