FINAL: No. 4 Duke 67, No. 15 Florida 66

What Happened

DURHAM, N.C. – Duke sophomore guard Isaiah Evans swished a go-ahead 3-pointer with 21 seconds to play and the fourth-ranked Blue Devils from there turned matters over to their defense to turn back a ferocious rally by 15th-ranked Florida for a 67-66 escape-act victory before a sold-out and deafening ACC/SEC Challenge crowd Tuesday night at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Freshman forward Cameron Boozer, the potential No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, poured in 29 points, including a huge 3-pointer to break a tie with 2:07 to go. UF junior wing Thomas Haugh led the Gators with 24 points, while sophomore point guard Boogie Fland added 16, with all but three in the second half. Junior forward Alex Condon had 12 points and 10 rebounds. Junior center Rueben Chinyelu had 14 rebounds and played sensational second-half defense to key the Gators' comeback.

Evans' game-winner was the second 3-pointer by the Blue Devils in the final two-plus minutes (Boozer's the other) after they started the period by missing their first nine against an inspired post-intermission UF defense. The Gators, who trailed by as many 15 late in the first half, staged a remarkable comeback by limiting Duke to just 38% after halftime and behind 47% shooting out of the break. The combination allowed then to slowly chip away at the lead until Fland nailed a go-ahead 3-pointer with 35 seconds left that marked UF's first lead since the 12-minute mark of the first period.

After a timeout, Evans got open on the left wing and nailed his big 3 to push the Blue Devils in front by a point.

The Gators had time to score, but Fland got tied up with Duke counterpart Caleb Foster in front of the UF sideline and turned the ball over with two seconds left. Foster missed the front of a one-and-one in time for Florida to get a timeout with 1.5 seconds to go and set up a desperation full-court heave. Haugh's pass, however, was tipped at the baseline and time expired.

UF wing **Thomas Haugh** shoots over Duke's **Patrick Ngongba** during Tuesday night's ACC/SEC Challenge.

Turning Point

UF needed to add just one more stop to its tremendous defensive performance, but Evans is a great shooter who was too open for that late in the game with the outcome on the line.

Staggering Statistic

At halftime, Haugh had 13 points and was 6-for-9 from the floor. The rest of the Gators had 11 points and were 4-for-25. UF's inability to score dug a nasty hole on the road, but the Gators still manage to climb their way out of it and give themselves a shot at what would have been an epic victory.

Up Next

More of the same, basically. Florida (5-3) or (6-2) will be off Wednesday, then get back to work and lock in on next Tuesday night's date against fifth-ranked and unbeaten Connecticut in the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden. Though billed as a neutral site, it'll be a virtual home game for the Huskies, who no doubt will have revenge on their minds after the Gators ended their two-run national-champion reign in the second round of the NCAA Tournament last March at Raleigh, North Carolina.

Email senior writer Chris Harry at chrish@gators.ufl.edu. Find his story archives here.

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