The No. 1 Duke Blue Devils captured their 23rd ACC Tournament championship on Saturday night, defeating No. 13 Louisville 73-62 at the Spectrum Center. A dominant second-half performance, fueled by sharpshooter Tyrese Proctor and tournament MVP Kon Knueppel, lifted the Blue Devils (31-3) to the title.
Proctor drained a career-high six three-pointers, while Knueppel averaged 21 points per game throughout Duke’s three-game tournament run. Knueppel’s performance earned him ACC Tournament MVP honors, making him the 22nd Duke player to receive the award—the most in ACC history. The freshman was also named to the All-Tournament First Team alongside teammate Khaman Maluach, while Proctor earned a spot on the All-Tournament Second Team.
Louisville (27-7) opened the scoring with a quick basket, but Duke responded immediately with a put-back slam from Maluach. Another dunk from Maluach, combined with two Knueppel free throws, gave the Blue Devils an early 6-2 lead.
Freshman Isaiah Evans provided Duke’s first three-pointer of the night, extending their advantage to 11-7. However, Louisville answered with a 5-0 burst, keeping the contest tight. Proctor’s sharp shooting from deep, including three first-half three-pointers, helped Duke stay even with the Cardinals.
Louisville eventually took its largest lead of the first half, 38-33, following a floater in the final minute before the break. The Blue Devils entered the locker room trailing by five, needing a second-half surge to reclaim control.
Duke wasted no time closing the gap, as Proctor opened the second half with a three-pointer, followed by a Knueppel layup to tie the game. A three-pointer by Louisville’s Sion James briefly knotted the score at 45-45, but Duke’s defense clamped down.
Patrick Ngongba II hit two free throws to put Duke back in front, and a James three-pointer from the corner capped off a quick 7-0 run, forcing Louisville to call a timeout. Proctor continued his hot shooting, drilling his fifth and sixth three-pointers of the night to stretch Duke’s lead to 60-49.
Louisville struggled to find answers against Duke’s stifling defense, going nearly five minutes without a made field goal. By the time the Cardinals broke the drought with a three-pointer at the 5:36 mark, Duke had built a comfortable 64-55 lead. The Blue Devils maintained a double-digit advantage the rest of the way, sealing the victory at the free-throw line and securing the ACC Tournament championship.
Louisville was led by Terrence Edwards Jr., who delivered a stellar 29-point performance, the most points scored by any player against Duke this season. Edwards also recorded his 13th 20-point game for the Cardinals and the 29th of his college career. Chucky Hepburn added 14 points, while J’Vonne Hadley and James Scott each chipped in six.
The Cardinals shot 39.1% (25-of-64) from the field and struggled from beyond the arc, connecting on just 26.9% (7-of-26) of their three-point attempts. Despite outrebounding Duke 38-35 and forcing 10 turnovers, Louisville couldn’t sustain its offensive rhythm in the second half.
With the victory, Duke not only secured its 23rd ACC Tournament title but also strengthened its case for a No. 1 seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament. The Blue Devils’ second-half dominance highlighted their championship pedigree, and with standout freshmen like Knueppel and Maluach stepping up alongside veterans like Proctor, Duke appears primed for a deep March Madness run.
Louisville, finishing as runner-up in both the ACC regular season and tournament, also solidified its position as a dangerous team heading into the NCAA Tournament. The Cardinals will look to regroup and make a strong push in the Big Dance.
For now, however, the ACC crown belongs to the Blue Devils once again.
