Tag: Cam Boozer

Duke basketball topples top-ranked Michigan. Observations from a top-5 clash

Washington

Michigan was ranked No. 1 in the nation and Duke was No. 3, but that was in the AP poll.

Nearly everyone else, and nearly every metric, have the Wolverines and Blue Devils 1-2, the two best teams in the country with February coming to and March just ahead.

It almost seemed fitting that the two would meet Saturday in the Capital Showcase at Capital One Arena. In a nonconference game that had all the feels of a Final Four matchup, with some high-quality, fiercely competitive play, the Blue Devils emerged with a 68-63 victory.

The game, which attracted a crowd of 21,537, not only was a matchup of two elite teams but two of the nation’s best players in Duke’s Cameron Boozer and Michigan’s Yaxel Lendeborg. Boozer, who is more about power at 6-9 and 250 pounds, finished with 18 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists, and Lendeborg had 21 points and seven rebounds for the Wolverines.

Duke’s Caleb Foster (1) and Dame Sarr (7) celebrate as time expires in Duke’s 68-63 victory over Michigan in the Capital Showcase at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026. Ethan Hyman ehyman@newsobserver.com

The Blue Devils (25-2) learned what it’s like to play with Boozer in foul trouble in the second half. Boozer’s fourth personal foul came with 8:42 left and Duke leading 53-46, the first time since the Michigan State game in early December that the big man had been charged with more than three.

Duke got some strong play off the bench from Nikolas Khamenia, who had nine rebounds and gave the Devils some aggressive defense.

“I thought his energy … he wanted it a little bit more,” Michigan coach Dusty May said.

Boozer returned with 4:47 left in the game and Duke holding a 57-53 lead, but a Lendeborg 3-pointer made it a one-point game.. But Boozer later answered with a 3 of his own, and later pushed Duke ahead 66-61 with 1:01 after a goal-tending call against the Wolverines was confirmed after review.

Duke’s Caleb Foster (1) heads to the basket defended by Michigan’s Morez Johnson Jr. (21) during the first half of Duke’s game against Michigan in the Capital Showcase at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026. Ethan Hyman ehyman@newsobserver.com

With Duke leading 66-63 with 14.6 seconds remaining, the Devils’ Isaiah Evans made both ends of a one-and-one at the line to seal it. Evans, who had 14 points, later dunked at the buzzer to finish it off.

Michigan’s May called it a “slugfest” and a “rock fight” and that was a good assessment. It was physical, and the Blue Devils doggedly won the rebounding battle, taking a 41-28 advantage off the boards,

Duke’s Cameron Boozer (12) celebrates after slamming in two in the second half of Duke’s 68-63 victory over Michigan in the Capital Showcase at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026. Ethan Hyman ehyman@newsobserver.com

The Wolverines rolled into D.C. ranked at the top this week, 25-1 overall after 11 straight wins and a 15-1 Big Ten record. It’s a team with some swagger to it, with a legit player of the year candidate in Lendeborg and a team with length and strength.

Michigan and Duke were 1-2 in defensive efficiency, according to the recent KenPom rankings, and have been stifling teams. But Michigan’s transition game gave Duke problems at times and the Blue Devils were effective with their drives to the lane and kicks.

Duke’s Patrick Ngongba II (21) shoots in the final 24 seconds in the second half of Duke’s 68-63 victory over Michigan in the Capital Showcase at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026. Ngongba II pulled in his own rebound and was fouled by Michigan’s Elliot Cadeau. Ethan Hyman ehyman@newsobserver.com

Not that anything came easily, for either team. Cam Boozer had a couple of shots swatted away — Michigan had seven blocks — and once crashed to the floor attempting a dunk as Lendeborg slammed into him.

Boozer picked up his third foul five minutes into the second half. Dame Sarr missed a driving dunk attempt and Boozer, chasing after the loose ball, was called for a third personal foul in the scramble.

Here are observations from the Duke win:

Michigan’s Lendeborg impressive

Michigan’s Lendeborg is as complete a player as the Blue Devils have faced this season

At 6-9 and 240 pounds, he has the quickness and agility of someone shorter and lighter. He’s smooth. He’s not lacking confidence. He can score inside and out, with nice moves around the basket.

In the first half Saturday, Lendeborg airballed a 3-pointer from the right wing, in front of the Duke bench. He shook his head in that direction – a “no problem” kind of motion.

The next time down the court, Lendeborg again got the ball on the right wing. Cam Boozer backed off a step, Lendeborg again took the 3 – a swish. This time, there was a hint of smile as he ran back on defense.

Lendeborg had 16 of the Wolverines’ 33 first-half points, with a pair of 3-pointers. The second half was more of a challenge as he missed five of six shots.

“I had the same looks, they just weren’t falling,” Lendeborg said.

Ngongba was inconsistent

Duke needs smoother offensive play from Patrick Ngongba II, who at times Saturday seemed indecisive with the ball.

On some plays, Ngongba made the wrong decisions with his ball handling and passing. Isolated on one first-half play, he muscled his way toward the basket, only to pivot and lose the ball.

Duke’s Patrick Ngongba II (21) looses control of the ball while defended by Michigan’s Morez Johnson Jr. (21) and L.J. Cason (2) during the first half of Duke’s game against Michigan in the Capital Showcase at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026. Ethan Hyman ehyman@newsobserver.com

Back to basket and in the paint, Ngongba can be a handful for opponents. He has a dependable jump hook and can finish. Putting the ball on the floor is not always wise for the 6-11 sophomore.

Ngongba takes an occasional 3-pointer and did with Duke leading by five points with 10:40 left in the second half. And missed – not good timing for a 3-ball.

Challenging night for Cadeau

Michigan’s Elliot Cadeau had an interesting night – at least at the start.

The former North Carolina guard was booed by Duke fans. That was expected.

Cadeau had an early lob pass to 7-3 Aday Mara for the first basket of the game, but then put up a couple of early 3’s, both bricked. He added a few more in the second half.

Late in the first half, play suddenly was stopped as Cadeau, in pain, left the floor and headed to the Michigan bench. Treated by the team trainers, he did return before the half ended but was scoreless in 13 minutes.

Cadeau had Sarr on him defensively a lot of the game and scored his first points with 9:17 left at the foul line

Cadeau transferred to Michigan after two years in Chapel Hill and has had a productive first season as the Wolverines dominated the Big 10 and moved up in the polls.

Cadeau finished with eight points on 1-of-8 shooting against Duke on Saturday night.

Duke head coach Jon Scheyer hugs Patrick Ngongba II (21) after Duke’s 68-63 victory over Michigan in the Capital Showcase at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026. Ethan Hyman ehyman@newsobserver.com

Duke’s Caleb Foster (1) heads to the basket defended by Michigan’s Morez Johnson Jr. (21) during the first half of Duke’s game against Michigan in the Capital Showcase at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026. Ethan Hyman ehyman@newsobserver.com

Duke’s Nikolas Khamenia (14) dives after the loose ball during the first half of Duke’s game against Michigan in the Capital Showcase at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026. Ethan Hyman ehyman@newsobserver.com

Michigan’s Morez Johnson Jr. (21) celebrates after slamming in two during the first half of Duke’s game against Michigan in the Capital Showcase at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026. Ethan Hyman ehyman@newsobserver.com

Duke’s Isaiah Evans (3) celebrates after slamming in two as time expires in the second half of Duke’s 68-63 victory over Michigan in the Capital Showcase at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026. Ethan Hyman ehyman@newsobserver.com

Duke’s Patrick Ngongba II (21) shoots in the final 24 seconds in the second half of Duke’s 68-63 victory over Michigan in the Capital Showcase at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026. Ngongba II pulled in his own rebound and was fouled by Michigan’s Elliot Cadeau. Ethan Hyman ehyman@newsobserver.com

This story was originally published February 21, 2026 at 8:57 PM.

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Chip Alexander

The News & Observer

In more than 40 years at The N&O, Chip Alexander has covered the N.C. State, UNC, Duke and East Carolina beats, and now is in his 15th season on the Carolina Hurricanes beat. Alexander, who has won numerous writing awards at the state and national level, covered the Hurricanes’ move to North Carolina in 1997 and was a part of The N&O’s coverage of the Canes’ 2006 Stanley Cup run.

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February 21, 2026
How Duke basketball clamped down defensively to post an ACC win at California

Patrick Ngongba II (21) of the Duke Blue Devils is guarded by Milos Ilic (8) of the California Golden Bears in the first half at Haas Pavilion on January 14, 2026 in Berkeley, California.

Thearon W. Henderson

Getty Images

Berkeley, Calif.

Duke’s defense returned to its early-season form just in time to win its first-ever game at Cal.

The sixth-ranked Blue Devils held the Golden Bears to only one field goal during a decisive 10-minute stretch in the second half and pulled away for a 71-56 victory Wednesday night at Haas Pavilion.

After Texas Tech shot 55 percent in Duke’s only loss just before Christmas, the Blue Devils (16-1, 5-0 ACC) allowed their first four conference opponents to shoot 50.4 percent, ranking 16th in the ACC.

But Duke managed to navigate screens and didn’t fall for shot fakes against the Golden Bears (13-5, 1-4), who shot 36.5 percent from the field.

“That’s been a point of emphasis for us — how to sustain the defensive intensity, the defensive awareness that you need,” Duke coach Jon Scheyer said.

John Camden (2) of the California Golden Bears loses control of the ball while being guarded by Duke’s Cameron Boozer (12) in the first half at Haas Pavilion on January 14, 2026 in Berkeley, California. Thearon W. Henderson Getty Images

Duke forced Cal guards Dai Dai Ames and Justin Pippin into a combined 5 of 22 shooting, while 3-point specialist Chris Bell was 1 of 10 from beyond the arc.

“We tried to play five men on a string — just let the ball pull you,” Duke guard Isaiah Evans said. “We stayed solid.”

With the defense holding Cal in check, the offense finally picked up behind Cameron Boozer. The star freshman dominated inside in the second half and finished with 21 points and 13 rebounds after being held to four points and three rebounds in a quiet first half.

“Cam has been so consistent,” Scheyer said. “We rely on him for a lot. Probably was one of his worst first halves he’s had all year and I knew he was going to respond. He controlled the boards, his playmaking, his paint attacks, and he’s really mature with his approach.”

Duke only led by 3 with 10 minutes remaining, but made 9 of its next 11 field goals, all on dunks and layups, during its game-changing 21-5 run. Six of those shots were made by Boozer, who asserted himself inside, and his slam with 4:08 remaining made it 68-51.

“I just had to get going, whether it was lay-ups or dunks,” Boozer said. “Just had to find a way.”

Cameron Boozer (12) of the Duke Blue Devils looking to drive to the basket gets fouled by John Camden (2) of the California Golden Bears in the first half at Haas Pavilion on January 14, 2026 in Berkeley, California. Thearon W. Henderson Getty Images

Duke finished 7 of 32 (21.9 percent) from three-point range and 8 of 17 (47.1 percent) from the free-throw line, but dominated the paint with a 42-16 edge in points and outrebounded Cal 44-30.

“I thought most of the 3s we took were great shots, but they didn’t have an answer for us in the paint,” Scheyer said. “So we’re asking them to understand the inflection points, what our strengths are, and I thought we did a great job just hammering it inside the last 10-15 minutes and we got separation.”

Duke finally hit from outside in the second half when freshman Nikolas Khamenia’s 3-pointer gave Duke a 71-52 lead with three minutes remaining. Khamenia, a Los Angeles native, scored 10 points and grabbed four rebounds and was plus-24 in his return to California.

Playing in a game that started at 11:10 p.m. Eastern Time, Duke opened with back-to-back turnovers and had five in the first seven minutes, which led to seven Cal points as the Golden Bears took a 13-7 lead.

The teams then traded 12-2 runs, with Duke going up 19-15 and Cal responding to lead 27-21. But the Blue Devils closed the first half with 13 straight points to go up 37-30 at halftime. Evans, who finished with 17 points, punctuated the run with a spin move and dunk, followed by a long three with 20 seconds left.

Duke’s Isaiah Evans (3) reacts following a 3-point basket in the first half against SMU at Cameron Indoor Stadium on January 10, 2026 in Durham, North Carolina. Lance King Getty Images

Cal kept it close early in the second half, but Duke’s defense finally silenced the sellout crowd that included Steph, Seth and Dell Curry.

“That was a great defensive performance from us. We needed a game like that,” Boozer said. “Starting the year we were one of the best teams in the country in effective field goal percentage, so we just needed to get back to that.”

Now Duke will try to do something only one team (Wake Forest) has achieved since Cal and Stanford joined the ACC last season – win both games of the West Coast trip.

The Blue Devils prepared for Cal by arriving in Oakland two days early and adjusting their sleep schedule by not sleeping on the flight and taking cold plunges in the morning. They will now try to recover before facing Stanford on Saturday at 6 p.m.

“I think it’s important how we handle tomorrow,” Scheyer said. “(Cal and Stanford) have to do (cross-country trips) all the time, and we just have to do it once. We’re a no-excuse program. Whatever time we’re playing, we’ll be ready. The key is how we handle the next couple of days out here.”

Harold Gutmann

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January 15, 2026
Isaiah Evans shoots Duke basketball past Florida State in high-scoring ACC game

Duke’s Isaiah Evans and Darren Harris celebrate in the closing seconds of the Blue Devils’ 67-66 win over Florida in the ACC/SEC Challenge on Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025 at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, N.C.

Kaitlin McKeown

The News & Observer

Tallahassee, Fla.

No team takes more 3-pointers a game than the Florida State Seminoles.

Not that the Noles lead the country in 3-point makes, just takes.

But when the 3s are going down, as they were Saturday against No. 6 Duke, the Seminoles are a dangerous team. Playing at home also helps and the energy and noise level in the Donald Tucker center was impressive Saturday from a less-than-sellout crowd.

But Duke answered with its best 3-point shooter, Isaiah Evans, who finished with 28 points in pacing an entertaining 91-87 victory.

After Evans missed his first two 3-pointers, the Noles left him open in the corner. Bad idea: Evans made the 3-pointer and it got him started. He ended up with six.

Also on the mark Saturday was Dame Sarr, whose first season at Duke and playing college basketball has been inconsistent. But Sarr looked the part of a confident, savvy player Saturday, knocking down three 3-pointers and scoring 13 points.

This was a game where freshman Cameron Boozer again crammed the stat sheet. His final numbers were 17 points and five rebounds as the Noles often looked to double-team him, but he also had nine assists.

The Seminoles, averaging 36.5 3-point shots, began the game taking and making 3-pointers. They knocked down five of their first six shots from the arc and were eight-of-17 on 3-pointers in the opening half, which ended in a 42-42 tie.

When Duke would make a surge in the second half, the Noles would answer with a 3. Duke was grinding away, leading 51-46, when Rodney McCray V and then Chauncey Wiggins drained 3-pointers to quickly push FSU back in front.

But Duke was hitting from distance, too. The Blue Devils surged to a 74-65 lead midway through the second half. When FSU pulled within 79-76, Caleb Foster swished a 3-pointer from the left wing and soon Evans hit another.

The Devils also turned to a zone defense in the second half, just as they did in their ACC opener against Georgia Tech to better blanket the 3-point shooters.

The Blue Devils continue on the road with a game Tuesday against Louisville.

Here are some observations from the game.

Mental toughness needed

Mental toughness is needed to win on the road in the ACC. There has to be that grit in a league that is so even in talent.

Not much separated Duke and Florida State in Saturday’s game The Blue Devils have more overall talent, most would agree, but the Noles refused to let the game get away from them.

A McCray 3 with 53 seconds remaining got the Noles within 85-82, but Cameron Boozer hit a pair from the line with 26 seconds left. Evans then hit another pair to ice it.

It’s a matter of concentration, but also toughness.

Duke head coach Jon Scheyer motions to his players during the second half of Texas Tech’s 82-81 victory over Duke in the SentinelOne Classic at Madison Square Garden in New York City, N.Y., Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. Ethan Hyman ehyman@newsobserver.com

Rebounding a team effort

The Devils aren’t a great rebounding team. Very good, but not great.

Cameron Boozer is the space eater inside and strength with his sure hands. He gets his share of boards but that includes the short shots he misses inside and then rebounds.

Ngongba is an inconsistent rebounder, and everyone else has to do their part – Cayden Boozer, at 6-4, is quick to ball as is Caleb Foster and Sarr.

Everyone has to contribute for this Duke team – Nik Khamenia, Maliq Brown, Evans.

Duke won the rebounding edge, 31-24, over FSU with Ngongba and Foster leading the Blue Devils with six rebounds each. Cam Boozer and Brown each had five. Every Duke player who saw at least 10 minutes of play had at least one rebound.

Missing Leonard Hamilton

It’s not the same coming to the Donald L. Tucker Center and not seeing Leonard Hamilton in front of the FSU bench with his intent glare. Or having longtime assistant coach Stan Jones hover his shoulder with some X-and-O advice.

Hamilton was Florida State basketball for so long., his image iconic. He won 404 games with the Seminoles. He won the school’s first ACC regular season title in 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic stopped the season, and his Noles finished No. 4 nationally, the program’s highest.

But Hamilton, like several of his coaching peers, tired of dealing with the portal, NIL promises and an ever-changing roster. He retired after last season and FSU hired Luke Loucks, who played for Hamilton at FSU and later was a part of two NBA championships as a member of the Warriors staff.

Hamilton, the Gastonia native, believed it was time to retire. But the Tucker Center seems a little empty without him.

Chip Alexander

The News & Observer

In more than 40 years at The N&O, Chip Alexander has covered the N.C. State, UNC, Duke and East Carolina beats, and now is in his 15th season on the Carolina Hurricanes beat. Alexander, who has won numerous writing awards at the state and national level, covered the Hurricanes’ move to North Carolina in 1997 and was a part of The N&O’s coverage of the Canes’ 2006 Stanley Cup run.

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January 3, 2026
Duke overcomes slow start to beat Lipscomb. What we learned about Blue Devils

Durham

The most noteworthy thing about Duke’s win Tuesday over Lipscomb was that it gave Blue Devils coach Jon Scheyer his 100th career win.

But few could have expected No. 100 to be quite as hard to get.

The No. 3 Blue Devils, coming back from the end-of-semester exam break, took a 97-73 victory over the Bisons in a game that was too ragged, too sloppy at times, for Scheyer’s liking.

The Blue Devils will take an 11-0 record into their game Saturday against No. 19 Texas Tech in New York’s Madison Square Garden. It’s Duke’s best start to a season since 2017-18, when the Devils also won their first 11 games.

The Bisons (6-5), the Atlantic Sun champions last season, had a five-game win streak and a team that didn’t back off or flinch. Forget the final score. They battled defensively and ran their offense smartly much of the time, leading by as many as 10 points in the first half.

The Blue Devils, who oddsmakers made 32-point favorites, led 48-45 at halftime but only after a late-half surge. More alert defense and increased urgency were apparent from the start of the second half as the Blue Devils limited Lipscomb to 33.3% shooting and methodically pulled away to a comfortable-enough victory

Cameron Boozer, like his teammates a slow starter, finished with 26 points and 13 rebounds and Patrick Ngongba also had a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Isaiah Evans had 16 points for the Blue Devils with four 3-pointers, and Duke got some energized play off the bench from Darren Harris (11 points) and Maliq Brown (11 points, 9 rebounds).

Duke’s Cayden Boozer drives to the basket past Lipscomb’s Grant Asman and Lipscomb’s Ross Candelino during the first half of the Blue Devils’ game on Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025, at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, N.C. Kaitlin McKeown The News & Observer

For the record, Scheyer now is 100-22 overall in his fourth season since taking over from Mike Krzyzewski, who again was in his customary sideline seat.

“Taking over from a coach like Coach K, that’s a tough task, but he’s done a great job following him up,” Cameron Boozer said

Another former Duke coach, the late Vic Bubas, held the ACC record for the fastest to 100 wins — doing it in 128 games — but Scheyer has done it in 122.

“I’m extremely proud of coach and proud of this team,” Evans said. “I’m just proud to be a part of history.”

Duke head coach Jon Scheyer talks with Caleb Foster during the first half of the Blue Devils’ game against Lipscomb on Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025, at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, N.C. Kaitlin McKeown The News & Observer

Scheyer now is 54-3 in home games. But that 54th home win had the head coach squirming a bit and working the refs much of the night.

“I got advice right away when I found out I was going to be the next coach,” Scheyer said. “You can worry about a lot of different things but you better get some good players, man. And we’ve had the best players. We’ve had great players.

“It’s not about me. It’s about who you have with you. And you’ve got to scrap and claw for every win.”

What did we learn about the Blue Devils?

Getting the rust off

There were signs of rust and being out of synch for the Blue Devils nearly the entire first half.

Cameron Boozer had the ball stolen off the dribble. Cayden Boozer had a dribble bounce off his sneaker for a turnover. Patrick Ngongba missed a point-blank layup. Nikolas Khamenia stepped out of bounds trying to get off a shot.

Get the idea? It was sloppy basketball. Duke had 16 turnovers – in the first half – that Lipscomb turned into 21 points and finished with 22 turnovers.

“We had a little bit of a rough game, especially turning the ball over,” Cameron Boozer said. “But give props to Lipscomb, too. They’re a great mid-major team and have a chance of making the (NCAA) tournament.”

Duke’s Dame Sarr reacts after turning the ball over during the second half of the Blue Devils’ 97-73 win over Lipscomb on Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025, at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, N.C. Kaitlin McKeown The News & Observer

With Evans hitting two early 3’s, Duke took a 10-0 lead and it appeared the Blue Devils were primed for the expected wire-to-wire win. But the Bisons kept playing, looking to dribble-drive to the lane and find Duke’s defensive holes.

“They exposed some things that we have to do better,” Scheyer said.

Lipscomb’s Mateo Esmeraldo, a physical 6-1 junior, didn’t back off. Esmeraldo had 12 of his 14 points in the first half and got eight at the foul line after challenging the Devils. Lipscomb was 13 of 14 at the line in the opening half, Esmeraldo finally missing the 14th.

Lipscomb’s guards were willing to pay the price to attack the rim, often crashing to the court as they put up shots. Lipscomb led by as many as 10 points – 26-16 – midway through the half.

Getting more than enough work

The Bisons gave the Devils plenty of work Tuesday – probably more than Duke expected.

Lipscomb opened in 1-2-2 zone, later had some 1-3-1 looks and mixed that in with its man-to-man. Offensively, Lipscomb spread the floor in the half court, used up the clock and kept the Blue Devils in motion.

Lipscomb had a 14-2 run in the opening half – Scheyer calling a timeout – and shot a respectable 45% from the field, hit free throws and had just seven turnovers. And scored 45 points.

“I thought the actions they ran against our (defensive) switching were great,” Scheyer said. “I thought the physicality they played with, the defense … I can’t say enough about them.

Duke’s Nikolas Khamenia looks to pass around Lipscomb’s Kellan Boylan and Lipscomb’s Titas Sargiunas during the first half of the Blue Devils’ game on Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025, at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, N.C. Kaitlin McKeown The News & Observer

“That was a great experience for us. That was a different kind of team than we’ve played because of their shooting, so we had to do some things differently on the defensive end.”

If the Blue Devils were looking for a good post-exam workout to limber back up, they got it. The game was a good ‘tweener between the big road win at Michigan State and Texas Tech.

“It was a trap week,” Cameron Boozer said. “We’ve got to be better, for sure.”

Down but not out

For Duke, it was a scary sight.

Five minutes into the first half, Khamenia was in transition when there suddenly was a loose ball scramble near midcourt. The 6-8 freshman was knocked off balance and fell awkwardly – replays made it appear he might have landed chin-first.

Khamena stayed face down for several moments as the Duke trainers rushed in. He was helped up and taken to the bench, but was left bloodied.

Not that he was out for long. Repairs were made and Khamenia, a crash-and-bang kind of player, was soon back on the floor, ready for more contact.

A few other Duke players took some hard spills in a game with a lot of banging bodies.

“We got a little banged up but I think we’re OK,” Scheyer said.

Lipscomb’s Titas Sargiunas and Duke’s Darren Harris dive after a loose ball during the second half of the Blue Devils’ 97-73 win on Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025, at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, N.C. Kaitlin McKeown The News & Observer

This story was originally published December 16, 2025 at 8:18 PM.

Chip Alexander

The News & Observer

In more than 40 years at The N&O, Chip Alexander has covered the N.C. State, UNC, Duke and East Carolina beats, and now is in his 15th season on the Carolina Hurricanes beat. Alexander, who has won numerous writing awards at the state and national level, covered the Hurricanes’ move to North Carolina in 1997 and was a part of The N&O’s coverage of the Canes’ 2006 Stanley Cup run.

Chip Alexander

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December 16, 2025