The scoreboard said Duke 95, Western Carolina 54, but the real story wasn’t the score — it was what happened afterward inside Cameron Indoor Stadium.
As the final buzzer sounded, players and fans were still buzzing — not because of one highlight, but because of a moment that captured everything this young Duke team is becoming.
A Message in the Madness
After the game, Jon Scheyer gathered his players at midcourt. The Cameron crowd was deafening, but his message was clear:
> “That’s Duke basketball — effort, toughness, and togetherness.”
He pointed toward the bench — at Caleb Foster, Nikolas Khamenia, and Cayden Boozer — praising how their hustle changed the game’s energy. It wasn’t about stats; it was about setting a standard.
The Play Everyone’s Talking About
In the second half, with Duke already up big, Cameron Boozer dove onto the floor to save a loose ball. It skidded toward the sideline, where Khamenia flipped it back inbounds. The sequence ended with Darren Harris drawing a foul on a three-pointer.
Cameron Indoor erupted. The bench jumped, Scheyer clapped so hard he dropped his clipboard, and the fans fed off every ounce of energy.
“That’s who we want to be,” Scheyer said afterward. “First on the floor, every time.”
Boozer Building Momentum
After a quiet opener against Texas, Cameron Boozer looked every bit like the player everyone expected. The freshman forward posted 25 points, eight rebounds, and five assists, flashing both his power inside and his growing confidence from deep.
“I can still be better,” Boozer said. “But I’m finding ways to impact the game — scoring, rebounding, defending. That’s what matters.”
His twin brother Cayden added 14 points, seven rebounds, and five assists, again proving he can steady the team and make plays at both ends.
“They’re fearless,” Scheyer said. “They play like veterans already.”
Defense and Depth
Duke’s defensive mindset once again defined the night. Western Carolina shot just 30.6% from the field, went 4-for-26 from three, and turned it over 14 times.
“I’m impressed with Duke’s physicality and attention to detail,” WCU coach Tim Kraft admitted. “They made it really hard for us.”
Scheyer called it “our best defensive effort so far” and praised how deep the team looked — especially with Foster, Khamenia, and Maliq Brown bringing energy off the bench.
The Cameron Moment
After the postgame huddle, the Blue Devils walked toward the student section. The Cameron Crazies were chanting and waving, but what happened next caught everyone’s attention — the players joined in.
Isaiah Evans turned toward the crowd, motioned for more noise, and the entire team echoed a chant started by the students:
> “First on the floor! First on the floor!”
Scheyer just smiled as he walked off the court. He didn’t need to say a word — the team, and the crowd, already understood the message.
The Takeaway
Duke didn’t just beat Western Carolina. They sent a message.
Every dive, every loose ball, every hustle play built something bigger — a culture Scheyer has been preaching since day one.
> “Whether we’re up 30 or down 10,” Boozer said, “we want to play the same way. Every 50/50 ball should be 80/20 for us.”
That’s what had Cameron Indoor rocking.
And that’s what had everyone — including Jon Scheyer — talking after the game.
