Freshman phenom Cameron Boozer totaled a game-high 26 points and 12 rebounds for No. 6 Duke, which fought off Georgia Tech for an 85-79 victory in both teams’ Atlantic Coast Conference opener on Wednesday in Durham, N.C.
Isaiah Evans added 17 points, while Cayden Boozer scored 13 for Duke (12-1, 1-0 ACC), which rebounded from its first loss of the season – an 82-81 loss to No. 15 Texas Tech on Dec. 20. Caleb Foster had 12 points and Patrick Ngongba II tallied 11 points and nine boards for the Blue Devils, who trailed by four at halftime.
Kowacie Reeves Jr. tied his career-high 23 points led Georgia Tech (9-5, 0-1), which fell to 0-4 against major-conference opponents. Jaeden Mustaf scored 11, while Lamar Washington and Chas Kelley III had 10 points apiece for the Yellow Jackets, who were outrebounded 42-28.
Duke trailed by seven with 18:38 left after Reeves’ 3-pointer gave Georgia Tech a 50-43 lead. Evans and Cayden Boozer’s baskets then began the Blue Devils’ 9-2 run, pulling even at 52 with 16:24 remaining.
Duke held the Yellow Jackets without a field goal for nearly seven minutes, before Kelley’s triple trimmed the deficit to two at the 10:44 mark.
The Blue Devils’ lead grew to seven on Foster’s 3-pointer with 8:14 left. Nearly four minutes later, Mustaf’s trey pulled Georgia Tech within two.
Akai Fleming and Ngongba traded a pair of free throws, as Duke grabbed a 78-75 lead with 3:04 remaining. Cayden Boozer’s mid-range jumper with 1:28 left gave the Blue Devils a five-point cushion.
Behind by six, Georgia Tech sliced its deficit in half on Reeves’ 3-pointer with 39 seconds remaining.
Cameron Boozer made two foul shots, before Washington split a pair for Georgia Tech. Evans then calmly drilled his two free throws to seal the win.
After Fleming and Washington’s back-to-back 3-pointers gave Georgia Tech a 9-3 lead, Evans’ trey began a 7-0 Duke run.
Leading by a point, Georgia Tech pushed its advantage to five after Mouhamed Sylla’s consecutive baskets put the visitors ahead 29-24 with 8:10 left in the first half.
Foster’s second 3-pointer of the opening half gave Duke a 37-35 edge, but Mustaf’s jumper and Kelley’s personal 4-0 run returned the lead to the Yellow Jackets with 47 seconds remaining.
From there, Boozer’s layup was answered by Reeves’ mid-range jumper to close out the first half with Georgia Tech ahead 43-39.
–Field Level Media
