Duke’s Defense Dominates Again in Wire-to-Wire Win Over Boston College
If there was ever a game that showcased how far Duke has come since its early-season growing pains, Tuesday night was it. The Blue Devils jumped out to a 13-0 lead, clamped down defensively for a full 40 minutes, and cruised to a 67-49 win over Boston College. That’s 10 straight wins, a 10-0 mark in ACC play, and a 21-1 overall record for Jon Scheyer’s squad - and perhaps more importantly, a team that’s clearly finding its identity on both ends of the floor.
Let’s start with that opening punch. Cam Boozer got things rolling with a bucket, Dame Sarr followed with back-to-back finishes at the rim, and by the time Patrick Ngongba II knocked down a pair of free throws, Duke had built a 13-point cushion before Boston College even got on the board.
Remember when slow starts were a thing for this group? Not anymore.
According to Boozer, that early energy isn’t just a coincidence - it’s the result of a shift in how this team prepares.
“Just our preparation in practice,” Boozer said. “We’ve been a lot better.
Our scouts have given us a great look every day in practice. We really emphasize that because it carries over to the games.”
That preparation is paying off not just offensively, but especially on the defensive end. Duke’s last three opponents - Louisville, Virginia Tech, and now Boston College - have failed to crack 60 points. In fact, only one team in the last five games has managed to score more than 56 against this Blue Devils defense.
“We just started gelling together,” Isaiah Evans added. “Started trusting each other more. I feel like it was something that was going to take time.”
It’s hard to argue with the results. Duke held BC to just 38.5% shooting, forced 12 turnovers, and limited the Eagles to eight assists all night. Fred Payne was the lone bright spot for Boston College with 14 points, but no other Eagle scored more than seven.
Scheyer pointed to the opening minutes as a tone-setter.
“I think the effort’s there. There’s great effort,” he said.
“I loved the first sequence that started the game. I thought there was great purpose, great intensity.
One of the best plays to me - Caleb [Foster] was in the gap, Isaiah dove for the loose ball, we got it, then Dame ended up getting a dunk on the other end. That was the ultimate five guys moving on a string together.”
That kind of synergy doesn’t show up in a box score, but it’s the kind of play that defines elite defenses.
Offensively, Duke was sharp in the first half. The Blue Devils hit 5-of-11 from three, racked up 11 assists to just two turnovers, and shot 45% from the field. Boozer capped the half with a thunderous dunk that had Cameron Indoor buzzing, and Duke took a 42-27 lead into the break.
The second half? Not quite as crisp - but it didn’t need to be.
Boston College simply didn’t have the firepower to mount a comeback against a locked-in Duke defense. The Blue Devils missed all seven of their second-half three-point attempts and seemed content to trade baskets, with the lead hovering between 13 and 20 for most of the half.
Ngongba credited BC for continuing to battle, and Boozer noted Duke got away from attacking the paint. Scheyer pointed to the Eagles’ physicality - especially big men Boden Kapke (6-11, 255) and Jayden Hastings (6-9, 240) - as a reason for the offensive slowdown.
But Evans may have summed it up best.
“I feel like we got a little bit too comfortable,” he said. “They’re a junkyard team.
They’re not going to give up. I feel like we should have respected them more going into the second half.”
Still, the outcome was never in doubt. Duke outscored BC 25-22 in the second half and walked away with another convincing win.
Boozer led the way with 19 points and 12 rebounds, continuing to look every bit the part of a rising star. Evans added 12 points, while Ngongba flirted with a double-double of his own - nine points and nine boards. Maliq Brown chipped in with four assists to lead the team in that category.
This is a Duke team that’s defending at a high level, sharing the ball, and playing with purpose. If the start of the season was about figuring things out, this stretch of ACC dominance is showing who they really are - and who they’re becoming.
And if they keep defending like this? Good luck scoring 60, let alone winning.