No. 1 Duke uses strong 1st half to beat Clemson 73-61 and return to ACC Tournament championship game

Duke forward Cameron Boozer drives to the basket against Clemson during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the semifinals of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament in Charlotte, N.C., Friday, March 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

By STEVE REED AP Sports Writer

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Cameron Boozer had 24 points, 14 rebounds and five assists and No. 1 Duke ran out to a 19-point halftime lead and held on to beat Clemson 73-61 on Friday night to advance to the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament championship game.

Cayden Boozer, who is starting for the injured Caleb Foster, set a career high with 16 points and Nikolas Khamenia chipped in with 14 points for the Blue Devils.

Duke (31-2) will play for its second straight ACC Tournament title and third in the last four years on Saturday night against No. 10 Virginia, an 84-62 winner over Miami in the other semifinal.

RJ Godfrey had 18 points for Clemson (24-10).

Cameron Boozer, the ACC player of the year, showed off his diverse skillset, scoring from the low post, mid-range and from deep where he knocked down three 3s. He even ran the point at times and was dominant on the boards, helping Duke outrebound Clemson 41-27.

Trailing 16-15, Duke began to pull away late in the first half as Dame Sarr and Darren Harris connected on 3s as part of a 14-2 run that gave the Blue Devils their first double-digit lead.

The Blue Devils closed the first half on a 26-6 run to take a 41-22 lead at the break. Clemson went 1 of 15 from the field over the last 12 minutes of the half and missed its last 10 shots.

The Tigers began to heat up in the second half and closed the gap to 12 with 2 1/2 minutes remaining, but Cameron Boozer hit a long 3 from the top of the key to thwart the rally.

Up next

Clemson: Awaits NCAA Tournament seed.

Duke: The Blue Devils beat Virginia 77-51 at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Feb. 28. They will look for another dominant performance in the championship game.

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