Duke’s Size, Second-Chance Dominance Overwhelm Cal in Haas Showdown
Back home at Haas Pavilion after a tough road trip through Virginia, Cal came out swinging against a juggernaut Duke team. The Golden Bears brought the energy early, feeding off their first sellout crowd of the season and a star-studded audience that included Daniel Lurie, Seth and Steph Curry, and Duke alum Ken Jeong.
Even new Cal football coach Tosh Lupoi got in on the action with a halftime appearance. But despite the electric start and a gritty first half, the Bears couldn’t hold off the Blue Devils’ size and depth, ultimately falling in a game that showcased both promise and problems for Cal.
Fast Start, Fierce Defense
Cal wasted no time setting the tone. The Bears trapped Duke’s highly touted freshman Cameron Boozer right out of the gate, signaling they weren’t going to roll over.
The defensive intensity was palpable, and the Haas crowd responded in kind. For much of the first half, Cal’s energy on both ends matched the moment.
John Camden stood out early, not just for his defensive effort on Boozer - who was held to just four points in the first half - but also for his efficiency on offense. Camden finished 4-of-6 from the field, including 3-of-5 from deep, giving Cal a reliable scoring option in a half where every bucket mattered.
Both teams spent the half adjusting their defensive looks. Cal leaned into doubling in the paint to neutralize Duke’s size advantage, while the Blue Devils countered by doubling at the top of the key.
That pressure disrupted Cal’s ball handlers - Pippen, Ames, and Camden - who each found themselves funneled into traffic and forced into tough shots. Still, Cal found ways to counter, often slipping Lee Dort underneath for easy finishes off the extra pass.
Duke’s Run Flips the Script
With under five minutes left in the first half, Cal held a six-point lead. But Duke flipped the switch.
The Blue Devils closed the half on a 13-0 run, powered by sheer dominance on the offensive glass. By halftime, Duke had racked up 11 second-chance points to Cal’s two - a stat that perfectly mirrored the seven-point halftime deficit.
That run was the turning point. Cal had controlled the tempo and the crowd for most of the half, but Duke’s physicality eventually broke through. The rebounding numbers told the story: Duke pulled down 16 offensive boards to Cal’s six on the night, leading to a staggering 17-2 edge in second-chance points.
Free Throws Keep It Close - For a While
To their credit, the Bears didn’t go quietly. They stayed in the game thanks in large part to their work at the free throw line.
Cal shot 82% from the stripe in the first half and finished the night at 71%, far outpacing Duke’s 47%. That efficiency helped offset some of the damage from Duke’s rebounding advantage and allowed Cal to hang around into the second half.
But the paint continued to be a problem. Duke scored 42 of their 71 points inside, using their size to bully Cal down low.
After a cold shooting start, the Blue Devils shifted their focus to high-percentage looks - dunks, layups, and second-chance putbacks. It worked.
“They didn’t have an answer for us in the paint,” Duke head coach Jon Scheyer said postgame. Hard to argue with that.
Defensive Clampdown, Offensive Struggles
Cal’s backcourt had a rough night, especially Dai Dai Ames, who finished with just eight points - well below his season average of 17. Credit goes to Duke’s Dame Sarr, the Italian guard who cut his teeth with FC Barcelona before bringing his defensive chops to the college game. Sarr shadowed Ames all night, using his length and experience to disrupt Cal’s offensive rhythm.
As Cal’s shots stopped falling, Duke’s offense found its groove. A Boozer dunk with 7:20 left pushed the lead to 12, and from there, it snowballed.
Every Cal miss turned into a Duke possession, while the Blue Devils continued to rack up second, third, and even fourth opportunities. The Bears just couldn’t buy an offensive rebound, and the deficit ballooned to 16 with just over three minutes to play.
From there, the game fizzled out. Duke dribbled out the clock, and Cal was left to regroup after another tough loss in ACC play.
What's Next
The Bears now sit at 1-4 in conference play, with another test looming against North Carolina on Saturday. Head coach Mark Madsen wasn’t interested in panic or big-picture narratives after the game.
“I want to focus on process,” Madsen said.
It’s a simple message, but a necessary one. Cal showed flashes - defensive grit, offensive execution, and stretches of high-level play - but against a team like Duke, flashes aren’t enough. The margin for error is razor-thin, especially when you’re giving up that many second-chance points.
The Bears have the pieces. Now it’s about putting them together for a full 40 minutes.