Duke topples TCU, advances to NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 after second-half surge

Chip Alexander, The News & Observer on Mar 21, 2026

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GREENVILLE, S.C. — Step by step. That’s what the NCAA Tournament becomes.

Teams do whatever is necessary to win, to take the next step, to move on. That’s all that matters. It’s often about grit, defense and digging down. Style points don’t matter.

There was nothing very stylish about Duke’s game Saturday with Texas Christian in the second round of the NCAA Tournament’s East Region at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. It was a test of wills, and Duke emerged with an 81-58 victory, its 13th straight win.

Much like in its first-round game against Siena, Duke needed a decisive second half to finally deflate and put away a determined underdog. Cameron Boozer had a big half, the defense was more stout, the Devils looking the part of the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA field.

The Blue Devils (34-3) move on to Washington, D.C., and Capital One Arena, for a Sweet 16 game. Duke’s opponent: the winner of Sunday’s St. John’s-Kansas second-round game.

Boozer shook off a sluggish first half to finish with 19 points, 11 rebounds and four assists. Duke’s Isaiah Evans called a lot of the offense in the first half, once converting a four-point play, to put up 17 points and Dame Sarr had 14.

Duke’s second-half wake-up call

Duke took a 38-34 lead into halftime, but the start of the second half could not have been any worse for the Blue Devils — or better for the Horned Frogs. There were bad turnovers and worse decisions and TCU took advantage, quickly reeling off six points to take the lead and force a Duke timeout.

If it was a gut check for Duke, and Boozer shook loose for a slam dunk, his first basket of the game. Moments later, TCU’s Tanner Toolson came slamming down on Boozer’s back after a Boozer fake under the basket, triggering a referees’ review.

A flagrant-1 foul was assessed on Toolson, Boozer making the two free throws. The big man was just getting started. So was Duke.

A Nikolas Khamenia 3-pointer pushed the Devils’ lead to 53-44 and had TCU coach Jamie Dixon, constantly on the move on the sideline, called a timeout with 11:48 left.

Infuriated by a few calls, Dixon was then hit with a technical with 8:57 remaining. Cayden Boozer’s free throws and later a 3 by Dame Sarr pushed the Duke lead to 64-50 and had Dixon needing another timeout.

But Duke was on its way. Cam Boozer had another slam and Sarr a 3 and the lead grew to 18 points.

TCU touts aggressive play

The Horned Frogs, to a man, had been touting how aggressive and physical they were on defense, and they were once the ball went up, as if daring the referees to blow the whistle.

TCU, which had 12 first-half fouls, was dead-set on stopping Cam Boozer inside and swarmed about him, doubling, tripling. Boozer kept his cool and didn’t force it — he had one shot in the opening half, scoring his two points on free throws.

Boozer also figured into a momentum-turning play for TCU in the first half.

Duke, riding Evans’ hot hand, was leading 33-25 and slowing the Frogs with a 3-2 zone that often had Maliq Brown, Sarr and Evans at the top. TCU's Brock Harding and Jayden Pierre both are 6-footers and the zone negated their quickness and hindered their vision in the halfcourt offensive sets.

The Devils also used a 1-2-2 full court press at times, trying to be disruptive and alter TCU’s tempo.

But with 3:59 left in the half, TCU’s David Punch turned away from the lane with a bloody nose. Play was stopped. After a review, Cam Boozer was called for a flagrant-1 foul for an elbow, a call that had Duke coach Jon Scheyer shaking his head.

Moments later, after a TCU free throw, Boozer was called for a second foul after a Micah Robinson fake underneath. Make it two fouls in 17 seconds and Boozer was headed to the bench.

TCU’s Xavier Edmonds picked up his third foul with 50 seconds left in the first half as he defended Brown under the basket. Edmonds later fouled out on double technicals assessed to him and Duke’s Patrick Ngongba II.