On a charged New Year’s Eve at Cameron Indoor Stadium, the Duke Blue Devils men’s basketball team rang in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) season with a hard-fought 85-79 victory over the surging Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. With the win, the No. 5 Blue Devils improved to an impressive 12-1 overall and 1-0 in conference play, shaking off the sting of their first loss of the season just eleven days prior.
It was a contest that demanded resilience, poise, and a little bit of magic from Duke. The Blue Devils trailed for most of the first half, entering the locker room down 43-39 after shooting just 36.7% from the field. Georgia Tech, coming in on a four-game win streak and brimming with confidence, seemed poised to spoil Duke’s home opener in ACC action. The Yellow Jackets were red-hot in the opening period, knocking down 67.9% of their shots and capitalizing on Duke’s cold streak. Their bench outscored Duke’s 17-0 in the first half, led by Mouhamed Sylla’s perfect shooting and a balanced attack that kept the Blue Devils on their heels.
But if there’s one thing Cameron Indoor Stadium is known for, it’s its ability to energize the home team when it matters most. The second half saw Duke flip the script, outscoring Georgia Tech 46-36 and finally finding their rhythm. The charge was led by freshman sensation Cameron Boozer, who delivered a monster performance with 26 points and 12 rebounds—his latest in a string of eye-catching displays. Boozer’s double-double was the backbone of Duke’s comeback, and his composure at the free-throw line in crunch time proved critical.
“We knew we had to dig deep,” Boozer said after the game, “Georgia Tech came out swinging, but we weren’t going to let this one slip away in our house.”
The comeback began in earnest with just under 14 minutes left in the second half. Nik Khamenia, who had been quiet until that point, calmly sank a pair of free throws to give Duke its first lead since late in the first half. The crowd erupted, and on the very next possession, Boozer stretched the margin with a strong layup and a successful and-one free throw. Suddenly, the Blue Devils had their first multi-possession lead, and the momentum had unmistakably shifted.
Georgia Tech, however, refused to fold. The Yellow Jackets never trailed by more than seven and kept clawing back, staying within a single possession late into the contest. With just 39 seconds left, Kowacie Reeves Jr. drilled a three-pointer to cut Duke’s lead to 81-78, sending a wave of anxiety through the home fans. But Boozer, ice in his veins, was fouled on the ensuing possession and knocked down both free throws to push the margin back to five. That was the dagger the Blue Devils needed.
“Every time we thought we had them, they answered,” Duke coach Jon Scheyer remarked. “That’s a tough Georgia Tech team. But our guys showed a lot of heart.”
Boozer wasn’t alone in delivering the goods. Four other Blue Devils scored in double figures, a testament to the team’s depth and ability to share the load. Isaiah Evans, the Fayetteville native, chipped in 17 points and was perfect from the charity stripe, making all five of his free throws in the first half when Duke desperately needed to stay close. Cayden Boozer, making his first start as a Blue Devil, added 13 points—including a clutch jumper from the free throw line with 1:22 left to extend the lead to 80-75. Caleb Foster (12 points) and Patrick Ngongba II (11 points) rounded out the balanced scoring effort.
“It was special to start with my brother,” Cayden Boozer said. “We’ve dreamed about moments like this since we were kids.”
On the other side, Georgia Tech’s offensive efficiency was remarkable, especially in the first half. The Yellow Jackets shot 53.7% for the game and got significant contributions from their bench, but turnovers and Duke’s relentless pressure in the second half proved too much. Baye Ndongo, fresh off a double-double in his previous outing, continued to be a force inside, while the Yellow Jackets’ ability to hit from deep kept them in the contest until the final minute.
The first half was a wild shootout from beyond the arc. Both teams combined for six triples in the opening minutes, with Duke’s first five baskets coming from deep. Yet, as the game wore on, the Blue Devils’ three-point shooting cooled off, finishing the half at just 30% (6-for-20), while Georgia Tech hit at a blistering 55.6% clip (5-for-9). The Yellow Jackets also dominated the paint early, but Duke’s defensive adjustments in the second half slowed their attack just enough to swing the tide.
Notably, Duke’s bench failed to score in the first half—a rare occurrence for a program known for its depth. “We’ll need more from our rotation as we get deeper into ACC play,” Scheyer noted, hinting at future lineup tweaks.
The win was a welcome rebound for Duke, who had suffered their first loss of the season to then-No. 19 Texas Tech at Madison Square Garden just before the holidays. In that game, Cameron Boozer also shined with 23 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists, but the Blue Devils fell just short, 82-81. This time, they made sure to finish the job.
For Georgia Tech, the loss snapped a four-game winning streak that included a dominant 89-65 victory over Florida A&M. The Yellow Jackets’ balanced offense, which saw six players score in double figures against the Rattlers, was on display again, but Duke’s late-game poise made the difference.
Looking ahead, Duke now turns its attention to its first ACC road test of the season: a trip to Tallahassee to face Florida State on Saturday, January 3. With the Boozer twins firing on all cylinders and a deep supporting cast, the Blue Devils will look to build on their strong start and continue their pursuit of conference glory.
As the final buzzer sounded on New Year’s Eve, Cameron Indoor Stadium was rocking—and Duke sent a clear message to the rest of the ACC: the Blue Devils are back, and they’re hungry for more.
