Duke Wins 83-76 in Exhibition at Tennessee; Boozer Posts 24 Points, 23 Rebounds

Sunday, October 26

Knoxville, Tenn.

7 p.m.

Duke University

0-0,0-0ACC

Tennessee

0-0,0-0SEC

Duke

Tennessee

Photo by: Duke Athletics

Duke Wins 83-76 in Exhibition at Tennessee; Boozer Posts 24 Points, 23 Rebounds

10/26/2025 9:41:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)Coach Scheyer Quotes (PDF)Photo Gallery

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – No. 6 Duke traveled to No. 18 Tennessee for an 83-76 victory in an exhibition game Sunday, Oct. 26. In front of a sellout crowd of 21,678, the Blue Devils were led by Cameron Boozer, who stuffed the stat sheet with 24 points, 23 rebounds, six assists, two blocks and one steal. Isaiah Evans also eclipsed 20 points, highlighted by four three-pointers en route to 22 total points.

Patrick Ngongba II also reached double-figures, scoring 15 points on 5-of-6 shooting, while also going 4-for-4 from the free throw line. The sophomore finished one rebound shy of a double-double, reeling in nine caroms and led the team with three blocks.

After trailing by six at halftime, 43-37, Duke exploded out of the locker room with a 23-9 run to seize control of the contest. The Blue Devils led for the final 15:48 and went a perfect 20-for-20 from the free throw line in the second frame to close out the exhibition victory.

The Blue Devils' defense was key following halftime, limiting the Volunteers to just 33 second-half points. The Blue Devils held Tennessee without a made field goal for over seven minutes, from the 10:11 to 2:59 mark, to stifle the hosts on the offensive end.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Tennessee scored the game's first points, followed by Patrick Ngongba II with a tip-in off an offensive rebound. After the Volunteers took an early seven-point lead, 11-4, Isaiah Evans connected on Duke's first three-pointer of the contest to pull Duke back within four.
Darren Harris drilled a transition triple out of the under-16 timeout, narrowing the Blue Devils' deficit to just one, 11-10. After going down by eight, 18-10, Duke posted a quick seven-point burst to once again draw within a single point.
The hosts responded with a 7-0 run of their own, making it a 25-17 game with 7:48 remaining. Cameron Boozer converted a three-point-play to bring Duke within five, 27-22, giving the freshman seven points with 6:51 on the clock.
Boozer connected on a fadeaway mid-range jumper at the first-half buzzer, giving the freshman 13 first-half points to go along with 15 rebounds, as Duke entered the break trailing by six, 43-37.
Evans slammed home a dunk to start the second half and Ngongba II followed with a three-pointer to bring Duke within three, 45-42. Evans stepped into his third make from beyond the arc to give Duke its first lead, 47-45, with 18:14 on the clock.
A 9-0 run by Duke forced a Tennessee timeout with 13:47 remaining and the Blue Devils leading by eight, 60-52. The Volunteers responded with eight of the next 10 points, cutting Duke's edge to two, 62-60, entering the under-12 timeout.
Evans' fourth three-pointer of the night moved the Blue Devils back in front by seven, 69-62, with 8:25 remaining.
The sophomore eclipsed 20 points from the charity stripe, knocking in a pair with 4:42 remaining, snapping a Duke scoreless stretch of just over two minutes. Tennessee made a field goal with 2:59 remaining, its first since the 10:11 mark, to bring the hosts within three, 75-72.
Caleb Foster hit two key free throws with 30.4 seconds on the clock, extending Duke's lead to two possessions, 79-74. Ngongba II and Evans each made two of their own from the free throw line to close out the 83-76 victory.

NOTES

Cameron Boozer, who registered a double-double before intermission with 13 points and 15 rebounds in the first half, finished the night with 24 points and 23 rebounds, along with a team-best six assists.
In Duke's two exhibition victories, Boozer averaged 28.5 points, 17.5 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game.
Isaiah Evans collected 22 points on 4-of-9 shooting from 3-point range and a perfect 8-for-8 from the free-throw line, while grabbing five boards.
Patrick Ngongba II finished one rebound shy of a double-double with 15 points, nine caroms and a team-high three blocked shots.
Ngongba shot 5-of-6 from the field, drained his lone 3-point attempt, and converted all four free throws.
After shooting 5-of-7 from the free-throw line in the first half, the Blue Devils were perfect from the foul line after the break, going 20-for-20 from the charity stripe.
Duke outrebounded the Volunteers, 48-39, including a 16-9 advantage on the offensive glass, resulting in a 16-12 edge in second-chance points.
Trailing 43-37 at halftime, the Blue Devils stormed out of the locker room for a 23-9 scoring run to take a 60-52 lead, forcing a Tennessee timeout at 13:47. Duke held the advantage the rest of the way.

QUOTES

"That was everything we could ask for, and more. Amazing crowd, by the way, for an exhibition game. The way their fans showed out was incredible, and that's exactly what we wanted for our team. To put ourselves in a position, in a tough game, where we have to grow very quickly. And I think we did that. I saw a ton of growth. I think we have a team with really good depth. And Cam just battled. He just competed every play. And I think his toughness to overcome making mistakes, is unique for a freshman. I think knowing him, he's going to be critiquing himself, even though he had 24, 23 and six, with one turnover. He just carried us the whole way. His competitive spirit, his rebounding, cleaning up on the glass, and then being able to go inside and get key baskets." - Duke head coach Jon Scheyer

UP NEXT

No. 6 Duke opens the regular season Tuesday, Nov. 4, taking on Texas in the Dick Vitale Invitational at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The Blue Devils and Longhorns square off at 8:45 p.m., broadcast live on ESPN.

To stay up to date with Blue Devils men's basketball, follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook by searching "DukeMBB".

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