Key Highlights
- 7 Michigan State in a game that had the intensity of an NCAA regional final. Boozer, who entered averaging nearly 27 points per game, also had 15 rebounds for the Blue Devils (10-0).
- Duke's start is its best open to a season since winning the first 11 games in 2017-18. A combination of missed open shots and tight defense kept the game close.
- The teams traded the lead nine times and were tied four times in the second half. Isaiah Evans gave the Blue Devils a 55-53 lead with 3:59 remaining, but Jeremy Fears tied it at 55 with a pair of free throws with 1:59 left.
- Boozer then hit two free throws with 1:35 to go to put Duke up for good.
- Evans was fouled by Fears on a 3-point shot and made all three free throws to give Duke a 60-55 advantage. Carson Cooper had a layup with 46 seconds left to cut the margin to 60-57, but that was as close as Michigan State could get. Cooper led Michigan State (8-1) with 16 points and a career-high 16 rebounds.