If you were looking for a dramatic, down-to-the-wire thriller at Maples Pavilion last night, you probably left disappointed. Or maybe you just turned the TV off by the under-12 timeout in the second half. No. 6 Duke beat Stanford 80-50, and honestly, it wasn't even as close as the thirty-point margin suggests.
The Blue Devils came into California on a mission. It's their first time playing at Stanford as part of this new-look ACC, and they clearly wanted to leave a mark. They did. Behind a monster performance from Cameron Boozer, Jon Scheyer’s squad looked like a group that’s finally figured out how to handle life on the road.
Boozer's Dominance: Who Won Duke Basketball Game Last Night?
When people ask who won Duke basketball game last night, they’re usually looking for a score, but the real answer is Cameron Boozer. The freshman was basically playing a different game than everyone else on the floor. He finished with 30 points and 14 rebounds.
It’s one thing to put up numbers against mid-majors in November. It's another to do it in a hostile environment against a Stanford team that had just knocked off North Carolina earlier in the week. Boozer was efficient, too. He went 12-for-17 from the field.
One play really sticks out. Late in the first half, Maliq Brown missed a contested layup. Boozer didn't just grab the rebound; he soared through the paint for a two-handed slam putback that seemed to suck the soul out of the building. Stanford never really recovered from that.
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The Defensive Masterclass
Duke’s defense was, frankly, terrifying for most of the night. They forced Stanford into 18 turnovers, which the Blue Devils turned into 22 points. You’ve got to credit the backcourt pressure.
Jeremy Dent-Smith was the only bright spot for the Cardinal, putting up 18 points. But the rest of the team? They were in handcuffs. Stanford shot just 6-for-25 from beyond the arc. That's 24%. You aren't beating a top-ten Duke team shooting like that.
Isaiah Evans and Patrick Ngongba II were the other main contributors for Duke. Evans had 15, and Ngongba added 13. They provided the necessary spacing that let Boozer work the interior. It’s a formula that’s becoming a bit of a nightmare for ACC coaches to gameplan against.
Why This Win Actually Matters
A 30-point blowout against a middle-of-the-pack team might seem like "just another Saturday," but there's a lot of nuance here. Duke is now 17-1 overall and a perfect 6-0 in the ACC.
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They’ve spent the last week on the West Coast. Travel like that can wreck a team’s rhythm. Just look at what happened to UNC on Wednesday. But Duke handled business at Cal earlier in the week (winning 71-56) and then somehow looked even fresher against Stanford.
"We talked about the mental toughness required for this road trip," Jon Scheyer said in the post-game. "Playing in these venues for the first time is a challenge, but our guys embraced the noise."
Stanford’s freshman Ebuka Okorie, who dropped a massive 36 points on the Tar Heels just days ago, was held to only 9 points. Duke’s game plan was clearly focused on neutralizing him, and they executed it to perfection.
The Stanford Perspective
Look, Stanford fans have a right to be frustrated. They finally got a sellout crowd at Maples—the first since early 2024. The energy was there. The "standing-room only" signs were out.
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But the Cardinal started 1-for-9 from the field. They fell behind in a hurry and spent the rest of the night chasing a Ferrari in a minivan. It's a tough lesson for a team that felt like they were turning a corner after the UNC upset.
AJ Rohosy did what he could on the glass with 11 rebounds, but Stanford's lack of a consistent second scoring option was glaringly obvious last night.
What’s Next for the Blue Devils?
Duke heads back home now. They’ve got a week to rest up before hosting Wake Forest next Saturday. That’s going to be a different kind of test, but with the way they're defending right now, they're going to be heavy favorites.
If you’re tracking the standings, Duke is firmly in the driver’s seat for the ACC regular-season title. The "Boozer and Friends" show is officially the best ticket in college basketball right now.
Actionable Insights for Duke Fans:
- Watch the turnovers: Duke is currently top-10 nationally in points off turnovers. If they keep this pressure up, they’re a Final Four lock.
- Monitor Boozer’s workload: He played 30+ minutes in back-to-back road games. Keep an eye on his energy levels as we hit the February grind.
- Check the standings: With a 6-0 conference record, Duke has a two-game cushion over the rest of the pack heading into the meat of the schedule.
The Blue Devils are proving that they can travel 3,000 miles and still play their brand of basketball. Last night wasn't just a win; it was a statement.