Duke 76-61: Unc Stalls in 24-2 Surge That Sealed Rivalry Rematch

Bassyonni

Published: March 9, 2026 12:12 PM ET

Duke 76-61: Unc Stalls in 24-2 Surge That Sealed Rivalry Rematch

Cameron Boozer had 26 points, 15 rebounds and five assists as Duke beat unc 76-61 Saturday night in Durham, N. C., completing a second straight one-loss run through ACC regular-season play. The Blue Devils turned a single-possession game early in the second half into a blowout with a 24-2 surge that left North Carolina scoreless for long stretches. The result, on March 8, 2026 (ET), leaves Duke 29-2 (17-1) and North Carolina 24-7 (12-6) heading into the ACC Tournament.

How the game broke open

Duke led by a single possession early after halftime, but the Blue Devils ripped off 16 unanswered points in a stretch that expanded into a 24-2 run and put the game out of reach. Cameron Boozer paced Duke with a 26-point, 15-rebound, five-assist performance that anchored the surge; Maliq Brown added 15 points in support. On the other end, Derek Dixon supplied 17 points for North Carolina but could not prevent the Tar Heels from going six minutes without a point and managing only one basket over a span of more than 10 minutes as Duke pulled away.

Unc injuries and lineup disruptions

North Carolina endured a rough 24 hours before the game when freshman Caleb Wilson, who had appeared close to returning from a fractured left hand, suffered a season-ending broken right thumb in a non-contact drill. Wilson sat on the bench with his right thumb in a black brace as the Tar Heels fell to 5-2 without him. Duke also dealt with personnel issues: starting big man Patrick Ngongba II did not play after sporting a boot on his right foot following halftime, and starting point guard Caleb Foster left late in the first half with a right-foot issue before returning in the second half wearing a boot of his own.

Immediate implications and what comes next

The loss capped an eight-game winning streak for Duke that included a neutral-court victory over a then-No. 1 opponent and a dominant win over Virginia earlier in the stretch. The Blue Devils will play in Thursday’s ACC Tournament quarterfinals. North Carolina holds the No. 4 seed and arrives in Charlotte with a double-round bye to Thursday’s quarterfinals, facing the tournament weekend without Caleb Wilson. Both teams enter the ACC Tournament carrying the marks recorded on March 8, 2026 (ET), with Duke 29-2 (17-1) and North Carolina 24-7 (12-6).

Looking ahead

Expect the narratives of the coming week to focus on Duke’s momentum and North Carolina’s injury-hit depth. The Blue Devils will seek to translate an eight-game win streak and the performance of Cameron Boozer into further tournament positioning. For unc, the immediate task is managing rotations and finding scoring answers without the injured freshman as the Tar Heels prepare for quarterfinal play on Thursday in Charlotte. Time-sensitive developments will be tracked as both teams move into the ACC Tournament on Thursday, March 12, 2026 (ET).