Louisville’s night unraveled in a hurry as Duke pulled away for an 83–52 win, leaving the Cardinals scoreless from the field over the final 5:39. What was once a tightly contested first half turned into a one-sided finish, with Duke’s size and efficiency eventually overwhelming a Louisville offense that never found a rhythm.
The Cardinals shot just 29.6-percent overall and managed only 16 made field goals for the game, a number that underscored the uphill climb they faced once the Blue Devils seized control.
Louisville hung around early and even held a brief 25–24 lead midway through the first half, but Duke’s rebounding and interior presence began to tilt the floor. The Blue Devils finished with a 47–26 edge on the glass, including 15 offensive rebounds that consistently generated second chance opportunities.
Cameron Boozer anchored that effort, posting 19 points and 10 rebounds while also facilitating the offense with four assists. Duke shot over 50-percent from the field and steadily widened the margin as Louisville’s shots stopped falling.
Ryan Conwell provided the lone consistent spark for the Cardinals, leading the team with 18 points on 7-of-14 shooting and knocking down four triples. J’Vonne Hadley added 11 points and a team high five rebounds, but Louisville struggled to get much else going. Mikel Brown Jr. finished with seven points, but endured a tough shooting night by going 1-for-13 from the field. It was emblematic of a backcourt that couldn’t break through Duke’s defensive pressure.
The Cardinals did hit 11 three pointers, but empty possessions piled up late as they went 0 for their last six shots from the field.
Duke’s depth showed down the stretch as the lead ballooned to as many as 31 points.
In addition to Boozer, Patrick Ngongba II chipped in 15 points and five rebounds, while Isaiah Evans added 15 of his own. By the time the final horn sounded, Duke had turned a competitive opening into a dominant statement, while Louisville was left searching for answers after a long, scoreless closing stretch that defined the night.
Louisville will come back home to play SMU Saturday at the Yum.
