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Cameron Boozer led the Blue Devils to an impressive win, but it may have been costly with Caleb Foster leaving the game with an injury
Mar 7, 2026 at 9:04 pm ET • 1 min read
No. 1 Duke cruised to a 76-61 win over No. 17 North Carolina on Saturday, avenging a loss suffered against the Tar Heels earlier this season. Since that loss, the Blue Devils have won eight consecutive games and will be the No. 1 seed in next week's ACC Tournament. Despite the loss, North Carolina earned the No. 4 seed in the ACC Tournament and will receive a double-bye.
North Carolina and Duke could be on a collision course to face each other again in the semifinals if both teams win their opening round matchup.
Duke (29-2, 17-1 ACC) completed one of the most dominant regular seasons in program history. The Blue Devils picked up their 11th win against an AP-ranked team this season, which is tied for the most all-time with Kentucky (2002-03) and Indiana (1992-93). Duke also tied the ACC record (29) for the most regular-season wins.
Duke star Cameron Boozer, the frontrunner to win national player of the year honors, had another strong performance and finished with 26 points, 15 rebounds and five assists. Per CBS Sports research, Boozer is the first Duke player with at least 15 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in a game vs. UNC since Loul Deng did it in 2004.
Boozer also has at least 10 points, five rebounds and two assists in all 31 games this season. That's the longest streak by any Division I player in the last 20 years.
Despite the win, Duke did see starting guard Caleb Foster leave with a foot injury in the first half. He did not return to the game and was seen on the broadcast with a walking boot on his foot.
North Carolina (24-7, ACC 12-6) had won five of its last six games since star forward Caleb Wilson went down with an injury. However, UNC was without Wilson again and will be without him for the remainder of the season after he suffered a thumb injury in practice earlier this week.
The Blue Devils took control in the second half by dominating on the glass. Duke out-rebounded UNC and created more chances off turnovers and on second-chance opportunities.
Duke will await the status of Caleb Foster after leaving the game with an injury
In the first half against UNC, Duke guard Caleb Foster appeared to suffer a lower leg injury. He did not return to the game and was seen with a walking boot on his foot. He wasn't the only player with one on Duke's bench. That's because starting center Patrick Ngongba II, who was listed as questionable coming into this game, didn't play. He was also seen with a walking boot on his foot.
There is no indication of how serious Foster's injury is. If Foster is out, Duke could turn to Cayden Boozer to be Foster's replacement in the starting lineup. Boozer looked very good in the second half vs. UNC. He finished with seven points, five rebounds and three assists in 29 minutes.
UNC's outlook without Wilson remains a question mark
FINAL: No. 1 Duke 76, No. 17 North Carolina 61
In the first meeting between Duke and North Carolina, Wilson was special. Does that mean UNC wins this game if he plays today? Probably not. But it's definitely more competitive. Duke dominated on the glass and in second-chance points. Both of those departments are Wilson's strengths because of his motor and hustle. UNC has had a chance to see what its team looks like for a little over a month without Wilson in the lineup, so today wasn't new. But it was a reminder that the ceiling of what UNC can do against an elite team in March will be drastically lower without Wilson in the lineup. It's more so a testament to how good Wilson was for UNC.
Don't count out UNC, yet. But this was a reality check for UNC's roster.
If there was even a sliver of doubt about who was going to win National Player of the Year, all doubt should be erased after Boozer's latest performance. He just closed out one of the best regular seasons by any freshman with a standout performance in a marquee rivalry game. Boozer finished with 26 points, 15 rebounds and five assists. Per CBS Sports research, Boozer is the first Duke player with at least 15 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in a game vs. UNC since Loul Deng did it in 2004.
What makes Boozer special is his passing, basketball IQ and his feel for the game. Even when UNC sent double-teams at him, he didn't even flinch. Boozer is one of the greatest winners in high school basketball history. That has translated to the college level. It would be shocking if it didn't translate to the next level, too.
Duke closes out the regular season with win over UNC
LATE 1H: No. 1 Duke 71, No. 17 UNC 50
Duke is running away with this game and Cameron Boozer is a huge reason why. Per CBS Sports research, Boozer is the first Duke player with at least 15 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in a game vs. UNC since Loul Deng did it in 2004. He also has at least 10 points, five rebounds and two assists in all 31 games this season. That's the longest streak by any Division I player in the last 20 years.
Duke is on an 18-2 run the last six minutes. The lead is up to 19 points. Duke has 13 second chance points.
EARLY 2H: No. 1 Duke 58, No. 17 North Carolina 44
Here comes Duke. The Blue Devils are on an 11-0 run over the last 2:31 and have held UNC without a point for almost four minutes to take their largest lead of the game. Duke is shooting an impressive 5 of 9 from the 3-point line during the first seven minutes of the second half. They're also generating more second-chance looks and forcing turnovers. That's been the difference.
EARLY 2H: No. 1 Duke 50, No. 17 North Carolina 44
With Foster out for the remainder of the game, Duke is going to rely on Cayden Boozer down the stretch. In the first four minutes of the second half, he has done just that. He has knocked down both of his shot attempts and is up to five points. Duke is holding on to a six-point lead at the first media timeout of the second half.
Duke guard Caleb Foster will miss the remainder of the game due to a foot injury suffered late in the first half. With Foster out, Duke will have to rely more on Cayden Boozer in the second half. Foster has started 29 games this season for the Blue Devils and is averaging 8.6 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists.
The ESPN broadcast just showed Foster with a walking boot on his foot.
HALFTIME: No. 1 Duke 34, No. 17 North Carolina 29
No. 1 Duke leads No. 17 North Carolina 34-29 at halftime of the final game of the regular season for both programs. The Blue Devils are looking to avenge a loss earlier this season to North Carolina and are riding a 31-game home win streak. Since that loss against its in-state foe, Duke is riding a seven-game winning streak.
The Blue Devils have already wrapped up the ACC regular season title and the No. 1 seed in next week's ACC Tournament. What's on the line between now and Selection Sunday is the No. 1 overall seed in the field. North Carolina is in position to earn the No. 4 seed in the ACC Tournament, which would secure a double-bye.
Duke and North Carolina are both without a key player for this game. UNC star forward Caleb Wilson, a projected top-five pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, will miss the remainder of the season after he suffered a broken right thumb in practice earlier this week. Duke is without starting center Patrick Ngongba II. He was not in the starting lineup and was listed as questionable in the ACC injury report.
In Ngongba's absence, Duke forward Maliq Brown has stepped up. He finished the first half with 10 points and three steals, while National Player of the Year frontrunner, Cameron Boozer, scored 12.
North Carolina's offense has come from its starting lineup. The Tar Heels have zero bench points, but four of their five starters have scored at least six points. That includes nine points from star big man Henri Veesaar.
LATE 1H: No. 1 Duke 32, No. 17 North Carolina 22
It doesn't appear that Ngongba is going to play tonight, so Brown should be getting a majority of the minutes at center. He is one of the best "glue guys" in college basketball. He has 10 points, two rebounds, three steals and a block. He can do a little bit of everything. It's why Duke has been able to keep its lead at double digits for most of the first half.
Something to keep an eye on is the status of Duke guard Caleb Foster. He appeared to turn his ankle a few minutes ago.
