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NCAA

No. 1 Duke dominates No. 17 North Carolina 76-61 behind Cameron Boozer’s monster performance

Rivalry rematch - Cameron Boozer delivered 26 points, 15 rebounds and five assists as the top-ranked Blue Devils took control after halftime with a decisive 24-2 run to blow past the Tar Heels in Durham, completing another dominant ACC regular season.
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No. 1 Duke dominates No. 17 North Carolina 76-61 behind Cameron Boozer’s monster performance

Mar 7, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA;Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer (12) drives to the basket as North Carolina Tar Heels forward Jarin Stevenson (15) defends during the second half at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Duke Blue Devils won 76-61. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

Duke’s second-half dominance seals ACC supremacy

The Duke-North Carolina rivalry delivered another chapter Saturday night, but this time it was all Blue Devils after the break. Cameron Boozer put together a complete performance with 26 points, 15 rebounds and five assists, leading No. 1 Duke to a commanding 76-61 victory over No. 17 North Carolina at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

What started as a tight contest quickly turned into a Duke showcase in the second half. The Blue Devils trailed by just three points early after halftime before unleashing a devastating 16 unanswered points that ballooned into a 24-2 surge, effectively ending any hopes of a Tar Heels comeback.

Maliq Brown provided crucial support with 15 points as Duke (29-2, 17-1) completed a second straight one-loss run through ACC regular-season play. The victory came exactly one month after the Blue Devils suffered their lone conference defeat at North Carolina on Seth Trimble’s last-second 3-pointer.

Mar 7, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Seth Trimble (7) shoots over Duke Blue Devils forward Dame Sarr (7) during the second half at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Duke Blue Devils won 76-61. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

The turning point came with North Carolina trailing just 47-44 on Trimble’s drive with 16:45 remaining. From there, Duke took complete control as the Tar Heels went six minutes without scoring and managed just one basket over more than 10 minutes of game action.

Derek Dixon led North Carolina with 17 points, but it wasn’t nearly enough as the Tar Heels (24-7, 12-6) fell to 5-2 without star freshman Caleb Wilson. The loss capped a brutal 24-hour period for North Carolina, as Wilson suffered a season-ending broken right thumb during a non-contact drill Thursday, just as he appeared ready to return from a fractured left hand.

Duke’s victory extended their winning streak to eight games, including impressive wins over then-No. 1 Michigan and No. 13 Virginia. The Blue Devils played through their own injury concerns, with starting big man Patrick Ngongba II sporting a boot on his right foot after halftime and point guard Caleb Foster leaving briefly in the first half before returning with a boot of his own.

Both teams now turn their attention to the ACC Tournament in Charlotte, where they’ll meet again in Thursday’s quarterfinals as the conference’s top seeds.

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Sylvain Sultat
Sylvain Sultat follows the NBA on a daily basis, covering individual performances, team dynamics, and the league's greatest stories. On Be-Basketball, he breaks down the latest American basketball news with passion and consistency, always on the lookout for the trends shaping the world of basketball.
No. 1 Duke dominates No. 17 North Carolina 76-61 behind Cameron Boozer’s monster performance