No. 4 Duke Blows Out No. 20 Louisville To Remain Undefeated In ACC Play
It was another day at the office for the 4th-ranked Duke Blue Devils as they thrashed the 20th-ranked Louisville Cardinals 83-52 final to move to 19-1 on the season and 8-0 in ACC play.
Cam Boozer and Isaiah Evans Star In the Win for Duke
Dynamic duos have been the name of the game for Duke for decades, and the pair of Cam Boozer and Isaiah Evans were the stars of the show yet again for the Blue Devils. Boozer finished with a double-double of 19 points and 10 rebounds as the star freshman continues his national player of the year campaign in the win. Evans would have another productive outing as he scored 15 points. The sophomore has had a great January as he’s averaging over 18 points per game this month.
While the Duke star pair was providing much of the offensive production tonight, other Blue Devils, such as Patrick Ngongba II, quietly had a great night. The Duke big man was electric on both ends of the floor with 15 points, 2 steals, and 1 block. The Blue Devils shot 51% from the floor for the game.
Louisville’s Offense Goes Cold As Mikel Brown Jr. Goes Missing in Loss
After putting together an impressive 20-point performance in his return from a back injury against Virginia Tech on Saturday, it was a rough outing for Mikel Brown Jr. The McDonald’s All-American only managed to score 7 points on 1-of-13 shooting from the field. The Cardinals came into the game with a 10-1 record, averaging 93 points per game on offense with Brown Jr. in the lineup.
With Brown Jr. unable to have any sort of impact in the game, the Cardinals’ offense came to a screeching halt. Louisville shot just 30% from the field for the game, with only two players scoring in double figures. The Cardinals would also get thumped on the backboards by the Blue Devils, 47-26. Senior Guard Ryan Conwell was the only Cardinals player to find the bottom of the basket in the game, as he finished with a team-high 18 points in the loss.
Duke’s Home Dominance Under Jon Scheyer
The safe confines of Cameron Indoor Stadium have been kind to the Blue Devils ever since Jon Scheyer took over head coaching duties for Duke. Following tonight’s win, the Blue Devils are now an impressive 58-3 at home under Scheyer, while also riding a current 26-game home win streak.
The Blue Devils also moved to an impressive mark of 52-0 record at home when leading at halftime under Scheyer. There is perhaps no better home court advantage in the country than the one Duke possesses, and that was evident in their latest home win tonight.
Updated ACC Standings and Upcoming Games For Both Squads
Following tonight’s win against the Cardinals, the Blue Devils remain undefeated in ACC play. They sit comfortably atop the conference standings with one game lead over the 22nd-ranked Clemson Tigers, who sit at 7-1. For the Cardinals, this loss moves them to 4-4 in ACC play, which is good for 8th in the conference.
Duke has a few days off before hitting the road for a Saturday tilt against Virginia Tech. The Hokies currently sport a 15-6 record, with their previous game being a loss against Louisville. Speaking of the Cardinals, they will also get some rest as they’ll be at home to face SMU on Saturday. The Mustangs are coming off a win against Florida State on Saturday.
