Duke Survives Florida in a Physical Battle, Thanks to Boozer’s Brilliance and Evans’ Redemption Shot
In a game that felt more like a heavyweight title fight than a December college basketball matchup, Duke outlasted Florida 67-66 in a gritty, bruising affair at Cameron Indoor. Cam Boozer called it “a war,” and honestly, he wasn’t exaggerating.
This one had it all-momentum swings, physical play, clutch shots, and a final sequence that reminded everyone why college hoops in Cameron is must-watch TV.
Duke’s Early Surge
The Blue Devils didn’t waste time seizing control. With the score tied at 19 midway through the first half, Duke ripped off a 17-2 run that completely flipped the game’s rhythm. They locked in defensively, holding Florida without a field goal for nearly four minutes, and built a 36-24 halftime lead that felt bigger than it was.
Cam Boozer came out firing, dropping 16 points in the opening half and setting the tone with a mix of power and finesse. Florida’s Thomas Haugh kept the Gators in it, scoring 13 before the break in what was shaping up to be a personal duel between the two big men.
Nik Khamenia got the start for Duke but rolled his ankle in the first half. He tried to tough it out, but logged just 12 scoreless minutes before being shut down.
Even with a 12-point lead, nothing felt secure. Florida’s roster features several key returners from a national title team, and they weren’t going to go away quietly.
Outside of Haugh, though, the rest of the Gators shot just 4-for-26 in the first half. Duke’s defense was swarming, and the crowd at Cameron was feeding off every stop.
Florida’s Comeback and Duke’s Adjustments
But Duke is still a young team, and closing out games remains a work in progress. Khamenia’s injury, Dame Sarr’s quiet night, and Florida’s size advantage forced head coach Jon Scheyer to go big-literally.
At one point, Duke rolled out a frontcourt trio of Boozer, Pat Ngongba, and Maliq Brown. It wasn’t always pretty, but it was necessary.
“You’re trying to get your best competitors in those moments,” Scheyer said postgame. “We worked on it some in practice.
There were good moments and not so good ones. It really came down to rebounding and finding a group that could get stops.”
Florida started chipping away. Haugh got some help from Alex Condon and Boogie Fland, and the Gators found a rhythm.
They opened the second half with a 9-point burst, followed by back-to-back 5-0 runs. In the blink of an eye, Duke’s once-comfortable cushion had shrunk to a single point-44-43.
Over a 10-minute stretch spanning both halves, Duke managed just 10 points. The game was suddenly up for grabs.
That’s when Boozer stepped up again. The freshman phenom scored six quick points to push the lead back to 54-45, but Florida wouldn't go away. The Gators were just 7-of-28 from deep on the night, but a pair of back-to-back threes from Haugh and Urban Klazvar cut the lead to three in a flash.
A Wild Finish
From there, it was a slugfest. Every possession felt like it could swing the game. The officiating crew spent what felt like half the second half at the monitor, adding to the tension.
Fland started carving up Duke’s defense off the dribble. He scored to make it 59-57 with just over four minutes left, then tied it at 59. Boozer responded with a clutch three, but Fland answered again, cutting it to 62-61.
Then came the dagger-or so it seemed. With 35 seconds left, Fland drilled his only three of the night to give Florida a 66-64 lead. Duke’s defense had a miscommunication, and Scheyer didn’t sugarcoat it: “We did a poor job of communicating on that play.”
But Duke had one last answer.
Scheyer called timeout and drew up a play. The ball went to Boozer, who drew a double-team and kicked it to Jared Evans.
Evans had been 0-for-7 from beyond the arc. He didn’t hesitate.
Splash.
“It’s exactly what we drew up,” Scheyer said. “You’re trying to put your guys in a position to win. They executed it.”
“They sent two to me,” Boozer added. “We trust him.
He’s made so many shots like that for us. Big-time play by a big-time player.”
Evans, unfazed by the earlier misses, simply said he saw his moment and took it.
Florida had one last shot, but Caleb Foster, who had struggled defensively against Fland late, got a bit of redemption with a key steal. He missed the front end of a one-and-one, but Maliq Brown deflected Florida’s final inbounds pass to seal the win.
“At first, I didn’t think I was going to be on the ball,” Brown said. “But coach trusted me, so I just stayed ready and anticipated the pass.”
Final Box Score Highlights
- Cam Boozer: 29 points, six rebounds, two assists - the engine behind Duke’s offense all night.
- Jared Evans: 13 points, including the game-winner, plus a career-high five blocks.
For perspective, he had three blocks all of last season.
- Pat Ngongba: 11 points, five rebounds, five assists, and five blocks - a complete performance in a high-pressure game.
- Thomas Haugh (Florida): 24 points, the Gators’ most consistent weapon.
- Boogie Fland: 16 points, including a late scoring surge that nearly stole the win.
- Alex Condon: 12 points, giving Florida a needed interior presence.
- Rueben Chinleyi: Game-high 14 rebounds, helping Florida win the glass 44-33.
Florida head coach Todd Golden, despite some frustration with the officiating, called it the best game his team has played all season. And it’s hard to argue. The Gators took a punch early, countered with a flurry of their own, and nearly pulled off a road win in one of college basketball’s toughest environments.
But in the end, Duke had Cam Boozer. And when the game was on the line, they had Jared Evans.
That was enough.