DURHAM, North Carolina ( Feb 28) — Top-ranked Duke secured the No. 1 seed for the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Tournament with a dominant 77-51 victory over 11th-ranked Virginia on Saturday, powered by standout performances from Isaiah Evans and Cameron Boozer.
Evans scored 19 points on five three-pointers, three of them in the opening minutes, as Duke (27-2, 15-1 ACC) quickly seized control. The Blue Devils hit 12 of 24 shots from beyond the arc and shot 49.1% overall, building a 15-point halftime lead that grew steadily through the second half.
Freshman forward Boozer, one of the top NBA prospects in college basketball, added 18 points, nine rebounds and four assists. Although he made only three field goals, the 6-foot-9 standout went 11-for-12 from the free-throw line, all before halftime, drawing repeated double teams and creating open looks for teammates. Patrick Ngongba II was also in double-digit scoring, contributing 11 points on 5 for 9 shooting to go with five rebounds.
Duke extended its lead in the ACC standings to at least two games with two regular-season matchups remaining, positioning itself to clinch the outright conference title.
Virginia (25-4, 13-3) entered the game on a nine-game winning streak and as one of the NCAA selection committee’s top 16 seeds, but struggled offensively throughout. Thijs De Ridder, the only Virginia player to score in double-figures, led the Cavaliers with 16 points, while the team shot just 29.1% from the field and 20% (7-of-35) from three-point range.
The loss dropped Virginia to 1-32 all-time against top-ranked opponents and 0-17 versus Duke teams ranked No. 1. The Cavaliers’ lone win over a No. 1 came in 1986 against North Carolina.
Virginia hosts Wake Forest on Tuesday, while Duke visits N.C. State on Monday.