Cameron Boozer's 15 Points Power Duke to 41-35 Halftime Lead Over Arkansas in Chicago

When Cameron Boozer drained a three-pointer with 5:10 left in the first half, the Duke Blue Devils didn’t just extend their lead—they sent a message. The freshman forward had just scored 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting, turning a tight game into a dominant run that left the Arkansas Razorbacks scrambling. It was 41-35 at halftime in the CBS Sports Thanksgiving ClassicUnited Center in Chicago, and the Blue Devils’ 8-0 start was more than just a hot streak—it was a statement.

How Duke Built Their Lead

It didn’t start with a bang. Patrick Ngongba II opened the scoring with a three off a Boozer offensive rebound, but Arkansas responded with seven straight points to take a 7-3 lead. For over five minutes, Duke’s offense stalled. Then came Nikolas Khamenia, the freshman center who snapped the drought with a tough hook shot. Isaiah Evans tied it moments later with a corner three. Two more from Evans—both off movement, both clean—put Duke ahead 20-17. That’s when Boozer took over. A driving layup. A fast-break dunk off a pass from Dame Sarr. Then another three. Ten unanswered points. The crowd, a mix of Duke fans in blue and Arkansas faithful in red, fell silent as the Razorbacks called timeout with 5:10 left.

Arkansas’s Late Surge—and the Hypocrisy

Arkansas didn’t quit. Darius Acuff Jr. hit a turnaround jumper at 4:49 to cut the lead to eight. At 0:33, Meleek Thomas finished a layup to make it 41-35. The Razorbacks had clawed back from a 13-point deficit (41-28) to within six. But the real story wasn’t just the score—it was the tone. Arkansas opened the game with physical, almost aggressive defense, bumping, jostling, and limiting Duke’s rhythm. Then, when Duke responded in kind, Arkansas head coach John Calipari muttered during a timeout: “They keep lowering their shoulders!” The line, captured by a reporter and later dissected on the Duke Basketball Report forum, drew immediate backlash. “Sheer hypocrisy,” one fan wrote. “They started it. Now they’re mad when someone else plays hard?”

The Numbers Behind the Run

Duke didn’t win with flash alone. They won with grit. Twenty-five second-chance points. Forty-two in the paint. Five fast-break points. Seven ties. Four lead changes. The Blue Devils outrebounded Arkansas 38-31, with Boozer grabbing six himself. Trevon Brazile of Arkansas had a double-double—11 points, 11 rebounds—but it wasn’t enough. Duke’s bench outscored Arkansas’s 18-6, with Evans (14 first-half points) and Sarr (6 points, 4 rebounds) making critical plays. The Blue Devils entered the game averaging 85.3 points per game; Arkansas, 82.6. But in Chicago, it was Duke’s defense that stood out. They held Arkansas to 35 points in the half—well below their season average of 82.6—and forced 7 turnovers.

A Start Not Seen Since Krzyzewski’s Final Years

Duke’s 8-0 record is their best since the 2017-18 season, when they opened 11-0 under Mike Krzyzewski. This team, under second-year head coach Jon Scheyer, doesn’t have the same star power as that 2018 squad—but it has something rarer: cohesion. Scheyer, who played for Duke from 2006 to 2010 under Krzyzewski, now faces Calipari for the second time as a head coach. Their first meeting came in 2023, when Duke won 78-70 in Durham. This game, played at the United Center (capacity: 20,917), was a neutral-site test. And Duke passed.

What’s Next? The Road Ahead

Duke heads home to Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, North Carolina, to host No. 10 Florida on December 2. Florida, coming off a 7-1 start, will test Duke’s perimeter defense. Arkansas, meanwhile, returns to Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville to face No. 6 Louisville on December 3. The Cardinals, known for their full-court pressure, could exploit Arkansas’s turnover issues (they had 14 against Duke). But here’s the twist: Arkansas’s physicality might be their strength—and their weakness. If they can’t adjust their defensive philosophy, they’ll keep losing close games to teams that don’t flinch.

Why This Matters Beyond the Box Score

This wasn’t just a Thanksgiving game. It was a coming-out party for Boozer, who’s now averaging 14.6 points per game and shooting 56% from the field. It was a reminder that Duke’s identity under Scheyer isn’t about one-and-done stars—it’s about depth, toughness, and execution. And it was a warning: Arkansas, despite their talent, still struggles with consistency under pressure. Calipari’s team has the pieces. But do they have the mindset? The first half in Chicago showed they’re not yet ready to compete with the elite—not when the game gets physical, and not when the moment demands composure.