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Duke Secures Second Consecutive ACC Tournament Championship

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Duke Secures Second Consecutive ACC Tournament Title

Duke secured its second consecutive Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Tournament championship by defeating Virginia 74-70 in the final game on Saturday night.

The Blue Devils advanced to the championship after a close 80-79 victory over Florida State in the quarterfinals. Throughout the tournament, Duke played without injured starters Caleb Foster and Patrick Ngongba. Cameron Boozer was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player.

Tournament Path

Duke, the top-ranked team, navigated through the ACC Tournament bracket, culminating in their championship victory.

Quarterfinals: Duke vs. Florida State

In the quarterfinals, Duke defeated eighth-seeded Florida State with a score of 80-79. Duke trailed by eight points in the second half before initiating a 19-2 run to take control.

  • Duke Key Performers:
    • Isaiah Evans led Duke with a career-high 32 points, including 7-of-16 from beyond the arc.
    • Cameron Boozer contributed 23 points and 10 rebounds, marking his 18th double-double of the season.
    • Cayden Boozer, who started due to Foster's absence, made a crucial dunk with 1:01 remaining.
    • Maliq Brown, named ACC Sixth Man and Defensive Player of the Year, recorded 8 offensive rebounds out of his 12 total rebounds, in addition to three steals.
  • Florida State Key Performers:
    • Lajae Jones scored 28 points.
    • Robert McCray V added 25 points; his stepback jumper at the buzzer was unsuccessful.
  • Game Statistics: The first half of the game featured eight ties and 15 lead changes. Duke recorded 22 offensive rebounds, resulting in 24 second-chance points.

Championship Game: Duke vs. Virginia

Duke faced Virginia (29-5) in the championship game, securing a 74-70 victory. The game saw 12 ties and 16 lead changes, with the score tied at 66 points with less than three minutes remaining.

  • Duke Key Performers:
    • Isaiah Evans led Duke with 20 points and made four consecutive free throws in the final two minutes.
    • Cayden Boozer scored a career-high 16 points and made a rebound putback that gave Duke the lead with 2:49 remaining.
    • Cameron Boozer, despite scoring 13 points on 3-of-17 shooting, contributed eight assists and eight rebounds, including an offensive rebound late in the game, and made two free throws. He was named the tournament MVP.
    • Nikolas Khamenia added nine points and six rebounds.
  • Virginia Key Performers:
    • Malik Thomas scored 18 points.
    • Sam Lewis contributed 17 points.
    • Ugonna Onyenso recorded nine blocks in the game, accumulating a tournament record of 21 blocks over three games.

Team Context

Duke competed in the tournament without starting point guard Caleb Foster, who sustained a right foot fracture, and center Patrick Ngongba, who had right foot soreness. Cayden Boozer and Nikolas Khamenia played significant minutes due to these absences. Virginia is now preparing for the upcoming NCAA Tournament.

ACC All-Tournament Team

The following players were recognized for their outstanding performances during the tournament:

  • First-Team:
    • Cameron Boozer, Duke (MVP)
    • Isaiah Evans, Duke
    • Ugonna Onyenso, Virginia
    • Sam Lewis, Virginia
    • Robert McCray V, Florida State
  • Second-Team:
    • Cayden Boozer, Duke
    • Lajae Jones, Florida State
    • Henri Veesaar, North Carolina
    • Malik Thomas, Virginia
    • Thijs de Ridder, Virginia