Duke Cruises Past TCU in NCAA Tournament

Blue Devils' defense and star freshman Boozer lead the way in second half

Mar. 22, 2026 at 2:18am

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Duke, the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, overcame a halftime deficit to defeat TCU 81-58 in the opening round. The Blue Devils' defense and star freshman Cameron Boozer led the charge in the second half, as Duke pulled away for the comfortable victory.

Why it matters

Duke's ability to respond to early challenges and dominate the second half against a tough TCU team demonstrates the Blue Devils' championship pedigree as the tournament's top overall seed. Boozer's standout performance also reinforces his status as one of the top players in the country.

The details

After trailing at halftime, Duke cranked up its defense in the second half, holding TCU to just 23 points over the final 20 minutes. Freshman sensation Cameron Boozer led the way for the Blue Devils, scoring 21 of his game-high 27 points in the second half to power Duke's decisive run.

  • Duke trailed TCU at halftime.
  • Duke outscored TCU 48-23 in the second half.

The players

Cameron Boozer

Duke's star freshman who scored a game-high 27 points, 21 of which came in the second half to lead the Blue Devils' comeback.

Duke

The No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, who overcame a halftime deficit to defeat TCU and advance in the Big Dance.

TCU

The opponent that gave Duke a tough test in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament before the Blue Devils pulled away in the second half.

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What they’re saying

“Our defense really set the tone in the second half. That's when we were able to get out in transition and let our offense feed off our stops.”

— Cameron Boozer, Duke Freshman

What’s next

Duke will face the winner of the Gonzaga-Arkansas game in the next round of the NCAA Tournament.

The takeaway

Duke's ability to make halftime adjustments and dominate the second half against a tough TCU team demonstrates the Blue Devils' championship pedigree and the star power of freshman Cameron Boozer, who is emerging as one of the top players in the country.