Duke Blows Past Syracuse with Relentless Efficiency: A Statement Win in the ACC
Duke didn’t just win on Saturday night-they delivered a message. A 101-64 demolition of Syracuse at Cameron Indoor that showcased everything this Blue Devils team can be when it’s locked in: unselfish, disciplined, and absolutely ruthless on both ends of the floor.
Let’s be clear-this wasn’t about running up the score. Cam Boozer had 22 points and 12 rebounds with over 14 minutes still on the clock and barely saw the floor after that.
Jon Scheyer emptied the bench early. But the damage was already done.
Yes, this isn’t a vintage Syracuse squad. There’s no Carmelo Anthony walking through that tunnel.
But this is still a team that took Houston to overtime and beat Tennessee. They’ve picked up solid ACC wins over Pitt, Florida State, Notre Dame and Cal.
Most of their losses this season have been tight-three points to Clemson, two to Virginia Tech, nine to Miami. Competitive, if inconsistent.
But nothing-absolutely nothing-prepared them for this.
A Clinic in Execution
Start with the numbers: 21 assists to just four turnovers. That kind of ratio doesn’t happen by accident, especially not in conference play.
Duke moved the ball with purpose, made the extra pass, and played with a level of trust that’s hard to teach. They won the rebounding battle 39-29, held Syracuse to 41% shooting, and had five players score in double figures.
That’s a complete performance.
Oh, and that win? Duke’s 30th straight at home.
So how did this happen?
Duke has a tendency to operate like a savvy boxer-feeling out opponents early, probing for weaknesses, then striking when the timing’s right. Pitt, Clemson, and now Syracuse have all hung around early… before the hammer dropped.
That moment came with Syracuse up 9-7. Then Cam Boozer went to work, scoring twice off the offensive glass.
Maliq Brown knocked down two free throws. Isaiah Evans added a three-point play the old-fashioned way.
Suddenly, it was 16-9 Duke. Syracuse answered with a three from Naithan George, but Duke responded with a 7-0 burst to stretch the lead to double digits, 23-12.
There was a brief lull-Dame Sarr missed two free throws, Caleb Foster air-balled a three, and Syracuse clawed back to 29-24. But that was as close as it would get.
Duke closed the half on an 11-0 run to take a 16-point lead into the break. Boozer already had a double-double: 12 points and 10 boards.
But it wasn’t just the offense. The defense was suffocating.
Defensive Dominance
Sarr drew the assignment of shadowing Syracuse point guard Naithan George-and he flat-out shut him down.
“I think Dame has realized the impact he can have goes way beyond the box score,” Scheyer said postgame.
And Syracuse’s leading scorer, Donnie Freeman? Averaging around 17 a game-he had just two at halftime.
The Orange shot 32% in the first half. Duke’s length, energy, and defensive rotations gave them no breathing room.
If there was any flicker of hope left for Syracuse coming out of halftime, Duke snuffed it out immediately. Patrick Ngongba II tipped in his own miss.
Foster and Evans hit back-to-back threes. Then Boozer poured in eight points in four minutes, stretching the lead beyond reach.
And then… he sat. Boozer didn’t score in the final 13:59, spending most of that time on the bench, cheering on his brother Cayden, Nick Khamenia, and Darren Harris.
He could’ve easily had a 30-point, 15-rebound night. But that wasn’t the goal.
Second-Half Perfection
Duke came out of the locker room and scored on 15 of their first 16 second-half possessions. That’s not a typo.
They put up 61 points in the second half, shot 72% from the field, 75% from deep (9-of-12), dished out 15 assists, and turned it over just once.
That’s surgical.
Cayden Boozer continued to shine off the bench-12 points, four assists, three steals, zero turnovers.
“Just making smart plays,” he said. “We have a lot of great passers on our team, we’re playing together and playing for each other and that’s what happens.”
Cam echoed that sentiment.
“It starts with our defense,” he said. “We got a lot of easy buckets in transition because we were guarding, getting deflections. But that’s a great job of taking care of the ball, for sure.”
Cam may be leading Duke in assists this season, but it was reserve big man Maliq Brown who led the team in dimes on this night with five. How many teams can say their backup center is their assist leader in a 37-point win?
“Just trusting my guys,” Brown said.
Scheyer saw it as a sign of growth.
“Guys making simple plays,” he said. “I just thought the connectivity was at a high level tonight.
I think it’s continuing to understand what our strengths are. It’s spacing.
I think it’s guys more secure in who they are.”
Depth on Display
Duke’s bench poured in 39 points, led by Nick Khamenia’s 14-including a perfect 3-for-3 from deep, matching his career high set against Louisville earlier this season.
“Just believing in myself, just staying consistent in practice, trying to bring energy,” Khamenia said.
For Syracuse, it was a night to forget. Head coach Adrian Autry looked like a man who had just been caught in a storm he never saw coming.
“I thought their defense was tremendous,” Autry said. “They were active.
They pushed us out. It’s tough.
They really spread out and they can cover the court. You don’t really have a lot of time to get open.”
Isaiah Evans finished with 21 points. Ngongba added 11 points and seven rebounds.
For Syracuse, Willaim Kylie III led the way with 12 points. Freeman, their go-to guy all season, finished with just nine.
Eyes Forward
If you were wondering whether Duke might overlook Syracuse with a matchup against Michigan looming, think again.
“We never look ahead,” Cam Boozer said. “If you come into our film sessions, our practices, you never hear us talk about anybody other than our next game.”
That next game is a big one-Michigan in D.C. on Saturday. But if Duke brings this level of focus, ball movement, and defensive intensity? They’re going to be a problem for anyone.