The Duke Blue Devils secured a narrow victory over the Florida Gators with a final score of 67-66, improving their record to 4-0. The Gators, ranked 15th, now stand at 3-1 after this closely contested matchup.

Dec 2, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Florida Gators forward Thomas Haugh (10) dunks during the first half against the Duke Blue Devils at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

First Half

The game began with the Blue Devils taking control early on. They established a significant lead by scoring 36 points in the first half while limiting the Gators to just 24 points. Key to this early dominance was Isaiah Evans, who contributed significantly with his defensive prowess, recording five blocks and adding crucial points for Duke.

Second Half

In the second half, however, the momentum shifted as Florida mounted an impressive comeback attempt. The Gators outscored Duke by adding another 42 points to their tally. Despite their efforts and closing in on Duke's lead multiple times during this period, they fell short by just one point at full-time.

Dec 2, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Nikolas Khamenia (14) controls the ball in front of Florida Gators forward Thomas Haugh (10) during the first half at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

Key Performances

Cameron Boozer stood out for the Blue Devils with his all-around performance that included scoring and rebounding contributions that helped maintain their edge throughout critical moments of play. Patrick Ngongba II also played a pivotal role defensively alongside Evans' earlier efforts which were instrumental in keeping Florida's offense at bay during crucial stretches of play.

On Florida's side of things: despite being down initially - they showed resilience through effective shooting from beyond-the-arc coupled together strong performances from key players like Alex Kovatchev who kept them within striking distance till late into proceedings but ultimately couldn’t overcome Dukes’ defensive wall led primarily via Maliq Brown’s consistent presence inside paint area where he managed six rebounds along blocking one shot attempt too!

Dec 2, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Florida Gators guard Xaivian Lee (1) shoots over Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer (12) during the first half at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

This encounter between these two teams was marked by nine lead changes along five ties showcasing how evenly matched both sides were across different phases throughout entire duration until final buzzer sounded off signaling end result favoring home team narrowly edging past visitors here today evening inside Cameron Indoor Stadium located Durham North Carolina USA!

Looking ahead: fans can catch next action involving Bull City when they face Michigan State Spartans scheduled December sixth twelve PM Eastern Time Jack Breslin Students Events Center East Lansing Michigan USA broadcast live FOX TV network! Share your thoughts about this exciting match-up among fellow enthusiasts online today!

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