Duke Collapses Late Against Texas Tech, Drops First Game of the Season in Garden Thriller
Duke headed into the holiday break with what should’ve been a statement win at Madison Square Garden. Instead, they’re left stewing over a game that slipped through their fingers.
After building a 17-point second-half lead, the Blue Devils unraveled down the stretch, falling 82-81 to No. 19 Texas Tech in a high-stakes December showdown.
This one stings-not just because it’s Duke’s first loss of the season, dropping them to 11-1, but because of how it unfolded. The Blue Devils looked every bit the part of a top-tier team for long stretches. But in the final seven minutes, they couldn’t stop the bleeding-and Texas Tech made them pay.
A Tale of Two Halves
The night started rocky for Duke. Texas Tech jumped out to a 9-0 lead before most fans had settled into their seats. The Red Raiders capitalized on early Duke turnovers, with Lejuan Watts igniting the offense in transition and Christian Anderson knocking down a three to force an early timeout from Jon Scheyer.
But Duke didn’t stay down long. Nikolas Khamenia got them on the board with a three, and the Blue Devils slowly chipped away.
Dame Sarr and Caleb Foster each hit from deep, and Darren Harris gave Duke its first lead at 19-18 midway through the half. From there, the Blue Devils started to find their rhythm.
The turning point in the first half came in the final seven minutes. Duke closed the half on a 22-13 run, fueled by contributions across the board.
Patrick Ngongba II knocked down free throws, Cayden Boozer scored in transition and from beyond the arc, and Maliq Brown added a layup off a turnover. At the break, Duke led 46-36 and had all the momentum.
They shot 50% from deep in the first half (7-of-14) while holding Texas Tech to just 1-of-9 from long range. The bench chipped in with 24 points, and Cameron Boozer was already flirting with a triple-double at halftime-10 points, six rebounds, five assists.
Duke Extends, Then Unravels
Coming out of the locker room, Duke looked like they were ready to put the game away. Caleb Foster hit a three just 11 seconds into the second half.
Khamenia followed with another triple, and Cameron Boozer added a pair of layups. When Maliq Brown cleaned up a miss for a second-chance bucket at the 16:31 mark, Duke had opened up a 58-41 lead-their largest of the night.
But that’s when the wheels started to come off.
Texas Tech responded with a 20-5 run that completely flipped the game. Donovan Atwell and Jaylen Petty hit threes, Christian Anderson caught fire with a pull-up three and a free throw, and JT Toppin added a hook shot. Anderson’s tip-in at the 10:06 mark brought the Red Raiders within two, 63-61.
Duke tried to steady the ship. Isaiah Evans broke the run with a layup, added two free throws, and Foster hit a jumper to stretch the lead back to eight. Cameron Boozer’s and-one finish at 7:23 made it 72-63, and it felt like Duke might be able to reassert control.
But Texas Tech had other plans.
Anderson knocked down back-to-back threes, and Toppin cleaned up a miss to make it 74-71. Cayden Boozer pushed the lead back to five with a fast-break layup, but Anderson and Toppin answered again-Anderson with another step-back three, Toppin with a jumper off a turnover-to tie the game at 76.
Cameron Boozer briefly put Duke back on top with a free throw, but Toppin’s turnaround jumper gave Texas Tech the lead for good at 1:35. Anderson added a fast-break layup and a free throw to make it 81-77 with just over a minute to go.
Duke wasn’t done. Cayden Boozer hit a clutch three to cut it to one, and Cameron Boozer split a pair of free throws to tie it at 81 with 18 seconds left.
But with three seconds remaining, Anderson went to the line for a one-and-one. He hit the first, missed the second, and Duke had one last chance. Cameron Boozer got a look at a step-back three at the buzzer-but it was off the mark.
Final Numbers Tell the Story
Texas Tech outscored Duke 46-35 in the second half. That’s the stat that looms largest.
But the details matter too. Duke shot just 3-of-13 from beyond the arc after halftime and left points on the board at the free-throw line, going 6-of-13 in the second half.
Those missed opportunities added up.
Cameron Boozer was outstanding, finishing with 23 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists. But he didn’t get consistent help down the stretch. What had been a deep, balanced effort in the first half turned into a one-man show late, as Texas Tech’s defense tightened and Duke’s offense lost its rhythm.
What’s Next
For Duke, this is a gut-check moment. It’s one thing to lose-it’s another to let a double-digit second-half lead evaporate in a marquee game on a national stage. The Blue Devils showed flashes of brilliance, but they’ll head into the ACC slate knowing they need to close better, shoot more consistently in crunch time, and tighten up defensively when the pressure mounts.
Texas Tech, on the other hand, walks away with a signature win and a reminder to the rest of the country: this team doesn’t quit. They made the Garden their stage in the second half and delivered when it mattered most.
For Duke, the holiday break comes at a good time. They’ll have a chance to regroup, refocus, and get ready for the grind of conference play. But this one will linger-and maybe that’s not such a bad thing.