College basketball fans everywhere were treated to an instant classic in the premier game ACC/SEC Challenge Tuesday night, as the No. 4 Duke Blue Devils narrowly defeated the defending national champion No. 15 Florida Gators in the game of the year so far at Cameron.
Cameron Boozer Puts a Stamp on Stellar Start to Freshman Campaign
Death, taxes, and a Duke Blue Devil freshman playing out of this world are the only guarantees in life, and Cam Boozer has been everything Duke could’ve asked for. The star freshman led the way for the Blue Devils in the win, pouring in 29 points to help pull out the win over the Gators.
While Boozer was giving the Blue Devils the boost they needed on offense with every point, it was Duke sophomore guard Isaiah Evans who pulled them out of the fire tonight. The North Carolina native drained a three with 21 seconds left to give Duke a one-point lead. Evans had gone 0-7 from three before his clutch make.
The Gators’ Rocky Start to Their Title Defense Continues
When you’re the defending national champions, you’re going to get a lot of teams’ best, and tonight’s loss for Florida only continued a worrying trend for the Gators. The loss brings the Gators’ record to 5-3 on the season so far, not exactly great for a team that finished with 4 losses total all of last season
However, there is at least a little silver lining surrounding their 3 losses and the team’s overall performances in each. The first being that 2 of the Gators’ 3 losses came against No. 2 Arizona and now No. 4 Duke, two of the most elite teams in the country right now. While also having both games come down to the wire, including a 15-point comeback with a chance for Florida to pull out a clutch win tonight, and coming just short in both games.
Where Both Teams Go From Here
Early-season woes and successes are not always indicative of a team’s championship capabilities, and both Duke and Florida will have ample opportunities to show their capabilities with brutal upcoming schedules.
The Blue Devils will travel to East Lansing for a Saturday showdown with No. 7 Michigan State. Meanwhile, Florida will take on No. 5 UConn next Tuesday at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The world hasn’t collapsed for Florida this season, and a rebound win over a tough UConn squad could more than make up for this narrow loss to Duke.
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