Duke Repeats as Men’s Basketball ACC Champions

Saturday, March 14

Charlotte, N.C.

8:30 p.m.

Duke University

32-2,17-1ACC

Virginia

29-5,15-3ACC

Virginia

Duke

Dame Sarr in ACC Tournament championship game

Duke Repeats as Men’s Basketball ACC Champions

3/14/2026 10:56:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – No. 1 Duke took home its 24th ACC Tournament title by holding off No. 10 Virginia, 74-70, at the Spectrum Center. The title is the second consecutive for the Blue Devils.

In a seesaw battle that featured 12 ties and 16 lead changes, Duke took the lead for the final time with 2:49 remaining thanks to an offensive rebound and layup by Cayden Boozer.

Cayden got another one! pic.twitter.com/4gjzjHJpgp
— Duke Men's Basketball (@DukeMBB) March 15, 2026

Isaiah Evans finished with a team-high 20 points, including the final two on free throws with 12 seconds remaining. Cameron Boozer tallied 13 points, eight assists and eight rebounds while Cayden Boozer finished with 16 points, four assists and five rebounds.

With the victory, Duke became the first ACC school to capture a football, men's basketball and women's basketball championship in the same academic year. The Blue Devils join Ohio State (2009-10) and Georgia (1982-83) as the last three Power Four schools to accomplish the feat.

The Blue Devils have won five of the last nine ACC Tournaments that have been completed, becoming the first team to win four games in four days to capture the 2017 crown in Brooklyn, winning in 2019 in Charlotte, earning the 2023 title in Greensboro under first-year head coach Jon Scheyer, claiming Scheyer's second crown in 2025 in Charlotte and taking home a third title for Scheyer in Charlotte in 2026.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Dame Sarr got Duke started early, with an acrobatic put-back layup on Duke's first possession. After the Blue Devils went up by four, 6-2, the Cavaliers scored seven unanswered to take the lead, 9-6, at the first media timeout.
The Virginia scoring run reached 10 straight before Cayden Boozer drilled a corner triple to pull Duke back within three, 12-9, with 14:10 on the clock. Boozer then moved into double-figures, with his 10th point of the night, to push Duke back in front, 18-16.
Boozer continued his strong play with a layup through traffic and a fast-break assist to Sarr following a loose-ball scramble at midcourt. Isaiah Evans scored five quick points out of the under-four timeout and Boozer slammed home a fast-break bucket to build Duke's lead to seven, 36-29.
Virginia responded quickly, putting up seven of the final nine points in the first half, sending Duke into the break with a two-point edge, 38-36.
Evans started the second half with a triple, giving the sophomore 10 points.
The Cavaliers posted the next seven points, taking a two-point lead, 43-41. Virginia made its third triple of the second half and held a four-point advantage at the under-16 break, 49-45.
Cameron Boozer connected on his first make from deep, bringing the Blue Devils within one, 49-48, and Nikolas Khamenia followed with two free throws to flip the margin. A three-point play from Darren Harris made it a 53-51 Duke lead with 12:09 remaining.
Virginia knotted the score at 58 with a three-pointer at the 8:14 mark. An offensive rebound and putback through contact by Boozer, followed by the earned extra free throw, sent Duke back in the lead by one, 61-60.
Evans sent in a deep three-pointer as the clock ticked under five minutes to play. The two teams entered the final media break separated by only one point, as Duke held onto a 66-65 lead.
The Cavaliers knotted the game at 66-66 with a free throw at the 3:10 mark.
A four-point spurt by Duke made it 70-66 Blue Devils with 1:59 to play as Cayden Boozer tossed in a layup on an offensive rebound and Evans drilled two free throws.
Leading 70-68 with 28 seconds left, Cameron Boozer missed a shot but got the offensive rebound. With Virginia forced to foul, Evans stepped to the line and sank two free throws for a 72-68 lead with 12 seconds to play.
Virginia did not go without a fight as a Cavalier layup with five seconds to play made it a 72-70 affair.
Cameron Boozer hit the final two free throws to ice the game as Cayden Boozer intercepted Virginia's final inbounds pass.