Duke Basketball Bounces Back with Dominant 70-54 Victory Over Pittsburgh
Feb 10, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer (12) dribbles the ball as Pittsburgh Panthers guard Nojus Indrusaitis (right) defends during the second half at Petersen Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Duke basketball asserted its dominance in the second half of its road outing against Pittsburgh on Tuesday night, bouncing back from a heartbreaking buzzer-beating loss to archrival North Carolina. The No. 4 Duke Blue Devils improved to 22-2 overall and 11-1 in Atlantic Coast Conference play with their convincing 70-54 victory over the struggling Panthers.
Isaiah Evans led the charge for Duke with 21 points on exceptional 8-of-10 shooting, including a scorching 5-for-6 performance from beyond the arc. The sophomore guard heated up beyond the 3-points line after beginning the second half on the bench, providing the offensive spark the Blue Devils needed to pull away from their hosts.
Blue Devils Find Their Rhythm Despite Missing Key Player
Cameron Boozer delivered another impressive double-double performance with 17 points and 10 rebounds, marking his 13th double-double of the season. The freshman power forward led Duke across the first 20 minutes with eight points, four rebounds, three assists, and one block, helping the Blue Devils enter halftime with momentum despite a slow start.
Junior guard Caleb Foster contributed 14 points and eight rebounds, giving Duke three players in double figures. The balanced offensive attack proved crucial as the Blue Devils played without starting center Patrick Ngongba II, who sat out due to a left wrist injury sustained during Saturday’s loss to North Carolina.
After six lead changes and five ties in a competitive first half, Duke scored seven straight points to take a 35-29 halftime advantage. The Blue Devils then opened the second period with five consecutive points, extending their run to 12-0 and pushing their lead to 40-29. From that point forward, Duke controlled the game despite a brief 5-0 response from Pittsburgh.
Panthers Struggle Without Leading Scorer
Pittsburgh (9-16, 2-10 ACC) lost for the 10th time in 12 games, continuing their disappointing season. Roman Siulepa led the Panthers with 19 points, while Barry Dunning Jr. added 17 points, including 13 in the first half. However, the Panthers were hampered by the absence of leading scorer Brandin Cummings, who missed his third straight game with an ankle injury.
Duke’s superior shooting and rebounding proved decisive factors in the victory. The Blue Devils shot 57.4% from the field compared to Pittsburgh’s 35.8% and held a commanding 34-22 rebounding advantage. The comprehensive performance demonstrated Duke’s ability to bounce back from adversity and regain the swagger that had carried them through a 10-game winning streak before Saturday’s setback.
Duke will look to build on this momentum when they host No. 20 Clemson on Saturday, while Pittsburgh travels to face No. 11 North Carolina in another challenging ACC matchup.
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