No. 1 seed Duke showed exactly why it entered the NCAA Tournament as the top overall seed, turning a tight second-round battle into a runaway victory with a dominant second-half surge to defeat No. 9 seed TCU 81–58 and advance to the Sweet 16.
After managing just two points in the first half, Cameron Boozer took control after the break, scoring 17 points in the second half while missing just two shots. His offensive explosion fueled a decisive run that transformed a competitive contest into another statement win for the Blue Devils.
TCU briefly made things interesting midway through the second half. The Horned Frogs tied the game at 44–44 with 13:56 remaining, threatening to put pressure on the tournament’s top seed. Instead, Duke responded like a championship contender.
Over the next 11 minutes, the Blue Devils outscored TCU 30–8, overwhelming the Horned Frogs with defensive intensity and efficient scoring. The turning point of that stretch came during a sequence that produced a seven-point swing and effectively broke the game open.
With Duke leading 59–50, officials missed a clear goaltending call involving Maliq Brown, prompting visible frustration from TCU head coach Jamie Dixon. Dixon’s protest resulted in a technical foul, and Duke quickly capitalized. Cayden Boozer converted two free throws, Dame Sarr followed with a 3-pointer, and Cameron Boozer punctuated the run with a thunderous dunk that stretched the lead to 16 points and effectively ended TCU’s hopes.
From there, Duke never looked back. The Horned Frogs struggled badly in the second half, shooting just over 20% from the field as their offense stalled against Duke’s length and defensive pressure. Overall, TCU finished 23-of-69 shooting and was thoroughly dominated on the glass. Duke controlled the rebounding battle 42–25, limiting second-chance opportunities and fueling its transition attack.
The contrast between Boozer’s first and second halves was striking. The likely Wooden Award favorite and projected top NBA Draft pick attempted only one field goal before halftime and scored just two points from the free-throw line. He even picked up a flagrant foul late in the first half after catching TCU’s David Punch with an elbow.
But Duke made a clear adjustment coming out of the locker room: get Boozer the ball early and often.
As Boozer became the focal point of the offense, TCU’s defense shifted more attention his way. That opened perimeter opportunities for teammates like Sarr and Isaiah Evans, allowing Duke to stretch the floor and steadily widen the gap.
It was the kind of dominant second-half performance that reminded the college basketball world why Duke earned the tournament’s No. 1 overall seed—and why the Blue Devils remain one of the favorites to cut down the nets in April.
