Cameron Boozer Steals the Show as Duke Dominates Stanford in Statement Win
In their first-ever visit to Maples Pavilion, No. 6 Duke didn’t just make themselves at home-they owned the place. Behind a monster performance from freshman forward Cameron Boozer, the Blue Devils rolled to an emphatic 80-50 win over Stanford, flexing their muscle in a matchup that was supposed to be a battle of ACC scoring leaders but turned into a one-man showcase.
Let’s start with Boozer, because frankly, there’s no other place to begin. The freshman phenom dropped 30 points and pulled down 14 rebounds-20 and nine of those in the first half alone.
That’s not just a good night; that’s a first-half takeover. To put it in perspective, Boozer outscored the entire Stanford team by himself in the opening 20 minutes, as Duke built a commanding 35-19 lead at the break.
This game was billed as a showdown between the ACC’s top two scorers: Boozer and Stanford’s electric freshman guard Ebuka Okorie, who came in averaging 22.9 points per game and fresh off a 36-point eruption in an upset over North Carolina. But from the opening tip, it was clear Boozer was ready to own the moment. He scored the first six points of the game on three strong finishes inside, while Okorie struggled to find any rhythm-coughing up two early turnovers and having a layup emphatically sent back by Duke’s Dame Sarr.
By the end of the night, Boozer had gone 12-of-17 from the field, including 2-of-3 from deep, and added three assists and three steals for good measure. It was the kind of all-around performance that reminds you why he’s the centerpiece of this Duke team and a rising star in college basketball.
And he had help. Isaiah Evans chipped in 15 points, and Patrick Ngongba added 13 as Duke shot a blistering 56% from the floor.
The Blue Devils were locked in from the start, dictating the tempo, controlling the glass, and turning defense into offense. They forced eight turnovers in the first 12 minutes-more than they allowed points (seven) in that stretch-and jumped out to a 21-7 lead.
Stanford, to their credit, made a brief push, trimming the deficit to 27-19 late in the first half. But Duke slammed the door with an 8-0 run to close the half, punctuated by a shot clock violation forced after a Cardinal timeout. That sequence said everything about Duke’s defensive intensity and Stanford’s frustration.
The second half began with a glimmer of hope for the home crowd as Stanford scored on its opening possession. But that momentum vanished quickly.
A flagrant foul on Ngongba led to a four-point swing-two free throws and an alley-oop finish from Sarr-and just like that, Duke’s lead was back to 18. From there, the Blue Devils never let it dip below 16.
Okorie, who had scored in double figures in all but one game this season, was held to just nine points on 3-of-9 shooting and committed four turnovers. After dropping 95 points on UNC earlier in the week, Stanford shot just 29% in the first half and never found a rhythm offensively. The Cardinal came into this one having beaten ranked teams like Louisville and North Carolina at home this month, but Duke was on a different level.
This win also capped off a rare and impressive West Coast sweep for the Blue Devils, who became just the second team since Stanford and Cal joined the ACC to knock off both schools on their home floors. Wake Forest is the only other men’s team to pull that off.
Both games on the trip were sellouts, and Duke made sure the fans in California got a full dose of what makes this team so dangerous. With this win, the Blue Devils have now taken 28 of their last 29 conference games. That’s not just dominance-that’s a program on a mission.
And if Saturday night was any indication, Cameron Boozer is just getting started.