After a dramatic, last-second loss to archrival North Carolina snapped their 10-game winning streak, No. 4 Duke is heading to Pittsburgh on Tuesday night with something to prove - and a few things to clean up.
The Blue Devils (21-2, 10-1 ACC) had been rolling, but Saturday’s 93-90 defeat in Chapel Hill was a reminder that even the best teams can stumble - especially in rivalry games where every possession feels like a heavyweight punch. Duke controlled much of the first half, but the second half was a different story.
The Tar Heels outscored them by 15 after the break, including a 9-0 run to close the game over the final 2:25. That’s the kind of late-game execution Duke usually thrives on - but not this time.
One of the talking points in the aftermath was the foul disparity. North Carolina was whistled for just seven fouls total - the fewest by any Duke opponent this season - and only one in the second half.
That’s not just rare; it’s almost unheard of in a high-stakes, physical ACC rivalry. Meanwhile, Duke was called for 15 fouls, and starting forward Patrick Ngongba II fouled out in just 16 minutes.
But head coach Jon Scheyer wasn’t about to let his team use officiating as a crutch.
“I don’t know if I’ve ever been in a game where there’s one foul in a half,” Scheyer said. “I thought we were attacking the paint.
Clearly, our guys have to play stronger and play better through contact. Let me be very clear, that is not the reason we lost.
It’s hard to win, though, if you’re not drawing fouls and we’re fouling out. Again, not at all why we lost, but that’s something we have to do a better job with.”
That mindset - accountability over excuses - is part of what’s helped this Duke team become one of the most efficient and disciplined squads in the country. And leading the charge is freshman phenom Cameron Boozer, who turned in another monster performance with 24 points and 11 rebounds.
That marked his 12th double-double of the season and the seventh time he’s posted at least 20 points. He’s not just putting up numbers - he’s leading the ACC in both scoring (23.3) and rebounding (10.0).
That’s rare air, especially for a freshman.
“Get Cam downhill. You just know he’s going to make the right play,” Scheyer said.
“Sometimes it goes in, sometimes it doesn’t. I’m taking what we got every day of the week, twice on Sunday.”
Now Duke turns its attention to a struggling Pitt team that’s been searching for answers. The Panthers (9-15, 2-9 ACC) have dropped nine of their last 11 and are coming off an 86-67 home loss to SMU.
It’s been a tough stretch for head coach Jeff Capel, who’s in his eighth season at Pitt. Capel, of course, is no stranger to Duke - he was a standout guard for the Blue Devils in the '90s and spent seven years on Mike Krzyzewski’s staff.
He and Scheyer shared the bench for four seasons before Capel took the reins at Pitt.
This season has been one of the toughest of Capel’s tenure. The Panthers are shooting just 70.8 points per game - ranking 302nd nationally - and they’ve struggled to find consistent offensive rhythm. Capel pointed to a lack of maturity and confidence as key issues.
“For a team that’s struggling like we are, a lot of times guys get energy when they see the ball through the basket,” Capel said. “If it’s not going through the basket, it can drain the energy and suck the energy from them … and then that affects everything.
That’s where we have to grow. That’s where our immaturity and inexperience really has to grow.”
Pitt has also been without leading scorer Brandin Cummings, who’s missed the last two games with an ankle injury. In his absence, forward Cameron Corhen has stepped up, scoring 15 points against SMU and averaging 12.3 points and a team-best 7.4 rebounds per game.
For Duke, this game is about more than just bouncing back - it’s about regaining control of the ACC race and sharpening their edge as March inches closer. They’ve shown they can dominate, and they’ve shown they can take a punch. Now it’s about how they respond.